330 results for author: admin
Non-Toxic Lice Treatments
By Tillia Griffin
One day your kids come home from school with dreaded, unwelcome new friends—head lice. For many years we have dealt with lice by using a variety of pharmacological products containing Permethrin or Pediculicides, which kill live lice and their eggs (1). But due to changes in lice populations and a general push towards greener, non-toxic products, many people are in search of alternative treatments.
Researchers studied head lice populations in 30 states throughout the country and found that lice in many places (including Oregon and Washington) have developed genetic mutations that make them resistant to the most commonly ...
A Modern Take on Trick or Treating
Guest post by blogger Tillia Griffin
Halloween has come again, bringing with it ghosts, goblins, superheroes, and of course, candy! Unfortunately, that also means buckets and pillowcases full of plastic. There’s nothing sweeter than grabbing a handful of Snickers, Reeses Cups, and my favorite, Twix. But after all the chocolate, caramel and nougat are gone, you’re left with piles of plastic wrappers that will inevitably end up in a landfill.
To protect the environment many of us are changing the ways we buy, eat and live, extending to the ways we celebrate holidays. So -- speaking of Halloween -- what can we do to balance protection of the ...
Navigating Our Way Towards A Sustainable Plastics Future
—Belinda McFadgen, for OEC
When Victor Vescovo was about to dive into the deepest part of the world’s oceans, he was probably not expecting any plastic to beat him to it. However, deep down in the Pacific Ocean there exists the Mariana Trench, where Victor spotted a plastic bag and several sweet wrappersfloating almost 7 miles below sea level.
Perhaps this should come as no surprise. While humans produce approximately 78 million tons of plastic per year (see infographic below), and an alarming 86% of this ends its life as non-recycled plastic waste.
The plastics crisis is a global phenomenon, and to address it we require comprehensi...
We’re looking for an Environmental Health Program Director
SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITY
Oregon Environmental Council (OEC) seeks a skilled and motivated environmental health program director to advance public policies and programs that will protect Oregonians from exposure to harmful chemicals. By reducing toxics in the air we breathe, the water we drink, the buildings we occupy, and the products we use in our everyday lives, OEC seeks to improve health outcomes, especially for those who are most vulnerable and who bear a disproportionate burden of exposure (children, the elderly, communities of color, and low-wealth communities).
The environmental health program director will (1) build the case for ...
We’re looking for an Accounting & Payroll Specialist
SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITY
OEC’s Accounting & Payroll Specialist has primary responsibility for the organization’s accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll processing, grant financial reporting and records management, and employee benefit enrollments. Additionally, the Specialist prepares many of the monthly journal entries and plays a supporting role in all other aspects of the organization’s finance, accounting and administrative operations.
The right candidate will:
have the bookkeeping experience necessary to lead our A/P, A/R and payroll processes
be detail-oriented and able to consistently perform tasks with ...
Plastic Un-fantastic
The toxic effects of plastics pollution on human health
—Belinda McFadgen, for OEC
In early March of 2019, a Cuvier’s beaked whale washed up dead in the Philippines. The whale had died of gastric shock, brought on by the 88 lbs. of plastic bags found in its stomach.
The sheer volume of plastic waste and its brutal impact on marine wildlife is shocking. But just as disturbing is the emerging story of how the toxicity of plastic pollution is affecting human health and the health of the planet as a whole.
A growing understanding of toxic effects
More than twenty years ago, a health hazard from widespread plastic use made headlines. In 1993, ...
Know what’s in your well
Nearly one in four people living in Oregon get their drinking water from a well.
If you are one of them, you have the right to know what’s in your water. Domestic well water can be contaminated by bacteria, nitrates, and arsenic, among other things—all of which can have serious health impacts.
Why should you be concerned?
These contaminants can cause serious health problems such as cancer, miscarriage and thyroid disorders. Pregnant women and small children are particularly at risk from nitrate exposure, especially infants because their digestive and enzyme systems are not fully developed. High levels of nitrates can cause infants to ...
OEC welcomes Interim Executive Director, Development Director
We are delighted to share that OEC’s Board Executive Transition Committee has selected Diana Nuñez to serve as OEC’s Interim Executive Director ... and Teke Dillender will return to OEC to lead our Development Department.
OEC applauds legislators who prioritize constituents over corporate interests
Oregon Environmental Council (OEC) applauds the work of The Oregonian/OregonLive to shine light on the role that corporate campaign donors play in shaping environmental policy.
In our 50 years of advocacy for environmental policies and practices, our organization has witnessed the extraordinary pressure that can be exerted by corporate interests far beyond the hearing rooms and the floor of legislature. Businesses and corporations have the power and influence to be either great champions for Oregon’s health and environment, or intractable obstacles to creating positive change. In Oregon, many of these industry groups have chosen to be obstacles ...
Oregon Environmental Council: Andrea Durbin to transition to City of Portland leadership
Oregon Environmental Council: Andrea Durbin to transition to City of Portland leadership