What person, group or organization is being profiled, and why are they of interest to this project?
PennEnvironment is the organization being profiled. This organization reports news releases and research reports about environmental issues, in addition to providing ways in which the people of Philadelphia can help with the conservational tasks of PennEnvironment’s professional staff. The purpose of PennEnvironment is to connect the people of Pennsylvania to the elected state representatives, so they can indirectly and directly pursue their environmental health concerns (http://www.pennenvironment.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?
PennEnvironment has linked with other environmental organizations, law firms, and elected officials in Pennsylvania to enhance permits for air quality, to sue for air quality incompliance, and to encourage action in the direction of clean air. The Pennsylvanians involved in PennEnvironment have worked to enforce the Clean Air Act by intervening in pollution practices. In addition, the organization community has worked with elected officials to amend the air quality standards of Pennsylvania (http://www.pennenvironment.org/page/pae/about-pennenvironment). Specific examples are listed in the timeline below.
What timeline of events illustrates how this way of addressing environmental public health has developed?
2001- Begins to report on environmental news and gathers Philadelphia residents to fight for causes.
2009- Begins producing annual reports.
2011- Supported EPA on fight against oil and gas industry air pollution by building connections across Pennsylvania to make sure the new laws were put into action.
2013- Improved Pennsylvania air quality permits and helped prevent frac’ing in Pennsylvania.
2015- Suing the largest steel company in the world for incompliance of air quality regulations.
This timeline shows how the organization gained support for the first few years, participating mostly in environmental education. As the organization grew, the members worked to support actions of prominent environmental groups. They begin to connect with elected Pennsylvania officials to make and enforce laws.
(http://www.pennenvironment.org/issues) 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?
A unique facet of PennEnvironment as an addresser of environmental public health is the PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center. This is PennEnvironment’s “sister organization,” that does research to back up the work done by the two organizations together (http://www.pennenvironment.org/page/pae/about-pennenvironment). The partnership allows PennEnvironment to gather data within as well as from outside sources. This method of collecting data can be seen as superior to other approaches because it produces data in the field of interest of the organization. The organization does not need to find research to back up its work if it does not desire.
What data have they collected or used to support their approach to environmental public health? What visualizations of this data have been created?
PennEnvironment describes many “issues” that concern the members and staff. On the page of each issues are lists of key facts about the topic, statistics on the environmental and human effects of the problem, along with a description of the organization’s initiatives. Along with the statistics of damage, links to news releases and research reports (from the PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center) on pressing topics within the “issue.” This data is collected from research done within the organization’s sisterhood and outside, and is used to encourage involvement in their initiatives
(http://www.pennenvironment.org/issues). This data is not visually represented.
What research has the organization produced or draw-on on in their initiatives – in the last year, and over the last decade?
PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center, the sister organization mentioned, produces much of the research motivating the PennEvironment initiatives. For instance, when a PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center water quality study found hazardous chemicals in a river in 2007, tracing back to an energy company, PennEnvironment was able to make use of the data collected to sue the company responsible for the environmental damage. Currently, the focus of the PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center is on energy, powerplants, and hydraulic fracturing concerns, because of foreseeable action within this area of environmental concern. This research was used to help prevent frac’ing in Pennsylvania (http://www.pennenvironment.org/news).
What kinds of technology and infrastructure do they rely on in the production of environmental health care?
The work done by this organization is mainly law and regulation related. The technology is used to gather support for their causes rather than produce their work.
What social ecology does this person, group or organization work within, and how did it shaped their way of conceiving and engaging asthma?
PennEnvironment works within an environmental social ecology. The environmental standpoint gives their work focus in conservation of the earth and human welfare. Therefore, public health is a driving force of the main work of the organization. Asthma and other respiratory problems are addressed in the actions against air pollution and for air quality control.
What events or data seem to have motivated their ways of thinking about and engaging environmental health?
The publicity of Philadelphia as a polluted city has most likely shaped the way they engage environmental health. Also, the growing percentage of young people in Philadelphia has probably drawn many new-thinkers toward their cause.
What funding enables their work and possibly shapes their way of thinking about environmental health?
The funding of members of the organization enables their work (http://www.pennenvironment.org/page/pae/about-pennenvironment). Therefore, environmentally conscious Pennsylvania residents influence their perspective on environmental health. The welfare of these people and their concerns with their surroundings shape this organization’s activities.
What in the history of this person, group or organization likely shaped the way they conceived or and engage environmental health?
The publicly funded nature of this group likely shaped the way they engage environmental health. The monetary limits of an organization that is not guaranteed funding can seriously alter their abilities to produce the results desired. Despite this limitation, the organization has made an impact on the environmental public health of Pennsylvania. The way they approach the challenge of expenditures affects the way they approach to their cause of interest.
What does this person, group or organization seem to find methodologically challenging or concerning in dealing with environmental health?
Gathering support and funding is a concern for the organization. The main website encourages joining as a member and donating to the cause. In addition, much of what PennEnvironment does involves lawsuits. Competing with oil companies and other dominant organizations for word on what happens with Pennsylvania’s environment is methodically challenging (http://www.pennenvironment.org/page/pae/about-pennenvironment).
.
What kinds of governance are (implicitly or explicitly) called for in the way they think about environmental health?
PennEnviornment calls for more environmental action done especially in their state government. Governance that would support this type of thinking includes more pollution regulations and higher standards for environmental permits. Renewable energy acts and limiting of frac’ing are supported 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 studies on respiratory illness and the environmental health initiative supports and acknowledges similar causes as PennEnvironment. The Asthma Files study can represent the concern fought for by PennEnvironment, and can study the way that public-funded organizations go about addressing environmental concerns, in particular, in the courtroom and in Pennsylvania politics. Public activity in environmental goals in politics are encouraged by this organization, a method in taking action which can be used by The Asthma Files.
PennEnvironment is the organization being profiled. This organization reports news releases and research reports about environmental issues, in addition to providing ways in which the people of Philadelphia can help with the conservational tasks of PennEnvironment’s professional staff. The purpose of PennEnvironment is to connect the people of Pennsylvania to the elected state representatives, so they can indirectly and directly pursue their environmental health concerns (http://www.pennenvironment.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?
PennEnvironment has linked with other environmental organizations, law firms, and elected officials in Pennsylvania to enhance permits for air quality, to sue for air quality incompliance, and to encourage action in the direction of clean air. The Pennsylvanians involved in PennEnvironment have worked to enforce the Clean Air Act by intervening in pollution practices. In addition, the organization community has worked with elected officials to amend the air quality standards of Pennsylvania (http://www.pennenvironment.org/page/pae/about-pennenvironment). Specific examples are listed in the timeline below.
What timeline of events illustrates how this way of addressing environmental public health has developed?
2001- Begins to report on environmental news and gathers Philadelphia residents to fight for causes.
2009- Begins producing annual reports.
2011- Supported EPA on fight against oil and gas industry air pollution by building connections across Pennsylvania to make sure the new laws were put into action.
2013- Improved Pennsylvania air quality permits and helped prevent frac’ing in Pennsylvania.
2015- Suing the largest steel company in the world for incompliance of air quality regulations.
This timeline shows how the organization gained support for the first few years, participating mostly in environmental education. As the organization grew, the members worked to support actions of prominent environmental groups. They begin to connect with elected Pennsylvania officials to make and enforce laws.
(http://www.pennenvironment.org/issues)
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?
A unique facet of PennEnvironment as an addresser of environmental public health is the PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center. This is PennEnvironment’s “sister organization,” that does research to back up the work done by the two organizations together (http://www.pennenvironment.org/page/pae/about-pennenvironment). The partnership allows PennEnvironment to gather data within as well as from outside sources. This method of collecting data can be seen as superior to other approaches because it produces data in the field of interest of the organization. The organization does not need to find research to back up its work if it does not desire.
What data have they collected or used to support their approach to environmental public health? What visualizations of this data have been created?
PennEnvironment describes many “issues” that concern the members and staff. On the page of each issues are lists of key facts about the topic, statistics on the environmental and human effects of the problem, along with a description of the organization’s initiatives. Along with the statistics of damage, links to news releases and research reports (from the PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center) on pressing topics within the “issue.” This data is collected from research done within the organization’s sisterhood and outside, and is used to encourage involvement in their initiatives
(http://www.pennenvironment.org/issues). This data is not visually represented.
What research has the organization produced or draw-on on in their initiatives – in the last year, and over the last decade?
PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center, the sister organization mentioned, produces much of the research motivating the PennEvironment initiatives. For instance, when a PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center water quality study found hazardous chemicals in a river in 2007, tracing back to an energy company, PennEnvironment was able to make use of the data collected to sue the company responsible for the environmental damage. Currently, the focus of the PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center is on energy, powerplants, and hydraulic fracturing concerns, because of foreseeable action within this area of environmental concern. This research was used to help prevent frac’ing in Pennsylvania (http://www.pennenvironment.org/news).
What kinds of technology and infrastructure do they rely on in the production of environmental health care?
The work done by this organization is mainly law and regulation related. The technology is used to gather support for their causes rather than produce their work.
What social ecology does this person, group or organization work within, and how did it shaped their way of conceiving and engaging asthma?
PennEnvironment works within an environmental social ecology. The environmental standpoint gives their work focus in conservation of the earth and human welfare. Therefore, public health is a driving force of the main work of the organization. Asthma and other respiratory problems are addressed in the actions against air pollution and for air quality control.
What events or data seem to have motivated their ways of thinking about and engaging environmental health?
The publicity of Philadelphia as a polluted city has most likely shaped the way they engage environmental health. Also, the growing percentage of young people in Philadelphia has probably drawn many new-thinkers toward their cause.
What funding enables their work and possibly shapes their way of thinking about environmental health?
The funding of members of the organization enables their work (http://www.pennenvironment.org/page/pae/about-pennenvironment). Therefore, environmentally conscious Pennsylvania residents influence their perspective on environmental health. The welfare of these people and their concerns with their surroundings shape this organization’s activities.
What in the history of this person, group or organization likely shaped the way they conceived or and engage environmental health?
The publicly funded nature of this group likely shaped the way they engage environmental health. The monetary limits of an organization that is not guaranteed funding can seriously alter their abilities to produce the results desired. Despite this limitation, the organization has made an impact on the environmental public health of Pennsylvania. The way they approach the challenge of expenditures affects the way they approach to their cause of interest.
What does this person, group or organization seem to find methodologically challenging or concerning in dealing with environmental health?
Gathering support and funding is a concern for the organization. The main website encourages joining as a member and donating to the cause. In addition, much of what PennEnvironment does involves lawsuits. Competing with oil companies and other dominant organizations for word on what happens with Pennsylvania’s environment is methodically challenging (http://www.pennenvironment.org/page/pae/about-pennenvironment).
.
What kinds of governance are (implicitly or explicitly) called for in the way they think about environmental health?
PennEnviornment calls for more environmental action done especially in their state government. Governance that would support this type of thinking includes more pollution regulations and higher standards for environmental permits. Renewable energy acts and limiting of frac’ing are supported 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 studies on respiratory illness and the environmental health initiative supports and acknowledges similar causes as PennEnvironment. The Asthma Files study can represent the concern fought for by PennEnvironment, and can study the way that public-funded organizations go about addressing environmental concerns, in particular, in the courtroom and in Pennsylvania politics. Public activity in environmental goals in politics are encouraged by this organization, a method in taking action which can be used by The Asthma Files.