Europe: Environment and Public Health Brussels Statement
HCWH Europe – HCWH Europe took part in the roundtable discussion on ‘Science and Policy’ at the High Level Expert Meeting on Environment and Public Health (EPH) in Modern Society and contributed to the final statement calling for protection from environmental pollution and other hazards and calls for rapid transformation from research into policy.  more

US: Practice Greenhealth Launch Research Study on Healthcare Sustainability Best Practices
HCWH & PGH – Practice Greenhealth announced the launch of a groundbreaking study to investigate and document the impact of sustainability best practices on patient and worker outcomes and lowering costs. The project is a combined effort of the recently organized Health Care Research Collaborative, a partnership of Practice Greenhealth, Health Care Without Harm and the Healthier Hospitals Initiative.  more

Pakistan: State Pollution Control Board Busts Hospital Waste Selling
Greater Kashmir – The J&K State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) on Thursday seized a truckload of infections bio-medical waste collected from various hospitals while it was being unloaded at a scrap dealer establishment. more

India: Firm Says Hospitals Violate Biomedical Waste Disposal Norms
Indian Express – 174 private, civic and government hospitals and nursing homes in the city have been found violating norms regarding handling and disposal of biomedical waste by a Bio Medical Company appointed firm for the purpose. The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, acting on a complaint sent to it earlier this month by the agency handling biomedical waste in the city, has started physical inspection of these hospitals.  more

Japan: Minamata and the Global Treaty on Mercury
ne.jp – This report was prepared by Citizens Against Chemicals Pollution (CACP) to provide information about several mercury-related issues in Japan, including the case of the victims of Minamata disease and the global efforts toward a proposed Mercury Treaty to be concluded in 2013. more

International: WMA Statement on Environmental Degradation and Sound Management of Chemicals
WMA – The World Medical Association (WMA) Statement focuses on one important aspect of environmental degradation, which is environmental contamination by harmful domestic and industrial substances. more

US: Plant-based Respiratory Allergies on the Rise Due to Climate Change
News-Medical – At the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Phoenix, allergists and scientists discussed the effects of rising CO2 levels and a changing climate on plant biology and public health. "Plant-based respiratory allergies are on the rise and increased levels of ragweed pollen are in the air," said Lewis Ziska, PhD, a plant physiologist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service. "Climate change is affecting plants and human health, especially allergy sufferers."  more

International: Annie Leonard's Story of Electronics is an E-Waste Eye Opener
Inhabitat.com – Annie Leonard has presented her new video where she talks about the issues surrounding e-waste recycling. Annie Leonard's new video, The Story of Electronics, hits the problem right on the nose. The new tale follows the same format again to shed light not only on the ineffective world of e-waste recycling and bad design that goes into making things obsolete.  more

Notice: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this information for research and educational purposes. Online articles and links might expire days after their release date.