National Public Health Week

Looking ahead

noreply@blogger.com (APHA NPHW team) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:09:00 +0000

Thanks to the hard work of public health professionals across the nation, National Public Health Week (NPHW) 2009 was a great success.

Along with events held in hundreds of communities across the nation, NPHW also saw the launch of the new Healthiest Nation in One Generation viral video campaign. So far, more than 20,000 people have viewed the video online and thousands more have seen it at meetings, conferences and other events. Keep spreading the word!

And even though NPHW 2009 has come and gone, our work is far from over. In the months ahead, APHA will work to build on the momentum of all the individuals and communities who have committed to making America the healthiest nation in one generation.

Along with expanding the Healthiest Nation in One Generation campaign, this means supporting and working with other organizations that are committed to the same goal. One great example is the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Commission to Build a Healthier America.

Like APHA, the Commission believes that there is more to good health than health care. To this end, the Commission recently issued 10 recommendations that identify how to help Americans lead healthy lives. The recommendations – which focus on how and where people live, learn, work and play – call on each of us to take responsibility for our health and for leadership to promote greater opportunities for every one of us to live healthy and productive lives. Visit www.commissiononhealth.org to learn more.

With all of us committed to the same goal, we’re on the right path to making America the healthiest nation in one generation.

Home, sweet home

noreply@blogger.com (APHA NPHW team) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 18:35:00 +0000

Today, as National Public Health Weeks draws to an end, we’re focusing on public health in the home. By this we mean not just the healthiness of the homes themselves and the food, water and other items contained within, but also the healthiness of the family that lives there.

This is a logical place to end the 2009 observance of National Public Health Week. which aimed to raise awareness of the importance of public health in the current health reform discussion.

Although it is an essential part of the picture, health is so much more than just access to care, which is most frequently discussed. It’s federal funding that provides for public health programs across the nation, it’s communities that are built in a way the supports physical activity, it’s workplaces that provide resources to help employees become tobacco-free, it’s schools that offer healthy food choices and it’s families that support each other in living and adopting healthy behaviors.

To keep our nation’s families healthy, we must work to ensure that public health continues to be able to support them through the lifespan. And our nation’s families have to keep up their end of the bargain too. They have to work to live a healthy lifestyle and set an example for the children that could help us become the healthiest nation in one generation.

Public health will do its part. What will you do?

School’s in session

noreply@blogger.com (APHA NPHW team) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:28:00 +0000

Today’s lesson: How we can improve the health of our children through schools?

As we all know, the majority of the children and adolescents in our nation spend a large proportion of their time at school. So, as it makes sense to work to help adults make healthy choices in the workplace, it is equally effective to target children through schools.

Public health professionals have made great strides in raising awareness of the importance of getting unhealthy vending machines out of schools and replacing them with healthy options. They’ve also done a good job making the case that children need opportunities to be physically active, both to be healthier and to learn.

But it’s not enough. Too many schools continue to sell high calorie foods because they need the additional revenue to cover budget shortfalls. Too many schools continue to cut physical education classes because they need the time to prepare for tested subjects. Too many schools continue to be built in areas that are only accessible by car or bus, making it impossible for students to walk or bike to school.

This has to change. We must continue to help parents understand that healthy schools are essential to raising healthy children. And we have to let our legislators know that true health reform will require an investment in programs that create schools that support healthy behaviors.

If we can keep our children healthy and nurture the positive behaviors that will help them grow into healthy adults, we will be well on our way to becoming the healthiest nation in one generation.

Working our way to health

noreply@blogger.com (APHA NPHW team) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:44:00 +0000

Even though it isn’t all that fun to think about it, we can’t escape the reality that most of us will spend a large proportion of our adult life at work. I’ll give you a second to let that sink in…

OK, now that we’ve come to terms with this fact, let’s look at the bright side. Because we spend so much of our lives in our workplaces, they are uniquely positioned to be a significant factor in our health and the health of our nation.

One model that has been continually gaining support is the creation of wellness committees to guide worksite health promotion. These committees advocate for healthier food options in the company cafeteria, set up discounted gym memberships for employees, offer workshops on stress reduction and much more. They work to ensure that the workplace helps workers become healthier, rather than serves as a barrier.

As we think about health reform and the role that public health must play if we are truly going to improve health, workplace health promotion needs to be a part of the solution. Whether it involves incorporating prevention and wellness activities into workplace culture, opening up stairwells and making them more pleasant so people will use the stairs more, or insurers lowering premiums for organizations who implement worksite wellness policies, workplace health has to be a part of a holistic approach to health in this nation.

Share your worksite wellness ideas. What has your workplace done to support the health of its employees?

You are where you live

noreply@blogger.com (APHA NPHW team) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 14:29:00 +0000

Our roads. Our air. Our food options. Our water. Our sidewalks. Our local laws. Our transportation options. Our schools. Our access to health services. Our social support.

Each of these elements within our communities — or sometimes the lack thereof — plays a significant role in whether or not we’re able to eat healthy, be physically active, breathe freely or get preventive care. They help determine whether or not we’re healthy.

On the second day of National Public Health Week, as we focus on the role that where we lives plays on our health, it’s a good time to think about how we get the word out. How do we make sure that people understand that simply providing health insurance to all Americans isn’t enough to make us healthy? How do get our family, our neighbors, OUR COMMUNITY, to demand that we invest in ensuring that the places we live are supportive of our health?

The Healthiest Nation in One Generation video makes the case and one way to get the word out is to make sure as many people as possible have a chance to see it.

Another great opportunity is to contact your legislators. Make sure they know that their constituents want to ensure that public health is the foundation of health reform.

What other ideas do you have for helping our communities understand that health involves more than just individual behaviors and health care?

You’re invited to be a part of the Healthiest Nation in One Generation

noreply@blogger.com (APHA NPHW team) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 14:47:00 +0000

National Public Health begins today with the launch of a new video campaign entitled the Healthiest Nation in One Generation. We're hoping to make this video viral, so we need your help to spread the word.

This campaign is important because, let’s face it – as a nation we’re not nearly as healthy as we should be. Compared to other developed nations, we’re lagging far behind.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. With your help, we can make America the healthiest nation in just one generation. By focusing on public health we can turn things around and start moving toward a healthy tomorrow.

The video follows a child through his life and tells the story of how public health is there each step of the way. Want to know more?

Watch the video today and visit www.generationpublichealth.org to learn more.

Help us reach our goal of 100,000 views by the end of this week to celebrate National Public Health Week! Share the video with your friends and family and encourage them to get involved.

America can make this the healthiest nation in one generation. We all have to do our part. What will you do?

Just around the corner

noreply@blogger.com (APHA NPHW team) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 20:29:00 +0000

After months of preparation and hard work, National Public Health Week is finally upon us!

This year’s observance (April 6-12) kicks off Monday with the launch of an exciting, new viral video campaign. The video tells the story of the many ways that public health touches our lives and makes the case that through public health we can become the healthiest nation in one generation. Check back Monday for a first look!

In anticipation of NPHW, this week APHA released its Agenda for Health Reform. The document highlights the most critical changes we must make to improve the public’s health, based on long-standing APHA policies, as well as the best current evidence. Check it out today and let us know what you link!

Along with events at the national level, NPHW events are happening all around the nation. From Boston to Topeka, public health professionals are using this week as an opportunity to support public health in our nation. Click here to find out what’s happening in your community.

We hope you’ll join us next week and from here on out as we work to build the foundation for a healthy America.

Share your NPHW news

noreply@blogger.com (APHA NPHW team) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 14:56:00 +0000

As you hold your National Public Health Week events in the coming weeks, be sure to keep APHA’s official newspaper, The Nation’s Health, in mind.

In an upcoming issue, The Nation’s Health will feature coverage of events held around the nation, and your activity could be one of them. Send us a short summary of your activities, when it was held, who was involved and what was accomplished. National Public Health Week photos and artwork are also welcome.

If possible, digital photos should be at a resolution of at least 300 dpi and should be e-mailed as separate JPEG attachments. Printed photos may be mailed. Please note if a photo credit should be given.

"This is your chance to share your ideas and experiences with public health colleagues from around the country," said Michele Late, the newspaper’s executive editor. "Everyone who sends us information will be mentioned. We would love to showcase your work."

Information should be e-mailed by Friday, April 24, to nations.health@apha.org or mailed to: Editor, The Nation’s Health, 800 I St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20001-3710. Everyone who sends their information via e-mail will receive a submission confirmation. Click here for more complete details on submitting your events to the newspaper.

The Nation’s Health will send extra copies of the issue to participants who send in their news, so be sure to include your mailing address and the name of a contact person.

For more information on submitting your National Public Health Week news to The Nation’s Health, call 202-777-2488 or e-mail nations.health@apha.org.

(Still not sure how or what to submit to The Nation’s Health? Check out last year’s coverage.)

Bad news + inspiration = ACTION

noreply@blogger.com (APHA NPHW team) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:15:00 +0000

How’s our health faring in these new and troublesome (and sometimes frightening) economic times? Not too well, according to a recent article in The Nation’s Health newspaper, “U.S. economic crisis having worrisome effect on health.” As if the nation’s uninsurance problem wasn’t bad enough....

And check out this new video (below) from the National Association of County and City Health Officials and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation about the public health response in a Kansas town devastated by a category 5 tornado. It’s pretty inspirational and illustrates just how vital our public health system truly is.

Bad news + inspiration = ACTION. So, visit President Obama’s health reform site to submit public health-related questions to regional health reform forums or just get involved in making sure public health has a seat at the table.

Health reform goes local

noreply@blogger.com (APHA NPHW team) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 16:50:00 +0000

Yesterday marked the launch of a series of White House regional health forums that will be held across the country in the coming weeks. The first forum was held in Michigan and was attended by politicians, reporters, doctors, nurses and the public.

The day’s events included individuals sharing personal stories of how their lives have been impacted by astronomical health care costs, small business owners talking about their struggles to provide their employees with health coverage and politicians talking about their commitment to reform.

And according to an APHA member who attended, many of the principles APHA is endorsing for health reform - such as universal coverage, access to health services, emphasis on wellness and prevention, and reducing health disparities – were also mentioned by participants in the forum.

Does this forum sound like something in which you’d like to be involved? If you live in Vermont, Iowa, North Carolina or California, you’re in luck – these are the states hosting the next health forums. You can find out the dates and other information here.

Don’t live in one of those states but still want to get involved? You can play a role by submitting ideas or questions for the upcoming forums here.

What topics do you want to see covered at the forums? Do you think they are a good way to get more people involved in and supportive of health reform? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Full steam ahead

noreply@blogger.com (APHA NPHW team) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 21:09:00 +0000

What a week!

This Tuesday, Americans heard President Obama say that health reform is critical to our nation’s economic future, that the recovery plan “makes the largest investment ever in preventive care, because that's one of the best ways to keep our people healthy and our costs under control,” and that “health care reform cannot wait, it must not wait, and it will not wait another year.” [You can find a transcript of the speech here.]

And then less than 48 hours later, the president released a budget proposal including a $634 billion fund for health reform - calling it a “down payment” on universal coverage.

Taken together with the reauthorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program last month, the new administration has thus far lived up to its promise to work to ensure that everyone one in our nation has access to the health services needed to stay health. Additionally, there has also been a broad recognition of the role that public health and prevention must play in reform, which is a giant step toward better health in our nation.

APHA is pleased with the direction things are heading for health reform. Are you? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Hear “Why Public Health Matters”

noreply@blogger.com (APHA NPHW team) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 15:28:00 +0000

In support of National Public Health Week 2009 and its theme, “Building the Foundation for a Healthy America,” APHA is pleased to announce the release of a new video series – “Why Public Health Matters.”

Available for viewing on the NPHW Web site, the videos feature public health professionals from around the nation sharing their views on public health. The topics they consider include the greatest public health successes, the relevance of public health, challenges facing public health and much more.

Check them out today and then add your voice to the discussion by submitting your personal story of what public health means to you.

Putting a face on public health

noreply@blogger.com (APHA NPHW team) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 21:54:00 +0000

As our leaders debate the merits of the public health provisions in the economic stimulus bill, one wonders how best to make the case for this important funding.

Health departments, local coalitions, associations and people like you have been writing letters to elected officials, speaking with local media and doing everything they can to explain why investing in public health makes sense. We’ve highlighted how prevention will save money, how the funds will create jobs and how they will allow more people access to important public health services during these difficult economic times.

But this isn’t enough. Despite all the evidence in support of these provisions, they are still in danger of being stripped out of the Senate’s version of the bill. So we need a new approach. Perhaps the problem is that we haven’t succeeded in telling the story of public health – we haven’t given a face to the many lives touched by our work.

We need to share our stories with our leaders and our communities. Share how your clinic has been inundated with people who have lost their insurance and need to see a doctor, but you don’t have the funds to meet demand. Share how your public education campaign resulted in record high numbers of people getting their flu shots. Share how you finally quit smoking after your state required your work to go smoke-free.

Whatever your story, share it. If our elected leaders are able to hear the real-life stories of the lives improved through public health, we might just have a chance to change some minds.

Obama gives public health a shout out

noreply@blogger.com (APHA NPHW team) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 21:58:00 +0000

With the world’s eyes on D.C. this week, public health got a boost from none other than President Obama himself. The high-profile acknowledgement came during this week’s Youth Inaugural Ball, which was billed as a celebration of the role young people can play to serve their communities.

As he addressed the crowd, Obama said:

“We know that young people everywhere are in the process of imagining something different then what has come before. Where there is war they imagine peace, where there is hunger they imagine people being able to feed themselves, where there is disease they imagine a public health system that works for everybody, where they imagine bigotries they imagine togetherness.”

Don’t believe me? Check it out for yourself (the quote starts at about the 3:00 mark)!

As we seek to impart the importance of public health to our nation’s health, it’s encouraging that millions of people heard our new president call for establishing an effective, comprehensive public health system – not a health care system, mind you – as a means of preventing disease!

What did you think Obama’s public health mention?

Calling for action

noreply@blogger.com (APHA NPHW team) — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:17:00 +0000

With D.C. gearing up for next week's inauguration, APHA has released a list of its public health priorities for the new Congress and administration.

These recommendations are part of NPHW efforts to urge our elected leaders to recognize the importance of public health as the foundation for a strong national health system that is able to address the many health challenges facing our nation.

Check them out here and then share your thoughts in the comments. What other legislative asks do you think the public health community should promote?

NPHW 2009 toolkit now available!

noreply@blogger.com (APHA NPHW team) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:04:00 +0000

The "Building the Foundation for a Healthy America" toolkit is now available. The toolkit includes fact sheets, media outreach materials, suggested community events, legislative information and resources for everyone to use throughout NPHW. Start planning your NPHW event today!

Coming up short

noreply@blogger.com (APHA NPHW team) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:26:00 +0000

Add this to the looming hurdles on the road to health reform: A recent Physicians’ Foundation survey of 12,000 doctors — mostly primary care physicians — found that half are planning to reduce their patient load or stop practicing altogether. Translation: When the health care doors open to the nation’s 45 million uninsured, will anyone be there to welcome them?

It’s a prediction complicated even more by a September study in the Journal of the American Medical Association that showed only 2 percent of graduating medical students are planning a career in general internal medicine, and an earlier Health Affairs study that predicted a primary care physician shortage of up to 44,000 by 2025.

The problem? Just take a look at Massachusetts. A couple years ago, the state passed sweeping health reform legislation resulting in near universal health coverage in the state. The downside? Not enough primary care doctors to see the hundreds of thousands of newly insured residents.

Pretty sobering. Primary care physicians, along with pediatricians, nurses and other primary care providers, are like the backbone of the health care delivery system, providing the regular check-ups, screenings, preventive advice and treatment that keep people healthy. Plus, the primary care provider is often the person that we learn to trust — something that can’t be overestimated when it comes to staying healthy.

So, what to do? Policy-makers at state and national levels have been working on legislation to beef up the primary care work force, with incentives such as loan repayments and scholarships for medical students and nurses willing to work in under-served communities. But with such massive shortages predicted, will that be enough?

Read more about the problem from AMA and let us know your thoughts.

P.S. Our country is also facing a major public health worker shortage. But since it’s the new year, I’ll stick to one piece of bad news at a time.

What’s in a name?

noreply@blogger.com (APHA NPHW team) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 15:36:00 +0000

Although Shakespeare tells us that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, when is comes to the semantics of health reform, is that really the case?

As our nation debates ways to improve the health of the public, what is primarily being discussed is universal health coverage. And this is usually encapsulated under the larger umbrella of health care reform, a term often used to describe the road to universal access to health services. You won’t find a Wikipedia entry for “health reform,” but there is one for “health care reform” and its definition focuses solely on the health care delivery system.

The problem with this situation? Although universal coverage and access to doctors are important, focusing on health care reform — instead of the broader concept of health reform — maintains the current emphasis on treating sickness and overlooks a much more cost-effective solution to improving health: prevention.

Calling it health care reform allows the emphasis to center on the medical care system and treatment of those already ill while failing to acknowledge the decades of research showing the importance of intervening on the social determinants of health and changing where we live, work, learn and play to support healthy behaviors.

So although health care reform has come to be used interchangeably with health reform, it’s essential that as we seek ways to improve health in America we don’t allow the focus to remain on the medical care system. We need to ensure that our leaders understand the importance of a health reform package built around the population-based strategies of public health.

This is a time when parsing words could make a monumental difference.

Share your thoughts on this issue. How important is it to you that our leaders move away from the language of health care reform?

Now, the real work begins

noreply@blogger.com (APHA NPHW team) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 19:39:00 +0000

Members of Congress are wasting little time bringing President-elect Barack Obama’s health reform promises into focus. Priorities are being tapped, leaders have been nominated and the often slowing-moving legislative ball is on an optimistic roll. Let’s just hope it gathers enough speed, support and forward-looking ideas to plug the growing hole that is the U.S. health care crisis.

Shortly after the November elections, Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, was chosen to lead a congressional working group tasked with developing the prevention and public health aspects of a national health reform bill, and late last week Harkin held a hearing on “Prevention and Public Health: The Key to Transforming Our Sick Care System.” At the hearing, Harkin thanked everyone for coming to “discuss why a new emphasis on prevention and strengthening our public health system are critical to transforming America’s health care system.”

“We need to improve the performance of our health care system,” Harkin said. “And we need to get health care costs under control. But those things will not happen unless we place a major new emphasis on wellness and disease prevention, while strengthening America’s public health system.”

(Hear that? That’s the sound of hundreds of thousands of public health workers breathing a sigh of relief as public health finally takes its rightful spot in the health reform debate. That other mumbling sound? Well, that’s also public health workers. If you listen closely, sentences start to form: “It’s about time.” “We still have a lot of work ahead of us.”)

Of course, the Harkin hearing is just the beginning. So start writing letters, e-mailing your ideas and reminding your congressional representatives of public health’s central role in better health, which is what 2009’s National Public Health Week is all about. For ideas on issues to mention, you can view APHA’s letter to Harkin our Web site.

You can also listen to the Harkin hearing. Also — and this is way cool — visit Obama’s Web site to post your comments about health reform for the transition team or to sign up to lead a health reform discussion in your home, community, local coffee shop, diner, church.......

And, of course, leave us your comments! How hopeful are you for public health’s future?

Join Us in “Building the Foundation for a Healthy America”

noreply@blogger.com (APHA NPHW team) — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 18:21:00 +0000

For more than a decade, communities around the country have celebrated National Public Health Week (NPHW) each April to help protect and improve our nation’s health. Each year, we pick a different issue around which to come together and focus our efforts. This year, with a presidential election and important state and local elections upon us and with the nation’s attention directed towards our failing health system, NPHW 2009 will focus on the role public health must play in improving our nation’s health.

To understand the importance of this year’s theme, one need only to look as far as the startling health indicators that show that, even though we spend more on health care than any other nation, our nation is falling behind in many important measures of what it means to be healthy.

U.S. life expectancy has reached a record high of 78.1 years but still ranks 46th — behind Japan and most of Europe. Even though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported some progress, a baby born in the United States is more likely to die before its first birthday than a child born in almost any other developed country. It is estimated that one in 20 residents in the nation’s capital are HIV-positive. Disparities persist with ethnic minority populations having nearly eight times the death rate for key health conditions than that of non-minority populations. And the list goes on…

Despite the dramatic progress achieved through a century of public health advancements — the elimination of polio, fluoridation of drinking water and seatbelt laws — our nation’s health falls far short of its potential. Our progress has stalled, and we have reached a point where we must examine our health system and the foundation upon which it stands.

We have the potential to greatly improve our population’s health in the future. By recommitting ourselves to support our nation’s public health system, we can build on the successes of the past and establish the solid foundation needed for a healthy nation. To this end, NPHW 2009 will serve as the launch of APHA’s new campaign – Building the Foundation for a Healthy America.

As we begin this journey, we must all be part of the solution. It’s our job to speak up and share first-hand experiences about the challenges and opportunities we face in creating a healthy nation. Please join us as we celebrate National Public Health Week, April 6-12, 2009, and work to build a solid foundation for a healthy America.

— Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP, FACEP (E), executive director of the American Public Health Association

We’ve only just begun

noreply@blogger.com (APHA NPHW team) — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:08:00 +0000

This year’s National Public Health Week might have ended, but our work to keep the connections between climate change and health in the spotlight has just gotten started.

First and foremost, APHA would like to thank the many people, advocates, workers, policy-makers, organizations, institutions and businesses that helped make National Public Health Week 2008 a resounding success. Thousands of individuals, groups and organizations got involved and signed the Healthy Climate Pledge, joined as official partners, downloaded resources and toolkits, and planned community events.

The week also brought a wealth of attention to the intersections between climate change and the health of our communities. Resolutions recognizing the health impacts of climate were introduced in both the U.S. House and Senate to coincide with NPHW. Two congressional hearings were also held on the topic, with APHA Executive Director Georges Benjamin testifying for the House hearing and several other APHA members appearing as witnesses for both the House and Senate hearings. Along with all of the activity on the Hill, people from coast to coast read how a changing climate will impact their well-being, thanks to media coverage in outlets such as Time magazine and USA Today.

And be sure to check out The Nation’s Health next month for a wrap-up of NPHW events held across the country.

Of course, there’s no reason why we can’t make the climate change activities of National Public Health Week last all year round — after all, saving the planet is no small task. APHA will be continuing its work to unite and strengthen public health’s voice in the climate change discussion and needs your continued help and support. That means there’s still plenty of time to visit the National Public Health Week Web site to download toolkits on how to engage your community, as well as to sign our Healthy Climate Pledge or lend your organization’s support to the Blueprint. Also, be on the lookout for APHA Action Alerts asking you to let your representatives hear from you about your support for national legislation aimed at reducing our national climate change contribution.

Here at APHA, we’re in this for the long haul and hope you’ll be joining us for the (environmentally friendly, health-promoting, awareness-building) ride.

Green Revolution

noreply@blogger.com (APHA NPHW team) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:03:00 +0000

If you can’t get your fill of info on going green, be sure to visit recent National Public Health Week blog entries on Revolution Health. There you’ll find posts from Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of APHA, on climate change and health.

Home improvement that pays you back

noreply@blogger.com (APHA NPHW team) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:38:00 +0000

There are lots of folks telling you to do something to make your home more “green” these days. As a home efficiency expert at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, there is only one measurable, cost-effective way to make your home greener and pay yourself back for the effort: make your home more energy efficient. Energy efficiency not only pays you back with lower energy bills, it also improves comfort and helps you go green by lowering your carbon footprint.

OK, the next question is: how do I start? At EPA, we usually say the easy first step is installing energy efficient lighting, like compact fluorescent lights (CFLs). You can then buy ENERGY STAR® qualified appliances and home electronics, which is easy to do and effective no matter where you live.

The next thing to improve is your home’s envelope — the outer walls, ceiling, floors, windows and doors. Improving your home’s envelope means sealing up the places around your home where air leaks in or out and then adding insulation in places that are easy and cost effective. The attic and the basement as well as crawlspaces are usually best places to start. And if you’re handy, you can do these projects yourself. ENERGY STAR has a free “Do-it-yourself Guide to Sealing and Insulating Your Home” on their Web site. Alternatively, you may want to hire an advanced home energy contractor to do the work.

Finally, you can tackle your heating and cooling system, including your duct work. Most of this work should be hired out to a professional heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) contactor. Be sure to ask them if they check, seal and insulate ducts. If your system is more than 15 years old and needs replacement, that is a good opportunity to make an efficiency upgrade to the system.

For more information on all these improvements and other free online tools, check out the ENERGY STAR Web site.

Doug Anderson
National Project Manager
U.S. EPA

Work it!

noreply@blogger.com (APHA NPHW team) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 20:50:00 +0000

More and more people are taking their green philosophy and practices to work. They refuse to check their morals and beliefs at the door and are helping businesses take the lead on climate change.

Likewise, businesses are finding that incorporating green practices can save them money, reduce liability, increase the health and well-being of occupants, and raise employee performance.

Thus, National Public Health Week is the perfect time to look at the connections between climate change, health and your workplace. We spend 90 percent of our time indoors, and 40 percent of greenhouse gas emissions result from commercial office buildings. In fact, that is the largest segment of emissions in Arlington, Va. — not transportation, surprisingly.

Here in Arlington, under the leadership of Paul Ferguson and the Arlington County Board, we formed the Fresh Arlington Initiative to Reduce Emissions program, commonly known as Fresh AIRE. The program is designed to help businesses and residents save money and leave a lighter footprint on the environment through energy efficiency and green building, recycling, mass transit and recycling.

Here are a few tips for your office to get you moving in the right direction and to help you do your part!

1. Form a green team and set organizational goals.
2. Evaluate your current practices (bulk purchasing, recycling, energy conservation, water conservation, etc). Changing some of these practices are good for the planet and can save you money in the process.
3. Create an action plan.
4. Dive in!

Some ideas:

1. Use reusable mugs, plates and flatware.
2. Implement double-sided printing as the rule, rather than the exception.
3. Make use of tap water or filtered tap water rather than bottles.
4. Use mass transit, ride your bike and walk to work.
5. Set your computer monitor to sleep after 10 minutes, not screen save.
6. Monitor your heating, cooling and water bills. If they’re included in your rent, consider forming an entire building green team to monitor overall building performance with the goal of reducing energy, water and waste.
7. Evaluate Energy Star efficiency standards as well as green building standards for commercial buildings, known as the LEED system, for possible application to your office to show your commitment.

Adam Segel-Moss, LEED AP
Green Building Outreach Coordinator, Fresh AIRE
Arlington County, Va., Department of Environmental Services

Friendly foods, happy planet

noreply@blogger.com (APHA NPHW team) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 21:20:00 +0000

When it comes to climate change, we don’t hear nearly enough about food.

Consider this: About one-third of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions come from actions related to food production, specifically agriculture and land use. And that one-third doesn’t include emissions from food processing, transportation, refrigeration, cooking and waste. Lucky for us, eating better for the climate is usually a win-win situation, with co-benefits for our health and the environment.

The most important way to reduce food-related greenhouse gas emissions is to cut back on beef and dairy. About 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions come from livestock, mostly due to cow belching (for real!) and deforestation to raise cattle and feed. In fact, a recent Lancet article suggests that to stabilize livestock-related greenhouse gas emissions at 2005 levels by 2050 (a goal well beneath the 80 percent emissions cuts promoted by many advocates and presidential candidates), Americans would need to eat nearly two-thirds less meat. Not ready to go that far? Could you do it once a week? As a start, consider joining the Meatless Monday campaign to cut back by 15 percent.

People often ask me: “Which would you rather, local or organic?” Here I respond: “Both” and “It depends.” We need a lot more U.S.-based data to help prioritize food choices, but the answer will always vary depending on specifics of production, location, season, etc.

A good goal is to seek out foods that are local AND organic AND in season. Plus, try for foods that are minimally processed, unpackaged, made without manufactured fertilizers and pesticides, need little refrigeration or cooking, and contain few or no animal products. Avoid unseasonal foods transported by air or raised in greenhouses. Also, cut back on food waste by looking for long shelf-life foods as well as foods you love to eat. One way to satisfy a lot of these criteria: find and come on out to your local farmers’ market! (By bike, of course.)

Going beyond the individual level to reduce our food-related greenhouse gas emissions, a more comprehensive public health approach includes pushing for agricultural policies that promote sustainable food production, distribution and affordability. It includes work to change the incentives for food overproduction. It includes research and lifecycle analysis, plus improved food labeling to help consumers make informed choices. Overall, we need food and agriculture concerns to be better integrated into our national climate change policy.

This Wednesday of National Public Health Week, on “Eat Differently” day, join APHA in its commitment to a healthy, sustainable food system and consider making at least one dietary change to improve your health and reduce your carbon footprint.

Roni Neff, PhD
Research Director
Center for a Livable Future,
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health