Dear Ralph,
You may be aware that for several years the American
Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilites has been
examining the relationship between environmental factors and cognitive
disabilities.
The attached bulletin,
particularly the lead item about the decision against Chevron, might be
of interest to DCHAS members.
Sincerely,
Steve
Coburn
Date: Fri, 15
Oct 2010 09:55:56 -0500
Subject: AAIDD
Environmental Policy Bullets 10-15-10
Environmental Policy Bullets 10-15-10
In a very
recent set of cases involving Chevron, a Mississippi court found that
mental retardation of several Mississippi residents was caused by
Chevron=92s leaking gas tanks. For more information, see the
article from BusinessWire.
The link to a recent Time magazine article on the
fetal origins of adult disease, which features Frederica Perrara and her
research out of Columbia's Center for Children's Environmental Health,
is found at
Although the cover of the article is
sensationalized, the article itself reflects a current scientific theory
with relevance to IDD - that exposures before birth can greatly
influence the chronic diseases suffered in adulthood
Our colleagues
in the Breast Cancer Fund have released the 2010 edition of their
landmark report, State of the Evidence: The Connection Between Breast
Cancer and the Environment , which displays the latest scientific
research showing how exposures to chemicals and radiation affect breast
cancer risk. As collaboratorsion a coalition to reform chemical
policy, they have demonstrated through one disease the impact on health
from environmental exposures, just as those with IDD are
affected.
The Environmental Health Initiative has initiated
its Aging webinar series held each Tuesday from October 12 - November
9. The series will focus on what is known about the environmental
threats to aging and will urge both researchers and funders to consider
the need for more research on the special aging and environmental
implications for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
It is sponsored by the John Merck Fund Please visit the EHI
website at
www.aaidd.org/ehi to
register. The webinars are:
=D8 Environmental Threats to
Healthy Aging with Ted Schettler, Maria Valenti
Tues Oct 12th from 2-3pm Eastern
Time
=D8 Built Environment with
Kathy Sykes, Rodney Harrell, Regina Gray
Tues Oct
19th from 2-3pm Eastern Time
=D8 Psychosocial Environment
with Danny George, Peter Whitehouse
Tues Oct 26th
from 2-3pm Eastern Time
=D8 Chemical Environment with
Maye Thompson, Marybeth Palmigiano
Tues Nov
2nd from 2-3pm Eastern Time
=D8 Food Environment with
Michelle Gottlieb, Emma Sirois
Tues Nov 9th
from 2-3pm Eastern Time
This series is a collaborative effort of AAIDD EHI
with Physicians For Social Responsibility and the Collaborative on
Health and the Environment. It is.
Joyce Martin,
JD
Director, Environmental
Health Policy
American Association on
Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD)
501-3rd St NW, Suite 200
Washington , DC 20001
(t)
202-387-1968 ext. 222 or 800-424-3688
(f)
202-387-2193
Stephen P. Coburn, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus
Department of Chemistry
Indiana
University - Purdue University
2101 Coliseum
Blvd. East
Fort Wayne, IN
46805-1499
Telephone:
260-481-6296
FAX: 260-481-6070
