Posts Tagged Health

Green Festival speaker Zoe Weil and the Institute for Humane Education offer graduate and online courses to create a more just, sustainable and humane world

CONTACT: Sarah Speare,

Sarah@HumaneEducation.org

Institute for Humane Education

SURRY, ME — August 4, 2011 For people who want to learn about meaningful, empowering, and relevant issues that connect to their daily lives and are passionate about exploring solutions to our global challenges, the Institute for Humane Education offers a variety of online courses and graduate programs:

“A Better World, A Meaningful Life” is a monthly online course for activists and concerned citizens. It provides participants with tools for action and change-making and teaches about the interconnection between human rights, environmental sustainability and animal protection in creating a better world. Classes start Sept. 2, Oct. 3, and Nov. 4. For info: http://humaneeducation.org/sections/view/better_world_meaningful_life

“Teaching for a Positive Future” is a six-week online course for teachers and educators who want tools and resources to help inspire their students to become leaders and change-makers for a healthy, peaceful, and sustainable world.  The Fall class starts Oct. 17. For more info: http://humaneeducation.org/sections/view/teaching_for_a_positive_future

“Raising a Humane Child” is a six-week online course for parents who want tools and resources to help their children to become conscientious, compassionate citizens of the world. Classes start Sept. 12 and Nov 7. For more info: http://humaneeducation.org/sections/view/raising_a_humane_child

The Institute for Humane Education in affiliation with Valparaiso University also offers five accredited graduate programs in humane education – with degrees for teachers, activists and concerned citizens including M.Ed., M.A., M.A. in Liberal Studies, M.Ed. in Instructional Leadership and a Graduate Certificate in Humane Education. For more info: http://humaneeducation.org/sections/view/graduateprograms

The Institute for Humane Education is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) educational organization dedicated to fostering peace, sustainability and compassion through humane education. Humane education approaches human rights, environmental preservation and animal protection as interconnected and integral dimensions of a healthy, just society. Headquartered in Surry, Maine, the Institute for Humane Education has been training humane educators and promoting humane education since 1996. The Institute for Humane Education offers online programs, workshops and institutes, a certificate in humane education, and a dynamic resource-filled website: www.HumaneEducation.org.

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About the Institute for Humane Education

The Institute for Humane Education (IHE) is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) educational organization dedicated to creating a humane world through humane education.

About Zoe Weil

Zoe Weil is the president of the Institute for Humane Education (IHE)www.HumaneEducation.org, which is dedicated to educating people to becomechangemakers in creating a healthy, humane, and just world for all. With the goalto inspire a society of solutionaries, IHE offers graduate programs, online courses,workshops, and resources that advance comprehensive humane education worldwide.
Humane education addresses the interconnected issues of human rights, environmentalpreservation, and animal protection. IHE’s M.Ed., M.A. and graduate certificate inhumane education, offered through an affiliation with Valparaiso University, are the onlyprograms of their kind. Zoe is the author of Nautilus Silver Medal winner Most Good,Least Harm; Above All, Be Kind: Raising a Humane Child in Challenging Times; ThePower and Promise of Humane Education, and Moonbeam gold medal winner Claudeand Medea, about 12-year-old activists.

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New Study Links Mountaintop Removal to 60,000 Cases of Cancer in Appalachia

“In a new study released this week, it was revealed that among the 1.2 million residents living in parts of Appalachia, an additional 60,000 cases of cancer are directly linked to mountaintop removal mining, a practice that occurs most commonly in West Virginia’s Appalachian Mountains. Using groundbreaking community-based participatory research, West Virginia University researcher Dr. Michael Hendryx conducted the study, which is titled “Self-Reported Cancer Rates in Two Rural Areas of West Virginia with and Without Mountaintop Coal Mining.” This spring, Hendryx and his team used health data collected from residents of Boone County, WV who are directly affected by mountaintop removal mining, and compared the data to communities without mining. The results show that not only is mountaintop removal killing our environment, it’s killing our fellow Americans.”

New Study Links Mountaintop Removal to 60,000 Cases of Cancer in Appalachia via Jessica Dailey – Inhabitat

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Bad Food? Tax It, and Subsidize Vegetables

“WHAT will it take to get Americans to change our eating habits? The need is indisputable, since heart disease, diabetes and cancer are all in large part caused by the Standard American Diet. (Yes, it’s SAD.)

Though experts increasingly recommend a diet high in plants and low in animal products and processed foods, ours is quite the opposite, and there’s little disagreement that changing it could improve our health and save tens of millions of lives.

And — not inconsequential during the current struggle over deficits and spending — a sane diet could save tens if not hundreds of billions of dollars in health care costs.”

Bad Food? Tax It, and Subsidize Vegetables via Mark Bittman – New York Times

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Consumers Prefer Organic Food, Survey Says

“A new Thomson Reuters poll [pdf] found that the majority (58%) of consumers prefer organic food to conventional food. This preference is particularly strong with those with a higher education, and those of a younger demographic. Sixty-three percent of respondents under age 35 choose organics when possible.”

Consumers Prefer Organic Food, Survey Says via Huffington Post Food

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In Cuba, Yes, but Only With a Purpose

“A hot June sun glared over the Arroyo Arenas organic vegetable garden at the edge of Havana where Ms. Slezak, a 68-year-old retired social worker from Long Island, and 16 other Americans were visiting as part of a “food sovereignty” program organized by Global Exchange, a human rights organization, and Food First, a policy institute.”

In Cuba, Yes, but Only With a Purpose via Victoria Burnett – NY Times

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EPA is sued over smog in Los Angeles Basin

“Environmental and public health groups filed suit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencyon Monday, saying the agency has failed to force officials to crack down on smog in the Los Angeles Basin.

The suit contends the EPA missed a May deadline to, in effect, determine whether the ozone level in the region is hazardous to public health. Such a determination could trigger tougher limits on pollution from cars, trucks, ships and refineries.”
EPA is sued over smog in Los Angeles Basin via Ashlie Rodriguez – LA Times

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SF tries again with cell phone radiation law

“Almost three months after it shelved a controversial cell phone radiation law, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is keeping the issue alive, but adopting a different strategy for doing so.

At its meeting tomorrow, the board will vote on amended legislation that would require retailers in the city to informational notices on radiofrequency (RF) exposure and offer fact sheets to consumers that request them. Proposed by Supervisor John Avalos, the revamped “Right to Ordinance” won unanimous approval last week from the board’s City Operations and Neighborhood Services Committee.”

SF tries again with cell phone radiation law via Kent German – CNET

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EPA, SEC Take the Lead on U.S. Environmental Progress

“While the EU charges ahead with carbon trading, stricter environmental laws and better enforcement, we here in America hang our heads in shame. Our Federal government is in environmental denial and the media cries Cassandra. Al Gore goes to a highly-publicized meeting with President Obama to lobby for climate change mitigation, while Obama has still not honored his promise to reinstall solar panels on the White House roof. Businesses beg for definitive rulings on issues such as carbon pricing and environmental social governance (ESG) reporting requirements, while the legislature clamors (successfully) “drill baby drill” and accuses environmentalists of favoring spotted owls over jobs. Our leaders’ attitude seems to be climate change has to wait until the economy has turned around.

But civil servants are having remarkable success. In living up to their duty to protect the health and wealth of U.S. citizens, the EPA and the SEC are remarkably focused, even strident, about green. In fact, the EPA has had a number of amazing wins.”

EPA, SEC Take the Lead on U.S. Environmental Progress via Carol Pierson Holding – Triple Pundit

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Coal-Fired Power Plants Targeted By Sierra Club In Washington, D.C.

“Commuters probably weren’t expecting this on their way to work in the morning. But beginning July 12th, theSierra Club took over all of the ad space inside Washington, D.C.’s Farragut North Station to share their message that air pollution from coal-fired power plants poses health risks.

80 metro cars have carried similar ads since April.”

Coal-Fired Power Plants Targeted By Sierra Club In Washington, D.C. via Huffington Post

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Fracking forces recoil in New Jersey and France, and new rules in New York

“Natural gas drilling techniques have either advanced or deteriorated, depending on your viewpoint, with the increased use of hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking.

Fracking is being used to release gas from hard shale deposits in various hot spots across the U.S. and the world. It has allowed gas companies to access gas supplies that were not viable with traditional drilling methods, opening up a spigot that could supply the U.S. for years to come and launching a drumbeat for domestic natural gas to become the “bridge” fuel to the future, because it burns cleanly in combustion engines and because it has created thousands with much-needed jobs.

Critics, however, say fracking comes with a high environmental cost and even its promise of increased U.S. supplies could go unfulfilled if speculators sell the gas off on the global market. Gas companies, they say, are overly optimistic about natural gas production, withevidence emerging that fracked wells may run strongly for a few years, then diminish to a trickle, potentially hurting investors and landowner leasees.”

Fracking forces recoil in New Jersey and France, and new rules in New York via Barbara Kessler – Green Right Now

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