60 results for tag: environmental health
New Initiatives for Safe, Affordable, Climate-Friendly Homes and Buildings
The 2023 legislative session presents a vital opportunity to make progress in achieving our climate goals and protect families and communities from ever-worsening climate impacts. OEC is excited to support a “Building Resilience” policy package this session that will cut pollution and increase the climate resilience of our homes and buildings
Recognizing the vital need to transform and expand Oregon’s building stock in a way that maximizes climate, public health, affordability, and job creation benefits for Oregon, the 2022 legislature established the “Resilient, Efficient Buildings (REBuilding) Task Force.” The REBuilding ...
Climate Protection Win for Oregon Workers
Industry plaintiffs brought two claims against rules to protect workers in Oregon from the harmful and dangerous impacts of exposure to heat and smoke. Both suits were dismissed “with prejudice” which means they were dismissed permanently and cannot be brought to Court again.
On December 20, 2022, the U.S. District Court in Medford dismissed a lawsuit brought by Oregon Manufacturers and Commerce, Associated Oregon Loggers Inc., and the Oregon Forest Industries Council. The suit was intended to roll back a set of rules that Oregon OSHA put in place in June 2022 - at the urging of OEC and partners – to provide Oregon workers with ...
Prioritizing Children’s Health in Kid’s Products
Toxic chemicals that harm health should not be in our kids' products. But they are.
Thousands of chemicals lurk in products our kids use every day and children are far more vulnerable to toxics than adults due to their smaller size and developing organs. Even worse, the most recent studies show that new chemical compounds are produced at a rate of 10 million per year, which translates to nearly 1,000 new chemicals synthesized every hour. In 2015, OEC led the advocacy work to pass the historic Toxic Free Kids Act (TFKA), requiring manufacturers of children’s products to disclose — and eventually phase out — the worst chemicals of concern for ...
The Inflation Reduction Act for Oregon
Only a few months ago, things were not looking good for federal climate action. The Supreme Court had just voted to strike down the Clean Power Plan. Senator Manchin of West Virginia had just announced he would not support a reconciliation package with new spending on climate change. And, after decades of denial, delay, and failed attempts, everyone’s hope was wearing thin.
Then, seemingly out of thin air, Senate Democrats announced they had struck a deal on a new package that would inject an unprecedented $370 billion in climate and clean energy programs nationwide. Weeks later, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into ...
Personal Care Products Should Not Be Toxic
Updated on January 23, 2023
Consumers want to believe that their favorite brands of makeup, toiletries, and other personal care products are safe. But in reality, most of these products contain unregulated chemicals known to be toxic when ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin. It is estimated that there are over 10,000 chemicals in the beauty market today.
OEC conducted a survey amongst university women in 2011 (“What’s in My Makeup Bag?”) and concluded that, at that time, the average woman in Oregon was using about 10 different products a day. Unfortunately, due to beauty standards in the age of social media, that number has only ...
Tell outdoor retailer REI to take toxic ‘forever chemicals’ out of their apparel!
Editors Note: Thanks in part to the hard work of OEC, the support of our members, and the advocacy of like-minded organizations, REI committed to ending the sale of products with PFAS by 2026. Checkout OEC's blog below for a snapshot of our 2022 campaign pressing the retailer to abandon these toxic products.
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From waterproof jackets to boots, outdoor gear sold at REI and other retailers like Columbia Sportswear contains ‘forever chemicals’ called PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). Recent science shows us that the production, use, and disposal of these products pollute people and the planet. These chemicals also make their way ...
Eco-Healthy Homes: safer children’s spaces at Hacienda CDC
Many people these days are familiar with the fact that products for the home, from toys to cleaning products, can contain toxic chemicals. This fact alone is cause for concern. But, did you know that women, children, people of color and people living on lower incomes are at a greater risk of toxic chemical exposure? Or that access to consumer safety information may not be available to non-english speakers? Or that, because of their small size, kids are much more vulnerable to the health impacts of exposure to toxic products?
In 2020, OEC partnered with Hacienda CDC, an affordable housing provider in Portland,to host focus groups to educate ...
No time to burn: let’s keep the future of gas short in Oregon
By: Nora Apter, the Climate Program Director for Oregon Environmental Council. Greer Ryan, Oregon Clean Buildings Policy Manager with Climate Solutions.
When it comes to global warming pollution, we’ve heard a lot about the dangers of too much carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. But did you know that methane, the primary ingredient in so-called “natural” gas, is approximately 86 times more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere over a 20 year timeframe? Fossil “natural” gas is far from being the safe, clean product that gas utilities and fossil fuel companies claim. In reality, gas is not good for you or the ...
Climate Change is Impacting Youth Mental Health
Do you find yourself or the youth in your life feeling anxious or depressed over the idea of climate change? A new study shows this is a problem sweeping Oregon and beyond. The Oregon Health Authority just released a report, Climate Change and Youth Mental Health in Oregon, documenting the impacts of climate change on the mental health of youth (ages 15-25). This study was completed under the direction of Governor Brown’s Executive Order 20-04, also known as the Oregon Climate Action Plan.
The study, one of the largest in the nation to date, documents a growing youth mental health crisis in Oregon. Climate stressors, including climate anxiety, ...