Feb. 26, 2008 — Oregon Environmental Council Announces 2008 Healthy Environment Forum Series Lineup

National experts to discuss environmental causes of obesity, pharmaceutical contaminants in watersheds, and other emerging environmental health topics

PORTLAND, Ore.—Feb. 26, 2008—This March, the Oregon Environmental Council (OEC) will begin the seventh season of the Healthy Environment Forum series. Each year this unique series brings several hundred health professionals, health advocates, environmentalists, and interested citizens together to learn about emerging issues. These forums have traditionally helped to build understanding and cooperation toward consensus about some of Oregon’s most difficult environmental and health challenges.

All events are from 6:00 — 8:00 P.M. at the Doubletree Hotel-Lloyd Center, 1000 NE Multnomah, Portland. Hors d’oeuvres will be served. Cost is $35 per event ($25 for OEC members and employees of nonprofit or governmental agencies). Purchasing tickets for this event also entitles non-members to a complimentary year of membership with the Oregon Environmental Council. Reservations can be made online at www.oeconline.org.

Matters of the Heart: The Emerging Field of Environmental Cardiology

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Heart health increasingly is being linked to the health of our environment and has led to the emergence of a new discipline, environmental cardiology.  The implications of environmental cardiology are potentially huge, as environmental pollutants and toxins are ubiquitous and have a major impact on cardiovascular disease. This event will feature Aruni Bhatnagar, PhD, who will share the latest research findings and discuss the implications for patient care and public health. Dr. Bhatnagar is a professor in the Department of Cardiology at the University of Louisville. Dr. Bhatnagar is credited with having spearheaded this field and is recognized as a leader nationwide. 

Packing on the Compounds: How Exposure to Common Chemicals is Fueling the Obesity Epidemic

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Obesity is generally thought of as an individual problem—an offshoot of the couch-potato syndrome, in which people eat too much while exercising too little. But now scientists are asking about the ways that exposure to low levels of contaminants might predispose people to obesity. Research from an increasing number of studies suggests that minute exposures to common chemicals might pre-program children to be obesity-prone from birth. The term “obesogens” has been coined to refer to such chemicals. Obesogens don't cause mutations or birth defects. Rather, they interfere with gene expression at critical times in development, programming the body to have ever-hungry fat cells. Bruce Blumberg, PhD, associate professor of developmental and cell biology at UC Irvine, will discuss the latest research connecting chemical exposures to the rising rates of obesity.

The Falling Age of Puberty in U.S. Girls: What We Know and Need to Know

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Girls get their first periods today, on average, a few months earlier than did girls 40 years ago, but they get their breasts one to two years earlier. Over the course of a few decades, the childhoods of U.S. girls have been significantly shortened. What does this mean for girls today and their health in the future? Early puberty is caused by a combination of factors. The interactions among these factors can be quite complex. As an example: We know that endocrine-disrupting chemicals are a possible cause of early puberty, but we also know that exposure to these chemicals in utero or early in life can also lead to low birth weight and obesity, which are themselves possible causes of early puberty. Sandra Steingraber, PhD, distinguished visiting scholar in the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies, Ithaca College, and author of “Consequences of Early Puberty in U.S. Girls - Implications for Learning,” will share recent findings in this area and to discuss the policy actions that are needed to address this problem.

Drugs in the Water: How Our Medicine Cabinets are Contaminating Nature

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Have you ever wondered what happens to those pharmaceuticals that you flush down the toilet? What about the hospitals and nursing homes that do the same or the effect of the effluent that streams from the plants that manufacture them? Ilene Ruhoy, MD, will discuss how prescription drugs enter the environment, the potential consequences of their presence in the environment, how these pollutants affect us as well as fish and other species. Dr. Ruhoy is an associate professor at Touro University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Las Vegas and a researcher with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

About the Oregon Environmental Council

The Oregon Environmental Council safeguards what Oregonians love about Oregon – clean air and water, an unpolluted landscape and healthy food produced by local farmers. For 40 years, we’ve been a champion for solutions to protect the health of every Oregonian and the health of the place we call home. Our vision for Oregon includes solving global warming, protecting kids from toxins, cleaning up our rivers, building sustainable economies, and ensuring healthy food and local farms. Find out more at www.oeconline.org.

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For more information:

Oregon Environmental Council

Jeremy Graybill, Communications Director

503-222-1963 ext. 111

jeremyg@oeconline.org