What person, group or organization is being profiled, and why are they of interest to this project?
Physicians for Social Responsibility-Philadelphia (PSR Philadelphia) is the organization being profiled. This organization is composed of health professionals working toward better public health in Philadelphia and around the world. PSR encourages “Health Advocacy, Violence Prevention & Environmental Action” (http://psrphila.org/).
What have they done – through research, or a public health program or education forum, for example-- that illustrates how they have worked to improve air pollution governance and environmental public health? Pharmaceuticals: Assessment of chemicals in drugs; publication of lifecycles of medicine; training for students of medical professions; education for senior citizens about medication disposal; research on management of pharmaceuticals (http://psrphila.org/pharmaceuticals/). Energy: Partnered with organizations for safer frac’ing and with Community Energy, Inc. to work for 100% renewable energy in Pennsylvania; started a Health Ambassador program to educate professionals in the medical world on energy issues and to teach them to spread this knowledge (http://psrphila.org/safe-energy/). Climate Change: Advocates for climate change by educating the public on how to adapt to these changes; holds seminars to prepare senior citizens for treacherous weather (http://psrphila.org/climate-change/). PSR National: Won the Nobel Peace Prize for gaining support in favor of ending the arms race in nuclear warfare (http://psrphila.org/organization-history/).
Much of what is done in PSR Philadelphia involves education, training and advocacy, as well as taking action, in public health concerns.
What timeline of events illustrates how this way of addressing environmental public health has developed?
1979- The PSR chapter in Philadelphia focused on prevention of violence towards the environment and between humans.
1997- Another organization, Women’s Health & Environmental Network (WHEN) studied links between cancer and the environment, worked with PSR Philadelphia and other nonprofits to have more impact.
2011- The two organizations meshed to create the current PSR. WHEN became the Environmental Health subsection of the organization. PSR’s focus turned towards an environmental public health advocacy direction.
(http://psrphila.org/organization-history/)
Does this person, group or organization claim to have a new or unique way of addressing environmental public health? Does this approach point to or suggest problems with other approaches?
The view of a health professional on environmental problems is unique compared to the natural and social scientists that usually focus on these issues. PSR considers the effects of climate change and pharmaceutical pollution on specific groups, like geriatrics patients, and advocates for health professionals to become environmental educated, for further education of the public. This approach suggests that other approaches are forgetting groups to which these problems matter.
What data have they collected or used to support their approach to environmental public health? What visualizations of this data have been created?
Data collected to support PSR’s work:
-News articles about Philadelphia air pollution severity
-EPA action in environmental health
-“Tools and Resources” to learn about practicing better disposal of medications, frac’ing and health impacts, climate change severity on the global and regional scale
No visualization of this presented data has been formed. Some of the links posted in the “Tools and Resources” areas certainly have visualizations of data PSR finds important.
What research has the organization produced or draw-on on in their initiatives – in the last year, and over the last decade?
Participants of PSR have researched pharmaceutical contaminants and lifecycles. Their work references research in climate change, energy sources, medication disposal, as well as in teaching.
What kinds of technology and infrastructure do they rely on in the production of environmental health care?
PSR relies on technologies used in the medical field to do research and the teaching field to educate the public about their environmental health care concerns.
What social ecology does this person, group or organization work within, and how did it shaped their way of conceiving and engaging asthma?
This organization is composed of individuals from a medical background, enabling them to focus on environmental health concerns that are more apparent to health professionals, pharmaceutical pollution, and to focus on the human health aspects of traditional environmental concerns.
What events or data seem to have motivated their ways of thinking about and engaging environmental health?
Data about pharmaceutical pollution motivated much of PSR’s concern about environmental health. As health professionals, this direction towards better disposal of medical contaminants is an area of high impact within environmental health. Research on health impacts from other environmental problems, like oil drilling and climate change, drive other ways PSR engages environmental health.
What funding enables their work and possibly shapes their way of thinking about environmental health?
PSR is a nonprofit organization that relies on donations alone to take action. The funds go toward their advocacy programs and some research. The donators, likely in the health field, possibly impact the direction in which the organization takes action on environmental health, turning the focus towards the effect on human health.
What in the history of this person, group or organization likely shaped the way they conceived or and engage environmental health?
The fusion of the WHEN program and the initial PSR organization gives this organization a unique blend of interests. The environmental violence focus of the original PSR-Philadelphia adds to the concerns of environmental impact on health of the WHEN program. The combination of the two organizations increased the influence and diversity of thinking in the PSR organization.
What does this person, group or organization seem to find methodologically challenging or concerning in dealing with environmental health?
A methodologically challenging part of PSR is making health professionals feel comfortable about teaching their patients about the health effects of environmental concerns (http://psrphila.org/enviormental-health-ambassadors/). To address this challenge, PSR holds trainings where members learn to speak out on these issues. The medical point of view on environmental health is one that causes a great impact.
What kinds of governance are (implicitly or explicitly) called for in the way they think about environmental health?
PSR’s work would call for regulatory laws on pharmaceutical disposals. This type of governance would address a topic that they advocate for and an area of an environmental health that has not been regulated. In addition, climate change action and regulation of hydraulic fracturing are called for by this organization.
How can The Asthma Files enable or supplement this way of thinking about environmental health, and the work of this person, group or organization?
The Asthma Files could adopt some of this organizations methods in advocating for medication disposal. Also, The Asthma Files could tackle the subject of asthma, air quality, and environmental health in the context of particular group of which the subject impacts, like PSR focusing on educating senior citizens.
Physicians for Social Responsibility-Philadelphia (PSR Philadelphia) is the organization being profiled. This organization is composed of health professionals working toward better public health in Philadelphia and around the world. PSR encourages “Health Advocacy, Violence Prevention & Environmental Action” (http://psrphila.org/).
What have they done – through research, or a public health program or education forum, for example-- that illustrates how they have worked to improve air pollution governance and environmental public health?
Pharmaceuticals: Assessment of chemicals in drugs; publication of lifecycles of medicine; training for students of medical professions; education for senior citizens about medication disposal; research on management of pharmaceuticals (http://psrphila.org/pharmaceuticals/).
Energy: Partnered with organizations for safer frac’ing and with Community Energy, Inc. to work for 100% renewable energy in Pennsylvania; started a Health Ambassador program to educate professionals in the medical world on energy issues and to teach them to spread this knowledge (http://psrphila.org/safe-energy/).
Climate Change: Advocates for climate change by educating the public on how to adapt to these changes; holds seminars to prepare senior citizens for treacherous weather (http://psrphila.org/climate-change/).
PSR National: Won the Nobel Peace Prize for gaining support in favor of ending the arms race in nuclear warfare (http://psrphila.org/organization-history/).
Much of what is done in PSR Philadelphia involves education, training and advocacy, as well as taking action, in public health concerns.
What timeline of events illustrates how this way of addressing environmental public health has developed?
1979- The PSR chapter in Philadelphia focused on prevention of violence towards the environment and between humans.
1997- Another organization, Women’s Health & Environmental Network (WHEN) studied links between cancer and the environment, worked with PSR Philadelphia and other nonprofits to have more impact.
2011- The two organizations meshed to create the current PSR. WHEN became the Environmental Health subsection of the organization. PSR’s focus turned towards an environmental public health advocacy direction.
(http://psrphila.org/organization-history/)
Does this person, group or organization claim to have a new or unique way of addressing environmental public health? Does this approach point to or suggest problems with other approaches?
The view of a health professional on environmental problems is unique compared to the natural and social scientists that usually focus on these issues. PSR considers the effects of climate change and pharmaceutical pollution on specific groups, like geriatrics patients, and advocates for health professionals to become environmental educated, for further education of the public. This approach suggests that other approaches are forgetting groups to which these problems matter.
What data have they collected or used to support their approach to environmental public health? What visualizations of this data have been created?
Data collected to support PSR’s work:
-News articles about Philadelphia air pollution severity
-EPA action in environmental health
-“Tools and Resources” to learn about practicing better disposal of medications, frac’ing and health impacts, climate change severity on the global and regional scale
No visualization of this presented data has been formed. Some of the links posted in the “Tools and Resources” areas certainly have visualizations of data PSR finds important.
What research has the organization produced or draw-on on in their initiatives – in the last year, and over the last decade?
Participants of PSR have researched pharmaceutical contaminants and lifecycles. Their work references research in climate change, energy sources, medication disposal, as well as in teaching.
What kinds of technology and infrastructure do they rely on in the production of environmental health care?
PSR relies on technologies used in the medical field to do research and the teaching field to educate the public about their environmental health care concerns.
What social ecology does this person, group or organization work within, and how did it shaped their way of conceiving and engaging asthma?
This organization is composed of individuals from a medical background, enabling them to focus on environmental health concerns that are more apparent to health professionals, pharmaceutical pollution, and to focus on the human health aspects of traditional environmental concerns.
What events or data seem to have motivated their ways of thinking about and engaging environmental health?
Data about pharmaceutical pollution motivated much of PSR’s concern about environmental health. As health professionals, this direction towards better disposal of medical contaminants is an area of high impact within environmental health. Research on health impacts from other environmental problems, like oil drilling and climate change, drive other ways PSR engages environmental health.
What funding enables their work and possibly shapes their way of thinking about environmental health?
PSR is a nonprofit organization that relies on donations alone to take action. The funds go toward their advocacy programs and some research. The donators, likely in the health field, possibly impact the direction in which the organization takes action on environmental health, turning the focus towards the effect on human health.
What in the history of this person, group or organization likely shaped the way they conceived or and engage environmental health?
The fusion of the WHEN program and the initial PSR organization gives this organization a unique blend of interests. The environmental violence focus of the original PSR-Philadelphia adds to the concerns of environmental impact on health of the WHEN program. The combination of the two organizations increased the influence and diversity of thinking in the PSR organization.
What does this person, group or organization seem to find methodologically challenging or concerning in dealing with environmental health?
A methodologically challenging part of PSR is making health professionals feel comfortable about teaching their patients about the health effects of environmental concerns (http://psrphila.org/enviormental-health-ambassadors/). To address this challenge, PSR holds trainings where members learn to speak out on these issues. The medical point of view on environmental health is one that causes a great impact.
What kinds of governance are (implicitly or explicitly) called for in the way they think about environmental health?
PSR’s work would call for regulatory laws on pharmaceutical disposals. This type of governance would address a topic that they advocate for and an area of an environmental health that has not been regulated. In addition, climate change action and regulation of hydraulic fracturing are called for by this organization.
How can The Asthma Files enable or supplement this way of thinking about environmental health, and the work of this person, group or organization?
The Asthma Files could adopt some of this organizations methods in advocating for medication disposal. Also, The Asthma Files could tackle the subject of asthma, air quality, and environmental health in the context of particular group of which the subject impacts, like PSR focusing on educating senior citizens.