Air Health Our Health

Welcome to the last Air Health Our Health podcast of Season Five. This is a collaboration with the American Thoracic Society's Breathe Easy podcast, of which I am a new host. We produce over 450 million tons of plastic each year, the majority of which accumulates in the environment- it is vital to understand how that impacts us. For today's episode, I interview Dr Adam Soloff, PhD a researcher at the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center of the University of Pittsburgh in the department of cardiothoracic surgery and immunology. He describes himself as the “Lorax of the Thorax” and walks us through research on how ever-present microplastics that we inhale can seed tissues throughout the body and what that does to our immune system. So what can you do? Look at where you are using plastic in your own life and see if you can replace it with a healthier option. Few options here.Find out what can be done to reduce plastics in your community. Look up your members of Congress and share with them your concern about dismantling important science-based support for health at the federal level, whether the NIH, EPA, CDC, VA and more. Then, look up your city councilperson and state legislator to ask what they are doing to help prevent plastic pollution and find out what you can do to help.Finally, be sure to enjoy the beautiful planet on which we all live and take at least one step to keep it beautiful and healthy. Find what you can do and do it. None of us have to do everything, but we can all do something.

Summer is coming, and with it rising temperatures. It is important to know how to stay safe in heat, and this is especially important for people who work outdoors. Today, I am joined by Dr. Maeve MacMurdo, an occupational and environmental pulmonologist at the Cleveland Clinic. We discuss how heat affects the body, how to recognize heat illness, and what we can do to help people stay safe in heat.Learn more about heat from episode “Heat Kills” with Ollie Jay and strategies for summer, including how to avoid overheating and not over cooling your home in a potentially risky wayLearn more about ozone from the “True Cost of Ozone episode” with Dr. NassikasEnsure where you work has a heat standard- even if you work indoors, know what the plan for power outages, and moreFind out whether there are occupational standards in your county or state to protect your outdoor workers- consider advocating for one if you don't have oneCheck out heat.gov to learn more and have additional resourcesYou can review ATS comments to OSHA by Dr McMurdo at this link or at the post for the episode at airhealthourhealth.org.Episode Photo by Nur Iman on Unsplash

Natural disasters such as wildfires can provoke a great deal of anxiety about immediate and long term risk, so I wanted to have someone on whose job it is to think only of the worst case scenarios and how we can navigate them. Nobody better for the job than an ER doctor! For this episode, I talk to Mary C. Meyer, MD MPH, an emergency medicine physician with The Permanente Medical Group and an expert in climate medicine who has served as director of disaster preparedness for Kaiser in Northern California as well as in global health disaster deployments, including Haiti, Venezuela, Sri Lanka, Ghana, Jamaica, and St. Lucia. We talk disaster management and unexpected risks from wildfires, including a potential fungus among us. To Do-Harden your home- learn how to keep your home safe(r) from wildfiresLearn about controlled burns and more wildfire safety from the “Fighting Fire with Fire” episode with Native American Wildland Firefighter Bodie Shaw. Learn more about health impacts of wildfires and what you can do in the “Our Health in Wildfire Season” episode Sign up for emergency alerts in your communityFind out if where you work has a Disaster Plan or has done a Hazard Vulnerability AssessmentHave Go Bags ready during times of high wildfire risk or in generalMake plans with your family and loved ones for emergencies, including meeting points, shelter areas, evacuation routes and moreDo something small once per week to tackle climate change and help decrease the impact of climate-fueled disasters. None of us have to do everything, but we can all do something. Listen to the “Clean AIr and Climate Action for Busy People” episode to get startedEpisode Photo by Malachi Brooks on Unsplash

If you use healthcare or live on Planet Earth, you want a comprehensive ban on flavored tobacco products. This podcast is a helpful summary of all the issues wrapped up in flavored tobacco, e-cigarettes and the human, environmental and economic damages of the tobacco industry. Statewide and comprehensive flavored tobacco bans that include menthol, cigars, e-cigarettes and more are simple and potent steps we can all take in our states to protect our kids and environment. Rather than having to listen to 5 different podcasts to get up to speed, this one will catch you up on all the major issues in a tight 20 minutes, so you can be on your way to understanding why this issue matters to you and why it should matter to everyone!I cover tobacco and vaping a great deal on this podcast because tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable death, disease and disability in the United States. Anything we can do to decrease its harms improves the health, lives and economy for all of us! I also go through many of the common objections and “whaddabouts” that come up with this concern. Please share this episode!To Do:- If you live in Oregon, contact your State Senator and Representative to ask them to pass a comprehensive flavored tobacco ban.- Post on social media and consider writing an Op-Ed about why you support a ban on flavored nicotine products. - Find out if there is a flavor ban being considered in your county or state, and do what you can to support it. - Learn more about how you or a loved one can break free of the nicotine habit here.- If you are between 50 and 80 years old and currently smoke or have quit within the last 15 years, go to SavedByTheScan.org to find out about whether you should consider lung cancer screening.- Share this episode and post with friends and family and anyone whom you think might be interested. To Learn More- Prior podcast episodes for deep dives on each topic include:A Heartbreaking Trap- episode with a youth pastor who worked for Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids about hx of menthol and other flavored tobacco products, particularly targeted at the Black community. The Route Makes the Poison- Inhaling Flavors with Prof Ilona Jaspers- about difference between eating and inhaling flavoring chemicals.Not Kool- Menthol and Lung Numbing with Prof Svent Jordt- about particular dangers of menthol and numbing products to the lungs, Do the Vape Talk- episode for parents and teachers about talking to kids in their lives about e-cigs and vaping with expertise from American Lung AssociationLearn more about health effects of e-cigarettes in the podcast episode “Gambling with Your Lungs”  A County vs Big Tobacco- Fighting Flavors and Protecting Kids- episode about one of these county level battles from a few years ago that passed and with the current State Senator sponsoring the bill.  If your state or county doesn't have tobacco retail licensing, that is a vital step in knowing what is going on! Listen to the A Teen Talks Vaping episode to learn more. Teens Tackle Tobacco- Butts, E-cigs, Schools and more- with 2 members of Sierra Club youth tobacco project Climate Change, Microplastics and Fires- the EcoToll of Tobacco with the Sierra Club-  more on environmental toll of tobaccoImage of my kids with flavored tobacco products at their eye level at a gas station

Dr Anthony Gerber is a pulmonary and critical care medicine physician at National Jewish Health, where he conducts research on lung disease. He is also a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado and National Jewish and has has served on the Colorado Air Quality Control Commission. He provides insight into actions we can take in our own communities. Look up who represents you at your city, county and state level Find out how air is regulated in your state and what the most local unit to you is. Reach out to find out what they are doing to reduce pollution and greenhouse gases and find out how you can lend your voice to advocate for this and potentially push for even more action Find out if your state adheres to the California vehicle standards- if it doesn't, push your legislators to join. Tell them how you want to stimulate the economy by everyone saving money on fuel and how you want to breathe cleaner air Look up the State of the Air report from the American Lung Association to find out how your city or county scores in terms of pollution. It helps to have information when you go to local decision makers Every time someone declares for office, whether city, council or local government to represent you, reach out. Ask them what local action they envision to clean up the air and reduce greenhouse gases Find out how building codes are made in your city or county- ask what they are doing to make them more efficient while not increasing the cost of housing. Volunteer with weatherization efforts Gas Powered Lawn equipment are a hyper local source of noise and pollution - learn more at the “Yards on Fire” episode for what you can do Everyone hates sitting in traffic- find out how transportation policy is made where you are and push for options to decrease emissions, whether by getting more people out of cars and onto bikes, feet or public transportation, etc Share this episode with anyone interested in what they can do locally for healthy air and climate change. Please also consider leaving the podcast a 5 star review wherever you listen so more people discover it.  Finally, consider a donation to the American Lung Association, which works locally for clean air and climate action. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram. Episode photo by ⁠Sven Brandsma⁠ on ⁠Unsplash

Happy New Year from Air Health Our Health! I share a brief reflection on the difference between knowledge and wisdom as well as how to move forward in 2025. To Do-  Pick an area for clean air, climate or tobacco action in the next year Flavored e-cigs, Tobacco Pollution & More? Listen to Sierra Club episodes, Season Three episodes w/ Dr. Jaspers and Dr. Jordt, and Season Two Heartbreaking Trap episode and more! Find out whether old diesel school engines have been cleaned up, and if not, advocate for that in your area. Listen to School Bus episode for more information! Plant trees! Learn about benefit with “Tree Lined vs Red Lined” episode from Season One Increase EV infrastructure - learn about health benefits in “Road to Clean Air” episode  There are many episodes on how to just get started- if you want inspiration, listen to the Clean Air and Climate Action for Busy People  or the Your Little Grain of Sand episode from Season Four. Make sure you are breathing healthy air in your own home!  Learn about: Radon- many episodes Gas appliances- “Fire Inside” Episode Stop smoking and vaping indoors and in general- ALA can help! Consider a donation to the American Lung Association, which does so much in the fight for clean air, climate action and tobacco control.  Finally, if you are so inspired, please leave the podcast a 5 star review wherever you get your podcasts and share an episode with a friend. Spread the word! Tomato Photo by Davies Designs Studio on Unsplash

Happy Holidays! Today I am joined by Katie Zakrzewski, who labels herself as a devout Catholic from a Polish family. Originally a self- described climate denier from a low-income and rural area,  she has gone on quite the journey and now works for Catholic Climate Covenant. This season of Advent seemed the perfect time to release a conversation with her. Over 80% of the people on this planet adhere to a religious or spiritual tradition which often also includes belief in the importance of caring for the world around them. Many people of faith find no conflict between their embrace of the scientific method to learn more about our world and health, but there are many who are either indifferent to the latest scientific studies or skeptical of members of the scientific establishment and even such labels as “environmentalist.”  The need for climate action is urgent, and at the same time these divisions can feel overwhelming. Fortunately, the faith traditions of our world provide a rich opportunity for people to come together across national and political divides to work toward the care of our common home.  1- If you are a member of a particular faith or religious tradition, there are likely organizations within it advocating for clean air and climate action. If you have not already, learn about those resources at the post for this page at airhealthourhealth.org/faith. 2- Work together - maybe you can help organize renewable energy for your sanctuary or a community environmental event.  3- Raise your voices together- maybe there is an important local action your town, county or state can take to make your environment healthier. Consider organizing a group from your faith community to testify or write a letter to the editor on why action on this issue is important.  4- Be open- there are many different religious traditions and many who belong to no religious tradition or who have left their religious tradition for very good reasons. I believe most people share a common faith that the Earth is a sacred trust for which we have a responsibility to care. If we keep ourselves open to others, we will find places for shared action.  5- Consider a donation to a faith-based organization working for climate action, such as Catholic Climate Covenant, included in this podcast.  Please consider leaving this podcast a 5 star review to help other people find it! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram.  Record a question or comment on the podcast site or send an e-mail via the website. 

This episode may sound different than your regular Air Health Our Health podcast. It is the first episode recorded with a live audience. This was done at the American College of Chest Physicians Conference, also known as Chest.  I was delighted to be able to interview Dr. Mary Rice MD, MPH of Harvard University, a person who has incorporated combatting the effects of climate change deeply into her career as a physician and scientist.  We cover a great deal in this episode, from how to get started in your workplace, perils and pitfalls of advocacy, her experience at COP 28, and much more! To Do- 1- Listen to the Clean Air and Climate Advocacy for Busy People episode for ideas on how to get started wherever you are.  2- Scroll the Air Health Our Health podcast feed for climate and clean air concerns that speak to you, and seek out local community efforts to help.  3- If you work in healthcare, learn more about reducing greenhouse gasses from organizations such as Healthcare without Harm.  See References for additional options. 4- If you don't work in healthcare, these issues also affect you. There are definitely ways to make your workplace more climate friendly. Seek out those in your industry who are already doing this and take it to your own workplace. It can be hard to get started, but we can all start by starting. Hopefully every industry will be providing roadmaps to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 5- I am so grateful to the American College of Chest Physicians for providing a form to record this podcast with a live audience. Please consider a donation to the Chest Foundation, which supports everything from research to community partnerships and helping the next generation of clinicians. 6- Please consider leaving this podcast a 5 star review wherever you listen to podcasts. I've been bad about asking for that, but the podcast experts say it helps people discover the podcast. Also consider sharing an episode with a friend to spread the word about the importance of cleaning up the air and combating climate change.

I first heard about burn pits from veterans when I was a pulmonary fellow at the Portland, VA. Our active duty military are often exposed to hazards when deployed, and the damage can be lifelong. Today I am joined by Captain Le Roy Torres and his wife Rosie Torres, the founders of of Burn Pits 360. They share their experience and journey through its ups and downs, from Balad, Iraq to the emergency room to the operating room to camping on the steps of the Capitol with Jon Stewart.  What Can You Do? Look up your Senator and Representative and tell them that you are someone who wants to ensure that our soldiers and veterans receive the healthcare they need both during and after their service. Ask them what they are doing about clean air for all. November 11th is Veteran's Day. Make sure you thank a veteran for their service. Depending on when you listen to this, there may be an election coming up. Be sure to vote for those who will support strong environmental and respiratory protections for our veterans as well as all of our communities.  Go to BurnPits360.org if this issue speaks to you or you want to learn more, including seeing the resources that they have put together, like those mentioned in this podcast. If you work in healthcare, educate yourself about how people may be affected and be sure to ask if your patients have a history of military service. See the show post for some resources. Consider a donation to BurnPits360 to help other veterans and their families. *Finally, consider leaving this podcast a 5 star review wherever you listen. It will help other people discover the podcast and learn about the importance of clean air for all! Episode art courtesy of Burn Pits 360 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit airhealthourhealth.org/burnpitsvets for more information. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram. 

We are going back to school! We kick off Season Five today by talking to teens about tobacco pollution, smoking and e-cig use. Keshav Narang is an 18 y.o. High school senior and Finn Ceja is a 19 year old college student. They both join me today as youth advisors to the Environmental Justice in Tobacco Control Project of the Sierra Club.  Their generation cares passionately about the health of their peers as well as environmental justice. To be blunt, this pod gave me hope that the kids are all right. Listen and learn! To Do: Flavored tobacco products are designed to hook young people like Keshav and Finn, as well as kids even younger, the age of my daughters. Fight flavored tobacco where you are- if there is a flavor ban being considered at the state and local level, get involved! For example, several Oregon counties have passed a flavor ban, and I'm hoping we will get a statewide ban passed this year. Listen to the prior podcast episodes on flavored tobacco to learn more.  Learn more by going to the Sierra Club's StopToxicTobaccoWaste.org . If you go to their policy tabs page, you can see a host of ideas on how to decrease the toll of tobacco pollution in your area Advocate for a ban on selling cigarettes with cigarette butts. They are a plastic that don't make cigarettes safer for the user, and they increase microplastics likely in the body of the smoker and certainly in our environment.  Consider a donation to the Sierra Club, to support the work they do in helping the environment in all ways, including keeping it free from tobacco waste. Ep art from Alexandra Morozova on Unsplash

Tobacco control and climate advocacy collide in today's episode, just as we are all getting ready to head into summer fun in the Great Outdoors! Sadly, the tobacco industry is spoiling our summer fun in many ways. Today I am joined by Amanda Simpson , who is a policy analyst with the Environmental Justice in Tobacco Control Project of the Sierra Club to help us understand the issue.  From causing wildfires to worsening climate change to microplastics in our waters, on today's episode you will learn what is happening and what you can do!  To Do: Learn more by going to the Sierra Clubs StopToxicTobaccoWaste.org . If you go to their policy tabs page, you can see a host of ideas on how to decrease the toll of tobacco pollution in your area With Wildfire season coming, consider actions on e-cig safety. For example, ensure devices sold in your area  meet Underwriter Laboratories (UL) Standard 8139 at a minimum, which promotes lithium-ion battery safety. Ensure that your state HAS a tobacco retail license program, and make sure it includes safe disposal of e-cigarettes Advocate for a ban on disposable electronic inhalation systems.Reuse don't dispose. Advocate for a ban on selling cigarettes with cigarette butts. They are a plastic that don't make cigarettes safer for the user, and they increase microplastics likely in the body of the smoker and certainly in our environment.  Consider a donation to the Sierra Club, to support the work they do in helping the environment in all ways, including keeping it free from tobacco waste. Bird image from Sierra Club Environmental Justice in Tobacco Control Project ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram.  Record a question or comment on the podcast site or send an e-mail via the website. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/airhealthourhealth/message

On today's podcast, I am joined by Ylenia Aguilar of Moms Clean Air Force and EcoMadres to share her own story from undocumented immigrant to tireless advocate for clean air and climate action. She shares important approaches to accepting our own imperfections, navigating important work while we are busy, and the joy we can all feel by adding our own “granito de arena” or grain of sand to tip the scale for a better climate future. 1- If you're inspired to get involved, listen to the “Clean Air and Climate Advocacy for Busy People” episode from earlier this season.  2- To learn more about the new PM2.5 standard and to see a great picture of Mom's Clean Air Force and EcoMadres with the EPA Administrator, check out the “Bonus Episode! Good News for Clean Air!” from February of this year.  3- To learn more about the importance of cleaning up school buses, listen to the “Healthy Buses = Health & Smart Kids” episode from Season One of the podcast.  4- Consider joining a local Moms Clean Air Force or EcoMadres chapter, or consider a donation to keep supporting the work of Ylenia and others like her. 5- Finally, consider leaving this podcast a 5 star review wherever you listen. I am told it helps others find the podcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/airhealthourhealth/message

Turns out that Spring Cleaning can be pretty powerful- it can help or harm us. I often struggle to understand volatile organic compounds or VOCs. Plenty of products are marketed as "low VOC"- is that better? To learn more about how these chemicals interact in our homes, I interviewed Dr. Delphine Farmer , a Professor of Chemistry at Colorado State University. She is an atmospheric chemist who studies the air we breathe both indoors and outdoors. Her work has included projects such as the House Observations of Microbial and Environmental Chemistry (HOMEChem) study, which was a collaborative field investigation designed to probe how everyday activities influence the emissions, chemical transformations and removal of gasses and particles in indoor air. She has also studied how wildfire smoke and VOCs interact with our homes in the CASA study. We discuss VOCs, how we cook, clean, and ventilate our homes. She provides great tips for ensuring a health home environment- all in time for that Spring Cleaning! To Do: - Think through the simple steps mentioned by Professor Farmer to keep your home air clean. Consider wiping down surfaces with soap and water after a wildfire event or other big pollution event. - To learn more about NO2 and gas appliances, listen to the episode “The Fire Inside” with Dr. Laura Paulin.  - For more on ionizing technology and other things marketed as air cleaners, listen to the episode “Clearing the Air about Ionizers, Hydrogen Peroxide & More- the 4 D's of Safer Air with Ken Martinez" - To learn more about cleaning agents and their risk to health, you can listen to "Cleaning Agents, Chronic Bronchitis, and Latino Lung Health" with Alejandro Diaz - Finally, consider a donation to the American Lung Association, which works to educate about the importance of healthy indoor air. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/airhealthourhealth/message

Dr Jeremy T. Hua MD, MPH is a lung doctor at National Jewish Health  in the Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences. He specializes in patients who get sick from where they work and how we can help keep them healthy. Today we discuss crystalline silica and the booming lung disease caused by inhaling it. Many of the workplaces are smaller, and employers may be unaware of the risk to employees or be put at a competitive disadvantage if they do address the risk and wider standards are not in place to protect all workers. However, the products involving quartz are everywhere, often in our kitchens, bathrooms and more. Listen and learn how so many of the products in are lives increasingly use engineered stone, how silica exposure is increasing, and what needs to be done. To Do - Learn more about silicosis from the American Lung Association or at the post for this episode.  - When considering a kitchen upgrade or other changes, consider avoiding engineered stone unless you know it has been made with high safety standards in place.  - Write to your members of Congress to encourage robust funding and staffing of OSHA and MSHA.  - Listen to last month's podcast episode about coal mining and silica with Dr. Drew Harris to learn more about how to support miners. - Consider a donation to the American Lung Association, who advocates for patients with lung diseases including Silicosis. (Episode cover art from ALA Silicosis resources) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram.  Record a question or comment on the podcast site or send an e-mail via the website.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/airhealthourhealth/message

This is a special bonus episode to bring you some good clean air and climate news. Advocacy is often hard and frustrating, but it is important to celebrate when improvement is made. On February 7th, 2024, the EPA released it's final rule for the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (or NAAQS) for particulate matter pollution, lowering the annual standard to 9 ug/m3. The previous standard was 12ug/m3. If you've been listening to this podcast, you know that we've covered in multiple episodes how people were sickening and dying from lung disease, heart disease and more at levels below 12. For context, the WHO advises a standard of 5, and the American Thoracic Society has been advising a standard of 8 for years.  It includes an update on what has happened, and a roundtable in which I participated as a representative of the American Thoracic Society. It's important to celebrate the steps forward in advocacy! Learn more from the EPA announement here. Read the ALA response here. Read the ATS response here. The photo is of EPA administrator Michael Regan pictured with advocates from EcoMadres and Moms Clean Air Force after the signing on Feb 7th. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/airhealthourhealth/message

Dr. Drew Harris, MD, FCCP is a lung doctor who specializes in lung disease related to coal mine dust and is passionate about healthcare for rural and disadvantaged populations. He serves as the medical director of the Black Lung Program at Stone Mountain Health Services in southwest Virginia. He joins me today to discuss the black lung crisis in Central Appalachia, where over 1000 people have been diagnosed recently with progressive massive fibrosis, the most feared form of black lung disease. We discuss today what causes this completely preventable disease, how we can prevent it, and what makes for effective and equitable advocacy in often toxic political climates. To Do: 1- Contact your members of Congress to tell them that you are worried about the health of people who produce our energy. Insist on occupational safety standard improvement for coal workers and other miners.  2- From coal workers lung disease to pollution of local communities to climate change, energy derived from coal is unhealthy. See what you can do in your own community to transition off of fossil fuels to cleaner energy sources.  3- Learn more about this issue from the Appalachian Voice at appvoices.org. 4- If you work in healthcare or have someone in your life affected by lung disease, look into Chest Advocates to learn more about how to advocate in your own community. 5- If you want a framework for how to start advocating, check out the “Clean Air and Climate Advocacy for Busy People” episode from earlier in the season. 6 - Consider a donation to the Appalachian Citizens Law Center at aclc.org who provides free legal representation to coal miners. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram.  Record a question or comment on the podcast site or send an e-mail via the website.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/airhealthourhealth/message

Happy 2024! Today's episode is a brief one to wish you Happy New Year and to highlight the important issue of radon. You may or may not know if you have been listening to this podcast that January is Radon Action Month. It is important to understand the risk of radon in your home, school and workplace and at a minimum to make sure that your home has been tested if appropriate. To Do: - Ensure your home is tested for radon– test every 2-5 years if you have not mitigated radon and after home upgrades. More information ⁠here⁠ - Watch and share ⁠Mateo's video⁠ from Season Two of the podcast educating about the importance of radon testing and action. Listen to that episode for more about public health and equity issues around radon. - The ⁠EPA ⁠estimates around 1 in 5 schools may have elevated radon levels in at least one  frequently-occupied room. Find out if your child's school has been tested for radon and whether it has been mitigated, particularly if close to or over the EPA action level of 4.0 pCi/L - If you are a health professional, learn more about patient outreach with this ⁠guide to radon⁠. - For more on the science of radon and how we know it causes cancer, listen to last year's January podcast with Professor Bill Fields. - To hear a personal story about someone affected by radon, listen to the podcast with the home inspector Will Graff on Season 1, Episode 22. - Learn more about the Northwest Radon Coalition ⁠here⁠, and consider a donation to the American Lung Association ⁠here⁠. - If you are willing, please consider leaving this podcast a five star review wherever you are listening. It helps others discover this resource and share about the importance of healthy air! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram.  Record a question or comment on the podcast site or send an e-mail via the website.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/airhealthourhealth/message

How do we find out how air pollution is affecting us at our own county and state level? Dr. Laura Gladson has been a researcher with the Health, Environment, and Policy Program at the NYU Marron Institute of Urban Management since 2014. On this podcast, we discuss the Health of the Air report, which shows how many people are affected in each state and county by air pollution in excess of recommended ATS standards. We also discuss separating out the toll of wildfire smoke exposure and how it affects communities, and what can be done to decrease the toll. To Do-  1- Go to the Health of the Air report to see how impacted your state or county is by air pollution. There is a list by each state at the end of the report. Contact your representatives at every level to see what can be done. Listen to last month's episode “Clean Air and Climate Advocacy for Busy People” to learn how to get started.  2- Check the report to see how impacted your state or county is is by wildland fire smoke, and make a plan for protection. Listen to the “Our Health in Wildfire Season” episode to learn more about how to do that. You can also learn more about controlled burns and protecting your home from wildfire in the “Fighting Fire with Fire episode.” 3- You can learn more about ozone from Dr. Nassikas in the “True Cost of Ozone” episode from last season and more about PM2.5 from a host of episodes, including the “What's in a Standard” episode with Dan Costa from Season 2 and “What's burning” episode with Dr. Goobie from Season three.  4- To learn more about personal tools with regards to air pollution, learn more about the Air Quality Index in the “What's in an Index” episode. 5- Consider a donation to the American Thoracic Society, which funds excellent research like that behind the Health of the Air Report and also advocates for clean air and healthier air quality standards. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram.  Record a question or comment on the podcast site or send an e-mail via the website.  Photo by Photoholgic on Unsplash --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/airhealthourhealth/message

Most of us have very full busy lives and multiple competing obligations. I've struggled to fit advocacy into my life. In this episode, I share some ways I have found that work for me. It includes the following: - Climate Change and Air Pollution 101 - How to engage in advocacy in the community you already have - Start by starting - Whatever you can do is enough Advocacy is an individual journey- bring your whole self to it and also remember to put your own oxygen mask on. You don't have to do everything, but you can do something. --- To Do: Pick one below per week or month if possible, or just pick one! Whatever works for you! 1- Find out who represents you at the city council, county, state and federal level. Send them an e-mail and introduce yourself- remember to connect on values. Lead with stories about how you see clean air and climate change affecting you and your loved ones. Ask to meet with someone on at least one of those levels whether virtually or in person.  2- Reflect on your current community and relationships- what are you already doing that could meld easily with climate and clean air advocacy? a. Working on planting (non-pollen generating) trees in parks and in historically red-lined areas? b. Solar panels, EV chargers, more in work/school/community  c. Joining a church or workplace green committee or starting one?  d. Look at the supply chain in your work- is there a big target that could be greener? Can you talk to that business about what steps they are taking to improve?  e. Greening your next meeting or get together- low methane menu options, energy efficiency, water bottle fill stations, etc 3- Scroll Air Health Our Health podcast episodes for topics of interest to you – each one has some action items and resources in the show notes and references in the associated blog link.  a. Hate noise/pollution and climate impact of leaf blowers? look into ordinances to help replace/retire them with an eye on avoiding negative impact to vulnerable communities. Listen to the “Yards on Fire” episode from Season Three. b. Passionate about EVs? Learn how the American Lung Association can help you calculate how many asthma exacerbations can be avoided and money saved in your community with the clean energy transition for transportation! Listen to the “Road to Clean Air” episode from Season One to learn more. c. Concerned about racial inequities? Learn about the history of redlining in your community, and learn how you can clean up the legacy of unhealthy air. Listen to the “Hidden in Plain Sight” episode from last season to learn more.  d. Worried about wildfires? Learn what you can do to make your community more resilient and prepare yourself and your family. There are a host of wildfire episodes from which to choose, but you can start with the “Our Health in Widlfire Season” episode from Season 2 or the “Fighting Fire with Fire” episode from season 3 to learn more.  4- Find national organizations working on clean air and a stable climate. Of course, I am fond of the American Lung Association. For parents, Moms Clean Air force is also an option in addition to many more. 5- Consider a donation to the Hawaii Community Foundation Maui Strong Fund to help those affected by the wildfire in Lahaina, which was spurred on by drought and hurricane force winds- both exacerbated by climate change. You can also learn about other ways to donate to address climate change here. 6- Finally, please consider leaving this podcast a 5 star review wherever you listen. I have been informed that it helps people find the podcast. Please also share an episode with friends if you find one that is helpful. If you have concerns and don't think you can leave a 5 star review, email those concerns to me at airhealthourhealth@gmail.com.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For references - go to airhealthourhealth.org/busyadvocacy Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/airhealthourhealth/message

I was working ICU in June of 2021 during the heat dome in Oregon. Temperatures spiked to 116 degrees, which led to severe critical illness and death in our community. How does heat kill so quickly? What can we do to prevent it? For this episode, I am joined by Professor Ollie Jay. He is the Director of the Heat and Health Research Incubator and Thermal Ergonomics Laboratory in the Faculty of Medicine and Health at The University of Sydney in Australia. He studies extreme heat, and what we can do for ourselves, our homes, and our communities to keep people safe. We talk about the importance of understanding physiology, and how it is so important to know individual risk in individual situations- what we do to keep cool can change depending on our own vulnerabilities, what we are doing, what we are wearing, as well as the temperature and humidity in the air. To Do  Install the ClimApp for personalized thermal warnings. Make a plan for heat events with your family and for what you will do in case of power outages, brown outs and black outs. Find out who is vulnerable in your home and community, and make sure they know what to do to keep cool in heat. Check with your school about heat events plans. Let them know about the Extreme Heat Sports tool Ollie Jay shared in this episode.  Consider a “⁠fan first⁠” strategy in your home in warm weather- set the thermostat higher and use fans for circulation prior to turning on the AC. Save on energy bills and decrease greenhouse gas emissions, though if there is no AC, make sure to pay attention to alerts of thresholds at which fan use may be harmful. 6. Find out what your city, county, and state are doing to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and build for heat resiliency in your community. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram.  Record a question or comment on the podcast site or send an e-mail via the website.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/airhealthourhealth/message

Kicking off Season Four with a great episode! As the parent of three kids and a lung doctor, I always wonder how best to balance exercise benefits when air quality is marginal. Fortunately, there are experts hard at work on understanding how we should approach this topic. Dr. Stephanie Lovinsky-Desir is chief of the pediatric pulmonary division at Columbia University and cares for patients and conducts research in the Department of Pediatrics and the Dept Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia's Mailman School of Public Health. Her multidisciplinary, award-winning, and collaborative research is focused on understanding how environmental factors impact children with asthma, particularly in urban and minority communities.  She recently served on the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Air Act Scientific Advisory Committee as a member of the particulate matter panel in 2021. On the podcast today, we discuss her research that put pollution monitors on children, and followed them. It turns out they are significantly exposed to pollution during school hours, so it is very important for schools to build clean indoor air infrastructure and to be aware of available resources, such as the EPA Air Quality flag program. To Do: 1- Download the Airnow.gov app if you haven't yet- familiarize yourself with the Air Quality Index and who is at risk.  2- Find out whether your school follows a flag program- if not, consider discussing with your school starting a flag program. You can obtain resources and information at airnow.gov/air-quality-flag-program.  3- The EPA offers significant educational materials geared for kids as well, you can find out more about those resources at Airnow.gov, including videos in Spanish and English about air quality.  4- Our climate is changing and leading to increased wildfire smoke events. Do what you can in your community to address climate change and help mitigation plans, such as plans for clean indoor air.  5- Learn more about the AQI from Dr. Rosser in the episode “What's in an Index?” and about PM2.5 from “What's in a Standard” episode with Dr. Costa. These are both available in Season Two of the podcast. Learn more about ozone, the other component of the AQI from the “Money & Lives” episode from last season.  6- Consider a donation to the American Lung Association, who in addition to supporting those with lung disease, is constantly fighting for clean air for all.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram.  Record a question or comment on the podcast site or send an e-mail via the website.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/airhealthourhealth/message

Today's episode is a bonus episode. I was a guest on the Healthy Living Health Planet Radio show over the summer with host Bernice Butler and Professor Frank Kelly of Imperial College London, who is an air pollution expert. I think this is a very helpful episode because it does break down the basics of air pollution from a variety of sources and how they impact our health. I hope you enjoy it. If you're interested, you can subscribe to the Healthy Living Healthy Planet Radio podcast  or YouTube channel as well. For regular Air Health Our Health episodes, be sure to come back the first Monday of each month to this feed-  I will be kicking off season 4 with an episode about how to balance air quality and exercise. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/airhealthourhealth/message

This episode wraps up the third season of the podcast. - Please e-mail me over the summer at airhealthourhealth@gmail.com to let me know what you want to hear in future episodes! - Listen to previous episodes, and over the summer, commit to trying one action from any of the prior episode show notes to work towards cleaner air in your community! - Share the podcast with a friend or family member, and rate it on your podcasting software so others can find it! - Enjoy your summer, and I'll be back in the Fall! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For more information, go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram.  Record a question or comment on the podcast site or send an e-mail via the website.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/airhealthourhealth/message

Dr. Neeta Thakur is a pulmonary and critical care physician at the University of California San Francisco, where she serves as the Medical Director of the San Francisco General Hospital Chest Clinic, and studies how social and environmental stress negatively affect people suffering from asthma and COPD.  She is working hard to help us understand the history of race adjustment in lung function testing and what we should do going forward to provide better health for all.  To Do: 1- To learn more about the history of air pollution's impact on health, you can go back to the first season for a host of episodes. For example, podcast Episode 2 with Dr. Matt Drake and Episode 17 with Dr. Ritz. Learn about how red-lining can affect those asthma risk in Episode 27 with Prof. Shandas. 2- I am serious about the importance of hope! Learn more about how policy can work- listen to Episode 12 about cleaning up diesel school buses with Dr. Adar and Episode 16 with the American Lung Association's analysis of the economic stimulus and decrease in asthma we might see with a transition to electric vehicles 3- Listen about one person's story with asthma growing up in a previously red-lined district by listening to Ashia Allen, a patient of mine. 4- For more about air pollution and air toxics in the Portland Metro area, listen to Episode 5 with Mary Peveto and Episode 7 with Prof. Linda George 5- If you haven't read “The Fire Next Time,” be sure to do so. If you are in healthcare and care for those with respiratory illness, “Breathing Race into the Machine” is certainly worth reading. 6- Finally, consider a donation to the American Thoracic Society, which works tirelessly for clean air and has funded research like that done by Dr. Thakur early in her career. Full disclosure, I volunteer as a member of the ATS Environmental Health Policy Committee. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram.  Record a question or comment on the podcast site or send an e-mail via the website.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/airhealthourhealth/message

So many people begin their cigarette or e-cigarette addiction by using mint flavors such as menthol. Why is this? What does it do? To answer that question on the pod today, I talk to Dr. Sven Jordt PhD, who is a scientist at Duke who studies menthol and shares his own journey with cigarette addiction and empathizes with the difficulty of quitting. He also is a member of the Tobacco Action Committee of the American Thoracic Society. Menthol numbs the lungs to let you inhale more toxins and not realize how irritating the chemicals you are inhaling are. This fuels new nicotine addictions. The tobacco industry is trying to get around flavor bans by making chemicals with this property but without the flavor smell. It also turns out that the chemicals that go into an e-cigarette are not the only chemicals that come out after all those chemicals have been sitting in the device at room temperature and mixing over time.  Flavors, especially menthol, are designed to mask the harshness and danger of inhaled nicotine.  So what can you do? To hear more about Carrie's story and about a county trying to protect its youth, listen to “A County vs Big Tobacco” from last season. Talk to your local or state policymakers to see if you can introduce a comprehensive flavor ban in your county or state. Don't forget to include those new synthetic compounds that numb the lungs like mint but try to escape the “flavor” label!  For more on the history of menthol and its targeting of children in general and the black community in particular, listen to the episode  “A Heartbreaking Trap” with youth pastor Ritney Castine. For more on the odd shapes of e-cigs designed to be hidden in schools, you can look at the Tobacco Education Resource Library.  To learn how to talk to young people in your life about e-cigarettes, listen to the first episode from this season, #DotheVapeTalk. You can also go to talkaboutvaping.org  for more resources.  If you already use a flavored or menthol inhaled tobacco device and think it's finally time to quit, check out the “Quit, Don't Switch” campaign from the American Lung Association for other resources to help quit smoking. Finally, please consider a donation to the American Lung Association, who employs wonderful people like Carrie, fighting hard to rid our communities of the scourge of Big Tobacco. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram. Record a question or comment on the podcast site or send an e-mail via the website.  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/airhealthourhealth/message

Today on the podcast, I provide a bit of the history of the Air Health Our Health podcast, why I started it, and what ties it all together. I hope you can use this as a guide to catch up on topics of interest, find podcasts that may be of use to you, and pick an action item or two to make the air in your community cleaner. FYI- the episode art is part of a selfie my sister sent me while wearing an Air Health Our Health T-shirt while her town was blanketed in unhealthy air from wildfires. To Do- 1- Twitchy Airways Clubs Members- learn about how the air you breathe affects your health and what you can do to keep your airways open. 2- Rate and review this podcast in whatever software you use. It helps spread the word. 3- Tell a friend about the podcast and share it to help more people learn about the importance of clean air. 4- Pick an episode and look at the “To Do” items for ideas on making you or your community more healthy. 5- Purchase an Air Health Our Health mug, T-shirt, tote, water bottle or more to spread the word about healthy air- find the items on the website under the “Invest-Stuff” tab. Proceeds go to clean up the air. 6- Consider a donation to the American Lung Association, who continues to fight for clean air. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram. Record a question or comment on the Anchor podcast site or send an e-mail via the website. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/airhealthourhealth/message

We think that if a flavor is safe to eat, it is safe to inhale. This is sadly not true, but many e-cigarette users, especially kids, think that if something is fruity-flavored and being sold to them, it must be safe. It is often not. Join me in this podcast episode to hear from Professor Ilona Jaspers, PHD, of the departments of pediatrics, microbiology and immunology, environmental sciences and engineering at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is also the director there for the curriculum in toxicology and environmental medicine. She studies a host of toxins that affect the lungs, from air pollution to inhaling flavoring chemicals. 1- If you have a young person in your life age 10 and up, listen to the first episode from the season, #DotheVapeTalk to learn about how to have these conversations. You can also go to talkaboutvaping.org for more resources. You can learn more about what different e-cigarettes might look like here. 2- If you are struggling to quit inhaling nicotine, whether from combustible or electronic cigarettes, check out the “Quit, Don't Switch” campaign from the American Lung Association for other resources to help quit smoking. 3- If you really don't want to or can't quit, and want to try an e-cigarette for potential harm reduction, in general avoid inhaling flavored ones if possible. 4- Read the “Get the Facts” guide from the ALA. If you want more details on the specifics of e-cigarette biology, listen to the “Gambling with your lungs” episode with Dr. Jeff Gotts from Season One. 5- If you want to get involved on the policy side, listen to the “A Teen Talks Vaping” episode about tobacco retail licensing and ensure there is robust tobacco retail licensing in your community. 6- For more on the dangers of flavors and their history, especially among kids and in the black community, listen to “A Heartbreaking Trap” and “A County vs Big Tobacco.” You can learn more about the specifics of flavor dangers at airhealthourhealth.org/FlavorFree. 7- Don't forget to donate to the American Lung Association, who is working hard to help people understand how to break free of nicotine. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram. Record a question or comment on the Anchor podcast site or send an e-mail via the website. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/airhealthourhealth/message

Ozone is a highly reactive gas and forms a significant portion of the air pollution that affects all of us. For this episode, I was joined by Dr. Nicholas Nassikas of Harvard University to discuss the links between ozone and health, as well as to review the staggering amount of money we are spending in terms of the health toll of air pollution. We are spending more on the health toll of air pollution now than the cost of transitioning off of fossil fuels to help decrease the pollution we all breathe. Listen and learn! What can you do? 1- Download the Airnow app or go to the airnow.gov website to become familiar with the Air Quality index, which incorporates ozone and PM2.5. 2- To learn more about PM2.5 standards and history, listen to the “What's in a Standard” episode with Dan Costa from Season Two. 3- For more on how to use the Air Quality Index, listen to the “What's in an Index” episode with Dr. Franziska Rosser from last season. 4- Vote for elected officials committed to addressing climate change. Write to them regularly about your concern regarding topics like ozone, which causes disease and can increase in the setting of rising temperatures. 5- Advocate for policies in your communities that can reduce ozone by decreasing use of combustion for transportation, such as more bike lanes, public transit, increased walkability and more. 6- Consider a donation to the American Lung Association, who advocates tirelessly for clean air. 7- Consider buying an Air Health Our Health T-shirt, mug, hat or tote that emphasizes the health benefits of clean air. This can help spark a conversation with those in your community. Proceeds go to the American Lung Association as well. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram. Record a question or comment on the Anchor podcast site or send an e-mail via the website. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/airhealthourhealth/message

I was fortunate to speak with Dr. Gillian Goobie of the Center for Heart Lung Innovation at St Paul's Hospital in Vancouver as well as the Division of Respiratory Medicine at the University of British Columbia. She is the lead author on a groundbreaking paper exploring the risk of death from exposure to air pollution as well as the source of the pollution, and how it changes the risk to those breathing it. We talk about everything from the different pollution sources in more industrially exposed areas to pollution sources in areas affected by wildfire, what to do with the knowledge of this risk, how it can affect those who are most vulnerable with lung scarring or pulmonary fibrosis, and more! She also shares her gratitude for the people who participate in this trial and so many others. They help us understand more about the world around https://airhealthourhealth.org/whats-burning-pollution-sources-and-lung-scarring-with-dr-gillian-goobie/us! So what can you do? 1- Download the AirNow.gov app and become familiar with it. 2- To learn more about PM2.5 standards and history, listen to the “What's in a Standard” episode with Dan Costa from Season Two. 3- For more on how to use the Air Quality Index, listen to the “What's in an Index” episode with Dr. Franziska Rosser from last season. 4- For those in the West, particularly affected by PM2.5 and wildfire smoke, listen to the “Our Health in Wildfire Season” episode from Season Two and the “Air Inside when the smoke is outside” episode with Prof Elliot Gall from Season One. 5- Finally, consider a donation to the American Thoracic Society, whose scientific membership includes clinician-scientists like Dr. Goobie who do such important research and work hard to highlight the importance of clean air. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram. Record a question or comment on the Anchor podcast site or send an e-mail via the website. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/airhealthourhealth/message

Can we fight fire with fire? The American Lung Association has released a report suggesting that this is a healthy way forward, and our Native communities have used ceremonial burns on our lands for generations. I wanted to talk to someone who lives at the intersection of all of this. For this episode, I was honored to be joined by Bodie Shaw. He is a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, and previously served as the national wildland fire director for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and has worked as the acting Chief of the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, ID. He is a veteran of the US Air Force, and previously taught at Oregon State University. He has lectured widely on tribal interests as they pertain to natural resource management. In 2008, Shaw was the first to participate in an international exchange program between the U.S. and Australian governments and lived Down Under with his family from August 2008 to March 2009 while developing a new trilateral wildland fire/bushfire agreement between the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. He currently serves as the Bureau of Indian Affairs deputy regional director of Trust Services for the Northwest Region. Today, we talk about balancing the perils and the promise of prescribed burns in wildfire-prone areas. To Do Got to Firewise.org to learn how to protect your home and family. Learn more about health impacts from prescribed burns from the ALA report “Can Prescribed Fires Mitigate Health Harm.” Tell your representatives how important it is to ensure a professional and well-funded, year round proactive approach to decreasing the risk of catastrophic wildfire. Learn more about the health of our wildland firefighters and outdoor workers by listening to “The Health of Our Heroes” episode from Season One. Learn more about the impact of wildfire smoke and how to keep you and your family safe during smoke events by listening to the “Our Health in Wildfire Season” episode from Season Two. Donate to the American Lung Association who works hard to help navigate challenging health concerns such as their evaluation of health effects of prescribed burns. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram. Record a question or comment on the Anchor podcast site or send an e-mail via the website. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/airhealthourhealth/message

The loud drone of gas powered lawn equipment is often part of the background noise in any community, but what do these machines cost us in terms of our health, the health of our children, and especially, the health of those who use these machines professionally? It turns out, they cost us a great deal. Today I am joined by two doctors for children to talk about the impact of these machines in terms of their noise, emissions, and more. Dr. Elliot Krane, MD joined the faculty of Stanford University in 1994 as the Chief of Pediatric Anesthesiology and is currently the chief of pain management. Dr. David Axelrod, MD is a professor of medicine at Stanford University in the division of pediatric cardiology who has developed the Stanford Virtual Heart to teach about heart disease in children. We talk about two stroke engines, why they emit as much in a 30 minute period as a Ford F150 driving for 64 hours, and the impact on all of us, especially professional landscapers and their families. We also talk about potential equitable community solutions. Imagine, less noise and pollution and better health for all! So what can you do? 1- If you are using gas powered lawn equipment, look into mechanical or electric alternatives, like an electric lawn mower or a good old fashioned rake. Learn more about the Ford F150 vs leafblower analysis here. 2- With climate change and increasing water scarcity as well as the need to avoid additional pollution, look into whether maintaining a grass lawn is really worth it in your area. There are often a host of alternatives that require less mowing and maintenance. 3- Consider getting together with neighbors to retire gas powered equipment and obtain your own or shared electric equipment. My personal goal is to work on reaching out to my own neighbors this fall to see if they would be interested. 4- Advocate in your own neighborhood, county, city or state to put programs in place to retire gas powered lawn equipment while ensuring those whose livelihoods depend on yard care are not penalized. For example, equipment swaps, purchasing and retiring old equipment, vouchers and grants for new equipment, etc are all options to consider. 5- Finally, consider a donation to the American Thoracic Society, who works tirelessly on research into the air we breathe, how it affects our health, and informing policy makers to make health-centered policy. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram. Record a question or comment on the Anchor podcast site or send an e-mail via the website. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/airhealthourhealth/message

Welcome to Season Three of the Air Health Our Health podcast! It is back to school season, and across the country, kids will be exposed to vaping and e-cigarette devices from their peers. About 1-2 kids per middle school class and around 5 kids per high school classroom will be using e-cigarettes. These devices can look like pens, USBs and more, so you want your kid to be prepared when they encounter these in the classroom or in the school yard or on the bus. The American Lung Association has released a very helpful guide on how to talk to kids 10 and over about vaping and e-cigarettes, and I walk through it today on the podcast so you can be prepared! So what should you be doing? 1- Do you have a kid in your life 10 and up? Go to talkaboutvaping.org and talk to other important grownups in their lives about having the Vape Talk. 2- Read the “Get the Facts” guide from the ALA. If you want more details on the specifics of e-cigarettes, listen to the “Gambling with your lungs” episode from Dr. Jeff Gotts. 3- Read the ALA's Vaping Conversation guide, and practice having a vape conversation with teens in your life. Share how important this is with the #DotheVapeTalk. 4- If you want to get involved on the policy side, listen to the “A Teen Talks Vaping” episode about tobacco retail licensing and ensure there is robust tobacco retail licensing in your community. 5- For more on the dangers of flavors and their history, especially among kids and in the black community, listen to “A Heartbreaking Trap” and “A County vs Big Tobacco.” You can learn more about the specifics of flavor dangers at airhealthourhealth.org/FlavorFree. 6- Raise your voice about the importance of flavor bans, secret shopper enforcement programs and more. We all pay for the long-term health impacts of e-cigarette addiction! Go to the post for this episode airhealthourhealth.org/dothevapetalk for links and more information! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram. Record a question or comment on the Anchor podcast site or send an e-mail via the website. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/airhealthourhealth/message

I had a few weeks set aside in May to record and wrap up some final podcasts for the season, but COVID 19 had other plans. I instead became the head counselor at “Camp COVID” for my three rambunctious children who rapidly bounced back from their infections with no respect for the time their mother might need to finally taste her coffee again. Enjoy the end of the season thoughts, and will see you next Fall with more Air Health Our Health! To Do over the Summer: Catch up on any podcasts you missed from the first two seasons. Get involved in advocacy at your local, state and federal level to be a voice for clean air, whether working now to get your county or state to consider a flavored nicotine ban in the next legislative session or encouraging a transition away from combustion engines for transportation or from combustion in your own home. Please also consider a donation to the many organizations working hard for clean air! Neighbors for Clean Air- Ashia Allen from “Ashia, Albina & Asthma” is now on the board! American Thoracic Society- I am a member of the Environmental Health Policy Committee, and we work hard to convey the importance of the science of healthy air to our state and federal government, the EPA, Supreme Court, and more Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids- keep working to protect kids from Big Tobacco Look through previous podcast notes for more donation ideas! Join the Air Health Our Health Fight for Air Climb team- climb is on June 26th, though we will be “climbing” virtually, so you can join from anywhere in the world! Take steps on your own time and raise money for the American Lung Association! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram. Record a question or comment on the Anchor podcast site or send an e-mail via the website. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/airhealthourhealth/message

I know we have talked about how Big Tobacco fights flavoring bans at the local level, and today on the podcast, we talk about a county trying to fight back against flavored tobacco. Flavors are designed to hook new users to nicotine products. On this episode, I am joined by Carrie Nyssen of the American Lung Association, who describes the current battle for the health of kids that is on the May ballot in Washington County. Dr. Lisa Reynolds has practiced pediatrics for over 20 years in Washington County, serves in the OR legislature, and shares her perspective. Dr. Maxine Dexter is a fellow lung and ICU doctor for adults, and represents many of the people in Washington County in the Oregon House. Today we cover a specific example of a population of kids affected by flavored tobacco, the toll of flavored nicotine products, and what we can do about it. We also walk through many of the arguments opposed to these bans and why they are often misleading. To Do: - If you are in Washington County, OR, please vote NO on measure 34-314 on the May 2022 ballot and encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same. If you live outside Washington County but know voters inside it, please reach out to make sure they vote. Go to FlavorsHookOregonKids.org to learn more. - Post on social media and consider writing an Op-Ed about why you support a ban on flavored nicotine products. - Find out if there is a flavor ban being considered in your county or state, and do what you can to support it. - Write to your members of Congress and ask them to take action against flavored nicotine at the national level. - Learn more about flavored tobacco, the history of menthol and targeting of the black community, as well as other tactics by Big Tobacco by listening to the podcast episode “A Heartbreaking Trap” and reading accompanying materials here. - Learn more about health effects of e-cigarettes in the podcast episode “Gambling with Your Lungs” and reading more here. Learn more about the impact of flavors here. - Learn more about how you or a loved one can break free of the nicotine habit here. - Donate to the American Lung Association to help amazing people like Carrie keep advocating for the health of our communities. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/airhealthourhealth/message

Those of you who listen to this podcast know that my main slogan is “Don't light things on fire and breathe them into your lungs.” But what about when we cook with fire with gas stoves? Today I am joined by Dr. Laura Paulin MD, MHS of Dartmouth College who researches this very topic. She has studied the impact of indoor air quality in homes and studying home interventions aimed at decreasing indoor nitrogen dioxide concentrations. She has studied indoor particulate matter and NO2 exposures and asthma outcomes as well as their impact on others with lung disease and pregnant women. She has published multiple articles in leading respiratory and environmental journals, and currently serves on the Environmental Health Policy Committee of the American Thoracic Society. Today we talk about gas stoves, their health impacts, and what to do if you are one of the 35% of American homes using gas stoves. To Do- especially if a member of the Twitchy Airways Club 1- If you are looking for a new home or thinking of a change of kitchen, electric is likely a better choice than gas for the health of your family and community. 2- If you already have a gas stove, think through your options. If you have the means to replace it, consider doing so. Obviously, multiple variables go into that decision. If you can't, make sure to ventilate as best you can. If you have a hood, run it on its highest setting, ensure it ventilates to the outdoors, and try to use the back burners. Consider using an air filter with a carbon component to absorb NO2. 3- Contact your county, state and national representatives and advocate for policies to reduce the use of gas in indoor settings or help people transition away from gas while keeping energy and cooking costs clean and affordable. This is likely a complex issue that will require multiple stakeholders, but it is important to be a voice for health. 4- Consider a donation to the American Thoracic Society, who works hard to support research into clean air and to inform policy around the importance of clean air. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram. Record a question or comment on the Anchor podcast site or send an e-mail via the website. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/airhealthourhealth/message

Dr Franziska J. Rosser is a lung doctor for children at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, and an asthma researcher. She has studied the impact of the Air Quality Index on hospitalization of children. Many doctors concerned about air quality struggle with how to balance advice to get outside and exercise with concern about ensuring we don't overdose ourselves or our families on pollution, which we often cannot see or smell. If you have struggled with this, this is the episode for you! We discuss honestly what is known and what is unknown about the AQI, and how to navigate the uncertainty. To Do: (Especially members of the Twitchy Airways Club) 1- Download the AirNow app or become familiar with AirNow.Gov. 2- Pay attention to the AQI, and when it is in the yellow or orange category and you or your child is active outside, pay attention to whether you or your child coughs more in the days following. Discuss your observations with your doctor or your child's pediatrician. 3- Learn more about redlining and impacts by listening to the podcast with Vivek Shandas. 4- Listen about one person's story with asthma growing up in a previously red-lined district by listening to Ashia Allen, a patient of mine. 5- If you smoke and have kids, do what you can to quit! If you need help, you can find more in the resources on this post, or by listening to the podcast episode with Brandy Carpenter. 6- Donate to the American Thoracic Society, working to fund important research about air quality and health. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram. Record a question or comment on the Anchor podcast site or send an e-mail via the website. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/airhealthourhealth/message

On this podcast, I talk to Dr. Dan Costa, who has his doctorate in toxicology and occupational health toxicology and occupational health. He has worked for the Department of Energy in the Brookhaven National Laboratory conducting research on the impact of fossil fuel related air pollutants on the lung and heart. He also served at the Environmental Protection Agency for over 34 years, conducting research on health science to inform critical policy questions. For his last 12 years at the EPA, he was the National Program Director for research on air, climate and energy issues. Today we talk about PM2.5, the history of understanding its impact on health, and the short and long-term standards. To Do: 1- Find out about the short and long term PM2.5 levels where you live. Review the American Lung Association's State of the Air report. 2- Make it a habit to check Airnow.gov to help determine when it is safe for you to exercise. 3- Avoid exercising by busy roads at rush hour- try to commute by bike or walk on less-trafficked paths if you can. Find parks or other “clean air islands” for play and exercise 4- Don't contribute to PM2.5 if you can help it. Avoid burning things in your home, don't burn decorative fires, don't burn garbage or leaves to dispose of them. I guarantee my patients will thank you. 5- Consider a donation to the American Lung Association to support their work for healthy air for everyone. Please Note- due to the omicron surge and heavier clinical burden, I am only releasing one podcast for the month of February. February 14th seemed appropriate, because the best gift you can give yourself and loved ones is a healthy heart by decreasing PM2.5! Please be sure to get your COVID19 vaccine and booster if you are eligible and have not already done so! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram. Record a question or comment on the Anchor podcast site or send an e-mail via the website. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/airhealthourhealth/message

Enero es el Mes de Acción del Radón y hoy explico qué es el radón y como puede quedar atrapado en los edificios y aumentar a niveles insalubres. Como médico de pulmón que atiende a pacientes con cáncer de pulmón, definitivamente he visto que no preguntamos lo suficiente sobre la exposición al radón en los hogares, especialmente si alguien alquila una casa y no la posee. ¿Cómo aumentamos la conciencia sobre el radón y reducimos los riesgos en la población? La salud pública es muy importante. Así que para este Mes de Acción del Radón, hablo con Mateo Olmos, un estudiante de salud pública de Oregon State University que está trabajando para llegar a comunidades que a veces están menos conscientes de las amenazas a su salud. 1- Asegúrese de que su casa se someta a pruebas de radón. Puede encontrar pruebas que cuestan entre $ 10 y $ 30 o contratar a un profesional. Ocasionalmente, hay kits gratuitos o de precio reducido de organizaciones como la Asociación Americana del Pulmón o la autoridad de salud local (el sitio tiene opción a traducir a español). Quiere que su nivel sea menor que el límite de acción de la EPA de 4.0 pCi / L o mejor aún, el límite de la OMS de 2.7 Pci / L. 2- La EPA estima que alrededor de 1 de cada 5 escuelas pueden tener niveles elevados de radón. Averigüe si su escuela ha sido examinada para detectar radón y si los niveles son superiores a 4.0 Pci / L, si se ha mitigado. 3- Mire y comparta el excelente video educativo breve de Mateo sobre la importancia de las pruebas de radón (está en inglés). Puede aprender mas sobre radón con el sitio de EPA en español. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visite el blog para mas información, o vaya a airhealthourhealth.org. Sigueme y comente en Facebook e Instagram. Grabe su pregunta o comentario en el sitio de Anchor o mandame un e-mail. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/airhealthourhealth/message

January is Radon Action Month. By the time someone meets me in the clinic with a lung cancer, it is too late for the intervention that should have taken place years before. How do we increase awareness about radon and reduce the risks in the population? This is exactly where the field of public health is so important, so for this Radon Action Month, I wanted to highlight two individuals in the public health pipeline- a teacher and student of public health. I am joined by Dr. Karen Elliott of Oregon State University as well as Mateo Olmos, one of her students. To Do: - Ensure your home is tested for radon– test every 2 years if you have not mitigated radon and after home upgrades. More information here - Watch and share Mateo's video educating about the importance of radon testing and action. - The EPA estimates around 1 in 5 schools may have elevated radon levels in at least one frequently-occupied room. Find out if your child's school has been tested for radon and whether it has been mitigated, particularly if close to or over the EPA action level of 4.0 pCi/L - If you are a health professional, learn more about patient outreach with this guide to radon. - For more on the science of radon and how we know it causes cancer, listen to last year's January podcast with Professor Bill Fields. - To hear a personal story about someone affected by radon, listen to the podcast with the home inspector Will Graff on Season 1 episode 22. - Learn more about the Northwest Radon Coalition here, and consider a donation to the American Lung Association here. References EPA Resources on Radon American Lung Association Radon Resources ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram. Record a question or comment on the Anchor podcast site or send an e-mail via the website. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/airhealthourhealth/message

In this episode, I share my thoughts about COVID while we are in the season of Advent, a time to look for hope in the darkness. I also provide some resources on what to consider for your holiday gatherings. Happy Holidays! Will be back in 2022! To Do: 1- Encourage loved ones to be vaccinated. For more on the science behind vaccines, listen to Episode 3 with Dr. Gigi Gronvall. For more on how to have those conversations, listen to Episode 4 with Destiny Aman and a behavioral science perspective. 2- Think about the 4D's of safe shared air- Density, Distance, Duration and Dilution. For more information, listen to Episode 8 of this season with Ken Martinez. 3- Consider a rapid home test for COVID on the same day of planned gatherings with family. They are helpful at catching folks most likely to be spreading virus. 4- Please donate to the American Lung Association. They do great work on clean air, education, and COVID19 safety. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram. Record a question or comment on the Anchor podcast site or send an e-mail via the website. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/airhealthourhealth/message

Today, I am delighted to be joined by Ken Martinez, who is a certified Industrial Hygienist and Environmental Engineer with a long and illustrious career in biosecurity and research. His career has spanned over 33 year with the CDC, responding to crises such as the first SARS1 outbreak in Toronto, responding to the World Trade Center collapse, working on anthrax, multi-drug resistant TB and more. He shares what we have learned from responding to previous biological threats and pandemics, and how we can apply them now. We talk today about the “4 Ds” of keeping air safe- Density, Distance, Duration, and Dilution. In addition to vaccination, we talk about what is known and what is unproven in terms of indoor air cleaning technology. In particular, we talk about technology such as chemical foggers, ionizers, and hydroxyl radical generators, which have been heavily marketed to schools and homes across the country. I have received pitches for these myself, and understanding what is actually proven vs unproven technology is helpful. To Do- 1- Remember the “Four Ds”- Density, Duration, Distance, and Dilution in your upcoming holiday gatherings. Encourage anyone who is not vaccinated who is eligible to be vaccinated. Listen to earlier podcast episodes this season on how to have those conversations. 2- Commit to Care to reduce COVID spread by checking out the post on the website for information on how to optimize both HVAC and portable air filters for indoor safety. 3- Do you already have a portable air cleaner? If so, check to see whether it is a filter that is removing particles from the air, like a certified HEPA filter, vs something that is adding something to the air, such as ionizing technology or hydroxyl radical generation. Until we know more, focus on removing particles from the air and ventilating well rather than introducing new things into your air. Learn more about selecting and sizing an air filter for your space- this post is geared for wildfire concerns, but has information about air filters in references. 4- Find out what air “cleaners” are being used in your school, church and home. If they are using ionizing technology and hydroxyl radical generators, ask whether the device has been studied in occupied spaces. You can also reach out to me, and I can try to put you in touch with scientists who are interested in studying the effectiveness of this technology in the real world. 5- Learn more about school and home air safety with COVID19 by listening to the episode “The Air Kids Share” with Dr. Olsiewski of Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. 6- Consider a donation to IBEC to help them in their work to make the air in our schools, churches and workplaces safer. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram. Record a question or comment on the Anchor podcast site or send an e-mail via the website. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/airhealthourhealth/message

Ritney Castine joins me today to talk kids, tobacco, and flavors, and also about the time he had to lobby a smoking Senator and future President! He is the former Managing Director of Community and Youth Engagement at Truth Initiative, a Washington, DC-based public health organization and also the former Director of Youth Advocacy at the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. He currently works with Center for Black Health and Equity, and is a fellow podcaster as a cohost of the Black Body Health podcast. He is the youth pastor at Trinity Church in Gonzales, LA, and we dive into what we can do as parents, communities, and churches to help break free of tobacco. To Do: 1- Advocate for flavor bans and menthol bans in your community. Often these can be done at the county level. I have advocated for this in my own county, and a neighboring county recently passed a flavor ban. Remember, Big Tobacco may show up in insidious ways to fight back, but don't be intimidated. 2- Contact your members of Congress to continue to pressure the FDA to move forward with regulating mentholated tobacco and vape products. Learn more at Centerforblackhealth.org for more on the importance of a menthol ban and important history, or check out the Black Body Health podcast- episodes 4, 10 and 17 to learn more. 3- Talk to your kids about how flavored tobacco and vape products are designed to hook them. Learn more about how to have these conversations at Flavorshookkids.org. Maybe your kid would like to be a youth ambassador against tobacco in their peers. 4- Consider a donation to Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids or the Center for Black Health and Equity, who have been working to help keep kids and communities free of addiction. 5- If you are part of a faith community, consider engaging in a No Menthol Sunday next May to educate about tobacco's toll on the sanctity of life and how Big Tobacco preys on many of the most vulnerable. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram. Record a question or comment on the Anchor podcast site or send an e-mail via the website. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/airhealthourhealth/message

Today I am joined by Dr. Fernando Holguin, the Director of the Clinical and Research Asthma Program and the Executive Director of the Colorado School of Public Health's Latino Research and Policy Center. We discuss the interaction of asthma, obesity and air pollution today, with a particular focus on how it impacts Latino communities in the United States. Patients with asthma who are obese often struggle to get a diagnosis since their trouble breathing is attributed to their weight. Once people are obese, asthma in some can be more challenging to control, and their body may also be more affected by air pollution. Obesity is extremely complex with many inputs, and there is much more we need to learn. Dr. Holguin is working hard on this research, and shares what he has learned with us today. We also discuss what can be done at the individual and community level to improve our health, with a focus on taking manageable steps. To Do 1- Decrease processed foods in the diet, add more vegetables, fruit and whole grains to the diet. 2- Work for clean air in your home and community. 3- If you or someone in your family is coughing regularly or has shortness of breath, talk to your doctor about it. A diagnosis is very important! 4- Learn more about asthma risk factors and triggers- see the Twitchy Airways Club section of the website. 5- As always, stop smoking! Click here if you need help to quit. 6- Calculate your BMI here, if it is over 25, you may be overweight. If it is over 30, you may have obesity and be at risk for a more severe impact from air pollution. Talk to your doctor about what steps may be most important for your health. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram. Record a question or comment on the Anchor podcast site or send an e-mail via the website. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/airhealthourhealth/message

Hoy me acompaña el Dr. Fernando Holguin. Discutimos la interacción del asma, la obesidad y la contaminación del aire en la actualidad, con un enfoque particular en cómo impacta a las comunidades latinas en los Estados Unidos. ¡También discutimos lo que se puede hacer a nivel individual y comunitario para mejorar nuestra salud! Que hacer 1- Disminuir los alimentos procesados en la dieta, agregar más verduras, frutas y granos integrales a la dieta. 2- Si usted o alguien de su familia tose regularmente o tiene dificultad para respirar, hable con su médico al respecto. ¡Un diagnóstico es muy importante! 3- Aprenda más sobre los factores de riesgo y desencadenantes del asma, escuche el Episodio 28 con el Profesor Celedon para obtener más información, ¡especialmente para los padres! 4- ¡Como siempre, deja de fumar! Haga clic aquí si necesita ayuda para dejar de fumar. 5- Calcula aquí tu IMC, si es superior a 25, es posible que tengas sobrepeso. Si tiene más de 30, es posible que tenga obesidad y esté en riesgo de sufrir un impacto más severo por la contaminación del aire. Hable con su médico sobre los pasos que pueden ser más importantes para su salud. 6- Vacúnese contra COVID19 cuando pueda para ayudar a retrasar la propagación y evitar variantes peligrosas y seguir las precauciones de salud. ¡Disminuir el aislamiento también ayudará con la salud mental! --------------------------------------------- Visite el blog para mas información, o vaya a airhealthourhealth.org. Sigueme y comente en Facebook e Instagram. Grabe su pregunta o comentario en el sitio de Anchor o mandame un e-mail. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/airhealthourhealth/message

You may remember Destiny Aman from the recent episode on the science of vaccines. She's back to talk about having these conversations from the behavioral science side of things. Destiny Aman runs JPoint Collaborative and has a background in behavioral science working as a risk communication expert and has over 20 years of helping translate science into practical solutions adapting to environmental risks, including in work that has supported FEMA and the CDC. She's here today to share more about how people think about risk, mistrust of science, and how to reach out about vaccines while maintaining relationships with people we love. 4 Steps Toward More Effective Vaccination Conversations Reflect on and invest in the relationship. Identify common ground, and (importantly) validate that shared common ground. Address barriers, using your own personal story. Make a gracious and respectful exit. To Do: 1- Get your COVID 19 vaccine if you haven't done so yet. Learn more about the COVID19 vaccines at the American Lung Association, and find where you can get your vaccine here. 2- Reach out to your loved ones about the importance of vaccination- feel free to share the last podcast regarding vaccine science or share what you've learned as an equal, especially in how to communicate more effectively. 3- Make a plan for the holidays and be sure you are giving friends and loved ones over a month's awareness of where your COVID safety lines will be for the holidays and what accommodations for unvaccinated family and friends you may be able to make. 4- Consider a donation to the American Lung Association here, who is trying to help share accurate information about COVID19 vaccination and fund research and advocacy. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram. Record a question or comment on the Anchor podcast site or send an e-mail via the website. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/airhealthourhealth/message

Today I am releasing the first of two podcasts about COVID19 vaccination on the day before World Lung Day 2021. I talk to two experts in their fields, Dr. Gigi Gronvall PhD and Destiny Aman. Dr. Gronvall studies the immune system and is a Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and on the editorial board of the journal Health Security. She is a biosecurity and bioterrorism expert and has served as a member of the Threat Reduction Advisory Committee providing the Secretary of Defense with independent advice and recommendations on reducing risk to the United States, its military forces and allies. Destiny Aman is a behavioral science and risk communications expert running JPoint Collaborative with over 20 years of experience translating science into practical solutions to improve resilience at individual, community, and national levels. Her research has centered on developing and promoting creative adaptations to environmental risks, including natural hazards like wildfires and flooding, and now the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. She provides essential help with how best to understand the concerns people have around vaccines and how to best communicate. I found this conversation so helpful, and hope you do too! To Do: 1- Get your COVID 19 vaccine if you haven't done so yet. Learn more about the COVID19 vaccines at the American Lung Association, and find where you can get your vaccine here. 2- Reach out to your loved ones about the importance of vaccination- feel free to share this podcast or share what you've learned, especially in how to communicate more effectively. 3- Learn more about why there may be very legitimate hesitancy about the medical community, vaccines and scientific research by learning about the history of the Tuskegee experiment, Henrietta Lacks, and more. Medical Apartheid is a vital read for all in healthcare. 4- Consider a donation to the American Lung Association here, who is trying to help share accurate information about COVID19 vaccination and fund research and advocacy. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/airhealthourhealth/message

Today, I'm providing a summary of the health effects of wildfire smoke. I recorded a webinar in June 2021 on the health effects of wildfire smoke that is available in English and Spanish. I'm providing an expanded podcast version of that summary here today. Topics covered include: What we know and don't know, vulnerable/sensitive groups, short and long term effects of wildfire smoke and individual characteristics that affect this risk, respirator use, what to do before, during, and after smoke events. In this episode, I reference the ATS standard of 11ug/m3 for PM2.5 exposure. ATS has submitted testimony to the EPA asking the EPA to consider a standard of 8ug/m3 because of adverse health effects even below the 11ug/m3 standard. More information: For more on the cardiac death study, listen to the Season 1 Episode 11 Apocalypse Now For information on clean indoor air, listen to S1 E13 with Prof Elliot Gall. You can also see his post here on how to make a clean air room. For more information on the long-term effects of wildfire smoke, listen to S1 E18 with Prof Chris Migliaccio For more information about outdoor work, listen to S1 E 14 with Prof Alya Khan. Each of those episodes also have links to references and things you can do. To Do: 1- Identify whether you or a loved one are in a sensitive group for particulate matter. 2- Make a plan before wildfire season about the health of you and your family members. If you are going to get a respirator, make sure it is NIOSH certified here or here. 3- Make sure you have a plan for clean air in case of smoke events 4- Donate to Neighbors for Clean Air, or Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility, who hosted the webinar Our Health in Wildfire Season 5- Donate to PCUN- working to keep outdoor workers safe 6- Get your COVID19 vaccine if you have not done so, and your booster if you are a member of a recommended group. We are all in this together. Find out more from the American Lung Association here. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/airhealthourhealth/message

Back to school with Season Two of Air Health Our Health! I am joined by Dr Paula Olsiewski of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, where she is a pioneering leader in policy and scientific research programs in the microbiology and chemistry of indoor environments. She spent two decades at the Alfred P Sloane foundation leading innovative and multidisciplinary programs partnering with academic, governmental and for-profit stakeholders understanding the chemistry of indoor environments and the microbiology of the built environment. She is recognized as a leading expert in biosecurity and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She is chair of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Homeland Security Research Subcommittee and is a member of the EPA Board of Scientific Counselors Executive Committee, in addition to serving as a member of the NTI|bio Working Group for Biosecurity Innovation and Risk Reduction Initiative and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in chemistry. She is also the grandmother of 4 young children, and she joins me today to talk details and specifics about how to reduce COVID 19 risk in the classroom. There are actually simple, concrete steps we can all take right now, even in districts with old buildings with poor ventilation. More importantly, the CARES Act has provided funding to ensure that no school is left behind. To Do: 1- Reach out to your school- Find out about the number of air changes per hour in the room. Ideally it should be 6 or more. Review the full Johns Hopkins report here. 2- Find out if your school has an HVAC system with MERV13 air filters or higher. If not, ask or demand that your school work on obtaining them or put in HEPA filters and make a plan for proper filter maintenance throughout the year. 3- Review filters on CARB here to ensure they are safe. You want mechanical filters to remove particles. Learn more about air filters and HVAC here, and how to size and place portable filters. 4- Be a parental voice for school safety- advocate masking, vaccination, distancing, and testing. Also, remember that investing in clean indoor air in schools and robust air filtration will pay off in wildfire season, for air pollution, and more! Kids learn better in clean air. 5- Get your COVID19 vaccine if you have not done so. Lovingly encourage those around you to do the same. This is the most important step. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit blog post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram. Record a question or comment on the Anchor podcast site or send an e-mail via the website. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/airhealthourhealth/message

What a year! Thanks to all of you who have been listening to the Air Health Our Health podcast. In this episode, I share my thoughts on what it has been like to live and work as an ICU and lung doctor this year during COVID19, worry about three young children, and ask your input on thinking ahead to Season Two! To Do 1- Catch up on episodes you missed and please like the podcast, leave a review and share with family and friends to spread the word about the importance of clean air. Consider buying a T-shirt to spread the word "Don't Light Things on Fire..." Proceeds go to American Lung Association. 2- Enjoy your summer, and take a moment of mindfulness and gratitude whenever you are breathing healthy air. We too often take it for granted. 3- If you or someone you love in your life smokes, make this summer the summer you quit or help them break free of Big Tobacco. 4- Send me a message through the site, record your thoughts or a question on the Anchor app, or follow on Instagram or Facebook. 5- Come back for Season Two in the Fall! It will be in this feed, so stay subscribed! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For more information, go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram. Record a question or comment on the Anchor podcast site or send an e-mail via the website. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/airhealthourhealth/message

Today I am joined by Ashia Allen, whom I first met when she was critically-ill at Emanuel Hospital with severe asthma. She shares her story growing up in Albina near freeways and construction and what it was like to live with asthma. Ben Duncan joins me as well to discuss the history of working on air pollution concerns in Albina, a formerly red-lined district and the historic heart of the black community. Their stories are powerful reminders of why working to clean up air pollution is so important, and why the cost of inaction is high. Things you can do- - Listen to other podcast episodes to learn more about the impact of air pollution and redlining on health, and share with your friends and family. - Find out what you can do in your community to decrease air pollution. Reach out to your local county commissioner, city council, and state and national legislators to tell them that cleaning up the air not only saves lives it saves money. For more on that, learn about the ROI on the Clean Air Act here. - Consider a donation to organizations like Neighbors for Clean Air or OPAL Environmental Justice or a group in your community working to clean up the air. Consider it an investment with high returns in terms of lower future healthcare expenditures and higher productivity! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit post for more information, or go to airhealthourhealth.org. Follow and comment on Facebook page and Instagram. Record a question or comment on the Anchor podcast site or send an e-mail via the website. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/airhealthourhealth/message

Hoy hablo con el Dr. Juan Celedón, profesor de pediatría, medicina, epidemiología y genética humana y Jefe de División de Medicina Pulmonar Pediátrica en Universidad de Pittsburgh y el primer presidente latino de la American Thoracic Society, sobre el asma en la comunidad hispana de EE. UU. Exploramos cómo el aire que respiramos puede afectar nuestro riesgo y el riesgo de nuestros hijos. Escuche para aprender sobre la importancia del aire saludable en el exterior y cómo la exposición al aire en interiores puede afectar a las personas con asma y aumentar el riesgo de asma y más. También hablamos sobre el impacto de la inmigración, la violencia y la dieta sobre el asma en los niños latinos. Busque podcasts con títulos en español y el logotipo de “Nuestro Aire Nuestra Salud” para ver más episodios en español. Que hacer 1- No fume y deje de fumar si ya ha comenzado; si no es por usted, ¡hágalo por sus hijos! Aprende más aquí. No permita que sus hijos empiecen a fumar cigarrillos electrónicos o vapear. 2- Verifique si hay infestaciones de cucarachas o moho en su hogar y elimínelas. Asegúrese de que no haya cucarachas. Revisa esta lista. (Segundo Dr. Celadón, una mascota puede ser útil si los padres no son alérgicos). 3- Evite vivir cerca una autopista muy transitada o en áreas de alta contaminación del aire si puede. 4- Trabaje por leyes que disminuyan la contaminación del aire y aumenten las áreas en su vecindario con aire limpio para que los niños jueguen al aire libre. 5- La salud mental y el control del estrés es muy importante en general y para el asma en particular. Trabajar para reducir la exposición de los niños a la violencia. Considere unirse a organizaciones como Everytown for Gun Safety (sitio web en inglés) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Visite el blog para mas información, o vaya a airhealthourhealth.org. Sigueme y comente en Facebook e Instagram. Grabe su pregunta o comentario en el sitio de Anchor o mandame un e-mail. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/airhealthourhealth/message