Asthma
The incidence of asthma in the Lehigh Valley is far higher than the national average, especially in the inner cities. This is probably due in part to natural factors such as pollen, but the levels 0f Diesel pollution and ground-level ozone are also problematic. [Year after year, the Lehigh Valley fails to meet the minimum standards of the Clean Air Act.]
Locally, asthma is a focus of the Bethlehem Partnership for a Healthy Community and a task force on Diesel pollution that includes the Alliance, Bethlehem Partnership for a Healthy Community, Clean Water Action, Lehigh University’s Environmental Policy Design program, and RenewLV.
50 Toxic Food Additives
50 Jawdroppingly Toxic Food Additives to Avoid There have been great advances in food preparation in the last century. These days, well over half of the foods that we can buy in a typical supermarket are pre packaged or prepared. … more
Idling Gets You Nowhere!
This page is adapted from a poster created by intern Julia Ward. Save Money, Your Health, & the Environment — Be Idle Free! If you’re going to be stopped for more than 60 seconds, turn your engine off (except in traffic). … more
Diesel Pollution in the Lehigh Valley
Many believe that school buses are the safest method of transportation for children to get to school, but is it the healthiest? Diesel pollution is becoming a more significant problem across the United States today and specifically, the Lehigh Valley … more
Health Costs of Traffic Congestion
Harvard Center for Risk Analysis examines the public health costs of congestion A Health Risk Assessment conducted by the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis challenges the tendency for analysts and policymakers to focus only on excess fuel consumption and wasted … more
Sustainability & Public Health
Let’s look at sustainability in terms of how our practices affect human health, both immediately and over the long term. Whether we call them health problems or environmental problems, though, the prescription for corrective actions is almost identical. The health lens is … more
Childhood asthma is a serious problem in Lehigh Valley
For years the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has listed both Lehigh and Northampton counties among the worst in the U.S. for air quality, and one of the worst pollutants comes from Diesel engines: Both counties are among the worst 2 … more
The Problem with Industrialized Agriculture
According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, industrial agriculture ‘views the farm as a factory with “inputs” (such as pesticides, feed, fertilizer, and fuel) and “outputs” (corn, chickens, and so forth)…’1 Many of the ‘inputs’ used to maximize production are … more
You are what you eat: Impacts of Sustainable and Industrial Agriculture on Human Health
Following is a summary of some of the key findings of a project by a Moravian College student, who looked beyond the various industry and advocacy positions to see what is really known about the health impacts of the ways … more