What is Climate Change and what can I do about it?
The United Nations defines climate change as the long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. These shifts may be natural, such as through variations in the solar cycle. But since the 1800s, human activities have been the main driver of climate change, primarily due to burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas.
What are Single-use plastics and why are they bad?
Recycling plastic materials is a good way to reduce the carbon footprint. However, over 90% of plastics are not being recycled and instead being thrown away and dumped into landfills or littered into the environment.
Earth Week: Our Changing Climate
Written by Kelsea Siter, KEYS Americorps Member Earth Day is right around the corner, and 2020 was a hard year for all of us; from the uncertainty and fear surrounding the pandemic, to the large wildfires that destroyed 4 million acres of land in California. Despite people staying inside because of Covid, 2020 still saw […]
Community Health Worker Virtual Summit
Learn best practices CHW’s should follow and hear from local community health workers & CHW leaders making neighborhoods stronger in Southwestern PA.
5th Annual Healthy Schools Summit
Thursday, December 3, 2020 from 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM EST How are school stakeholders coming together to realize our shared goal for green, safe and healthy schools for students and staff to return to? How are school leaders translating public health research into action to prevent the spread of COVID-19? What resources are available […]
Racism: We are not doing enough!
A child’s zip code must never determine their health outcome. This core belief – that no matter where children live and learn, they should have the ability to thrive without the burden of environmental harms – is the cornerstone of our work at Women for a Healthy Environment (WHE). However, we also know that social […]
Dark Waters: The Story Behind the Environmental Legal Battle Exposing Corporate Cover-up
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2020 AT 7 PM EST – 8 PM ESTCreate Change: Featuring Robert Bilott, internationally recognized attorney, author and inspiration behind the movie Dark Waters Learn more about the virtual event and how to register. Dark Waters: The Story Behind the Environmental Legal Battle Exposing Corporate Cover-up Join Women for a Healthy Environment’s […]
Community-focused and Engaged
” Lead exposure is a problem that has a solution “ Lead Safe Allegheny is a coalition with over sixty members representing various diverse sectors. Two of its founding members, Karen Hacker (Medical Director, Allegheny County Health Department) and our Executive Director Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis, wrote the following Op-Ed to further increase awareness and participation in […]
Public Comments Regarding State Action on PFAS
Women for a Healthy Environment (WHE) educates individuals about environmental exposures to public health, provides action steps communities can take to mitigate those risks, and advocates for solutions that create a better tomorrow for all. Through educational programming, technical assistance and advocacy, our organization focuses on creating healthy communities for families to live, learn, work […]
Plastic Free July
Take the challenge! Log into any social media website and you will see all types of hashtags for a variety of different “challenges” to participate in. Some of them may cause you to become a social media super star, but there is one in particular that has the best long lasting effect. The Plastic Free […]
National Public Health Week 2020 – Healthy Housing
Today we are joining other public health professionals during National Public Health Week 2020 and highlighting the impact of healthy housing, especially during this extended time at home! Now, more than ever, we recognize how our home environment impacts our health. As many of us are spending all of our time in our home, we […]
Wrapping up National Healthy Homes Month – Lead Poisoning Prevention
As we close out June as National Healthy Homes Month, we are taking some time to recognize the decades long environmental health issue of lead poisoning. So, what is lead? Lead is a toxic metal that is naturally not found in the human body but is commonly used in our surrounding infrastructure. Lead has been […]
We are not doing enough!
A child’s zip code must never determine their health outcome. This core belief – that no matter where children live and learn, they should have the ability to thrive without the burden of environmental harms – is the cornerstone of our work at Women for a Healthy Environment (WHE). However, we also know that social […]
A Reflection of 50 Years: Celebrating Earth Day!
It was April 6, 1970, the day Raymond and Lillian welcomed a healthy baby girl into this world. It was a different time back then, in many ways, and then again perhaps it feels like time has stood still. Just 16 days after that child was born, me, a movement was “born” as well. Today […]