A.  APHA Meetings to Go Green!

    APHA has taken Green Meetings to heart thanks to the help of Anna Keller at APHA and the Environment Section Green Meeting Committee.  A Web site has recently been posted, Environmental Initiatives and the Annual Meeting, at <http://www.apha.org/meetings/highlights/Environment.htm>.  We urge all of our members to look at this, and if you have any suggestions for additional links, send them to Anna Keller at anna.keller@apha.org.

    Thanks to our joint efforts with APHA, carbon offsets will be offered for this meeting through a highly ranked carbon offset company, Native Energy.  Members traveling to the Washington, D.C., meeting will be able to link to a specially designed Web page that will allow them to calculate offsets for their trip and select a project that will support or help build renewable energy projects.

    We have also been warmly received on being sure anti-idling regulations in Washington, D.C., are followed.  As you may know, pollution from diesel engines is a widespread problem, and it significantly contributes to air pollution, especially in urban areas. Diesel exhaust is made up of small particles, known as fine particulate matter. Fine particles pose a serious health risk because they can easily pass through the nose and throat and lodge themselves in the lungs. When inhaled repeatedly, the fine particles in diesel exhaust may aggravate asthma and allergies or cause other serious health problems including lung cancer.  By enforcing anti-idling regulations, we are minimizing exposure. In coordination with the Food and Nutrition Section, healthy eating choices are being listed for the area. 

    If you are responsible for any catered events at the Annual Meeting, don't forget to ask for organic, locally grown and antibiotic-free foods whenever possible. APHA will promote public transit and walking whenever possible. Additionally, they also have listed hotels participating in linen and towel reuse programs as well as much, much more.  Please visit the site to learn more!

Submitted by Maureen O’Neill, Chair of Green Meeting Committee and Anna Keller, APHA

        B.  Legislative Alerts and Updates

1. Tell Congress to Pass a Healthy Farm Bill

    This year’s Farm Bill reauthorization provides a significant opportunity to improve the nutritional quality of all Americans’ diets. APHA has identified a number of priorities for inclusion in the 2007 Farm Bill. These priorities include strengthening the Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program, increasing the availability of fruits and vegetables in schools, improving the nutritional quality of school foods, expanding human nutrition research at the U.S. Department of Agriculture and ensuring that WIC food packages will be updated in the future to reflect advances in nutrition science.  To view the Action Alert, please go to: <http://www.capwiz.com/apha/issues/alert/?alertid=9907851>

            2. State Children’s Health Insurance Program  Reauthorization; Support a Major Step to Insure Every Child in America! 

    The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) is scheduled to be reauthorized this year.  SCHIP successfully provides health insurance coverage to 6 million low-income children in families with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid and who do not have access to employer-sponsored coverage, thereby improving their health status and outcomes.  Despite this success, the future of the program is now in jeopardy as current funding levels are insufficient even to maintain the coverage of children currently enrolled.  Ultimately, if fully funded and improved, SCHIP has the potential, along with Medicaid, to cover roughly 75 percent of the 9 million children in this country who are uninsured.  To make this happen, Congress needs to authorize at least $50 billion in new federal funds over the next five years in its SCHIP reauthorization legislation.  Tell your senators and representative to make children’s health coverage a priority! To view the Action Alert, please go to:< http://www.capwiz.com/apha/issues/alert/?alertid=9546106>.

Submitted by Leon F Vinci, DHA, RS, Action Board Representative, Environment Section

3.  High Performance Green Buildings Act of 2007

    The U.S. Senate passed the S 506 Lautenberg-Warner High Performance Green Buildings Act of 2007 early in the morning of June 22.  The passage is a public health and environment victory, consistent with APHA policy # 200010, "Creating Healthier School Facilities", which helped win enactment of the Healthy and High Schools act in no child left behind in 2002.  A House version passed earlier this year. The act will now go to a Senate-House Joint Conference Committee to iron out differences. The Senate version with all schools provisions intact is anticipated to prevail.

Submitted by Claire Barnett, Executive Director Healthy Schools Network