TALK: Climate Change and Public Health - Alan Lockwood, MD

ADK Niagara Frontier Chapter 

presents

Alan Lockwood, MD

 speaking on

"Climate Change and Public Health"

WHEN: Tuesday, March 10th, 7:30pm – 9:00pm
WHERE: Amherst Community Church, 77 Washington Highway, Snyder  [Map]
NOTE: Please park in rear and enter through back door

Free and Open to the Public

Alan Lockwood is a retired MD and UB Professor Emeritus in the Neurology Dept. In addition to over 200 scientific publications including on environmental toxins, Alan authored a book about the health effects of the coal industry titled “The Silent Epidemic: Coal and Hidden Threat to Health”. Recognized as an  expert in his field, Alan has testified before Congress on the public health impacts of fossil fuel emissions.

According to Alan, “Climate Change is the greatest public health threat of this century.” Reducing greenhouse gas emissions will prevent hundreds of thousands of asthma attacks and reduce our national health care expenditures.

It is imperative for the general public to be informed about the dire impacts of burning fossil fuels, so they can pressure leaders and policy makers to shift to renewable sources of energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and create policies to benefit the well-being of humans and the planet.

Alan lives in Buffalo, and is a graduate of Cornell University and its Medical College. He is also on the Board of Directors of Physicians for Social Responsibility, studying the public health impacts of pollution, climate change and nuclear proliferation. This Nobel Peace Prize-winning group works towards a healthier and safer world.

In addition, Alan is a Clean Air Ambassador with earthjustice.org, and is involved with court cases and policy decisions. Earth Justice’s slogan is: “Because the Earth Needs a Good Lawyer”.

For more information on the Niagara Frontier Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club, click here.

How Burning Coal Harms Human Health

Coal kills. That's the message of "The Silent Epidemic: Coal and the Hidden Threat to Health" by Alan H. Lockwood, MD, University at Buffalo emeritus professor of neurology.

Lockwood says "Coal is a major contributing factor to the top four causes of death in the U.S.: cancer, heart disease, respiratory disease and stroke, but I think people are completely unaware that pollution from coal is responsible for huge numbers of deaths." 

The book examines how coal is a factor in each of these diseases. Additional chapters examine the science, politics and economics of coal burning and global warming.

Dr. Lockwood discusses his new book in the brief video below:

Burning coal provides the energy to generate nearly half of the electricity in the nation. "The worst health effects of coal are felt by residents of states in the Northeastern U.S., east of the Mississippi, where most coal is burned and where the power plants are the oldest," says Lockwood.

Coal burning causes disease through two main mechanisms, Lockwood explains: through the inflammatory response that inhaled particulate matter triggers in the body and through the penetration into the brain of inhaled particulate matter. 

The press release from the University at Buffalo is here.

Feds Raid Carcinogen-Emitting Coke Plant

On Thursday, more than 50 federal and state agents pulled a surprise raid on the Tonawanda Coke plant, with a search warrant to collect evidence for an on-going investigation, according to the Niagara Gazette.

The Environmental Protection Agency has been investigating the facility following air quality tests by the NY Dept. of Environmental Conservation showing levels cancer-causing benzene in the air near the plant 75 times greater than EPA guidelines.

Local residents attribute the toxic air, which also contains hazardous soot particulates, as a cause of respiratory problems and cancers in the area. Several years ago they formed the Clean Air Coaltion of Western NY to draw attention to their plight and to attempt to create a dialogue with plant owner J.D. Crane, who has ignored them. The persistent health problems of residents and a recent protest against the high-level toxic emissions from the Coke Plant drew strong citizen support and attention from the media as well as from the U.S. Senators Schumer and Gilibrand and Representative Slaughter. Those congress members contacted EPA administrator Lisa Jackson to develop a plan to reduce benzene emissions at the coke plant.

According to The Buffalo News, company officials ignored an EPA demand to submit testing protocols for hazardous emissions. The raid included EPA officials from its criminal investigation division, the DEC, the U.S. Coast Guard and state attorney general’s office. “We took records and samples,” U.S. Attorney Kathleen M. Mehltretter said after the raid, declining further comment. The EPA filed suit against Erie Coke on September 22, alleging continuing pollution, poor maintenance of coke ovens and lack of required annual inspections of smoke stacks and boilers. The federal suit stated that Erie Coke could be liable for damages of more than $32,500 a day for violations.

“The community is excited that decisive action is being taken against Tonawanda Coke,” said Erin Heaney, executive director of the Clean Air Coalition. “We’re closer than ever to seeing justice delivered for the residents of Tonawanda.”

The EPA has provided information to the local Tonawanda community on their air quality study and their evaluation of the Tonawanda Coke facility. The EPA communication is here. [PDF]

The recent raid by federal and state officials has also been reported on local TV news from stations WKBW, WGRZ and WIVB.

The plight of the local residents and Tonawanda Coke’s reluctance to talk to them has been highlighted in an Editorial in The Buffalo News.