Free Training Call Recordings
Below you can access audio or video recordings of our free training calls. Join our e-list by entering your e-mail at the bottom of this page to receive notices of upcoming training calls.
Below you can access audio or video recordings of our free training calls. Join our e-list by entering your e-mail at the bottom of this page to receive notices of upcoming training calls.
April 2024: Strategies on Stopping Landfills
Activists fighting landfills across the country joined CHEJ to discuss their most crucial strategies and insights they have developed during their activism. We were joined by activists from Bristol, VA, Brighton, MO, Harrison, OH, Atlanta, GA, Seneca, NY, and more as they shared key stories, strategies and actions from their fights against local landfills.
March 2024: Reaching Your Goal by Strategic Planning
Strategic planning can make the difference between winning and losing a campaign. Strategy is a guide to reaching your goal. It is working smarter, not harder, which will enable you to use the resources you have for as long as it takes to win.
Our presenter, Lou Zeller—who has 35 years of community organizing experience and was executive director of the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League— presents an outline for increasing your effectiveness no matter if you are new to community organizing or a seasoned veteran.
February 2024: Art as a Tool for Environmental Activism
When artists and organizers combine forces, new forms of political mobilization are possible. Noted movement leader, Ken Grossinger, joins us for a special session discussing his new book, “Art Works,” which chronicles lessons and insights on how organizers and artists are working together to create social change.
Drawing from historical and present-day examples, including Black Lives Matter, Standing Rock, and the Hip Hop Caucus, Grossinger presents examples of tactics and successes that speak directly to the challenges and needs of today’s activists.
January 2024: Environmental Testing
Environmental testing is an essential first step in diagnosing and finding concrete evidence for the health problems in your community. CHEJ helps grassroots leaders and communities to understand the science and technical data they encounter – especially through environmental testing.
CHEJ’s Science Director, Stephen Lester, instructed activists on how to determine which kinds of tests would be beneficial to their group’s goals. He went over the process of air, water, and soil testing, their limitations, where to test, and what to look for in testing. He also went over how to get proper testing equipment and how to interpret the results.
November 2023: Fighting Against Pyrolysis & Gasification
Gasification and pyrolysis are thermal processes that convert organic substances into fuels. These processes are highly controversial due to their impact upon air quality. They are also a major concern for the communities surrounding these facilities.
The EPA has recently withdrawn its proposal to exempt pyrolysis and gasification units from the Clean Air Act. What does this action mean for the communities who will face increased proposals to build these facilities in their areas? Jane Williams, Executive Director of California Communities Against Toxics, provides key insight about this issue.
October 2023: Creating Your Individual Donor Fundraising Plan
Did you know that 30% of donations to non-profits come from people who make $75,000 or less a year? In this call, founder of CHEJ, Lois Gibbs, temporarily came out of retirement to lend her extensive wisdom on how to create an individual donor fundraising plan.
Lois instructed attendees on how to establish fundraising goals, how to determine an audience, find relevant strategies, figure out the necessary amount of donors/donations, and construct a realistic timeline. As she says, “Without a timeline, non-profits are unlikely to succeed.”
September 2023: How to Hold Corporate Polluters Accountable
The East Palestine train derailment shined a light on the dangers of transporting vinyl chloride used to make plastics. Following this disaster, extensive reporting has revealed that vinyl chloride pollution is widespread across the country.
In this Training Call, our former community organizer and current director of Toxic-Free Future’s Mind the Store program, Mike Schade, further illuminates vinyl chloride pollution and how to hold corporations accountable using CHEJ’s past successful tactics.
August 2023: Are Schools Safe?
For back to school season, we wanted to bring awareness to all the potential environmental hazards that our children could be returning to this school year. Hosting this call were our associates at Children’s Environmental Health Network (CEHN).
During this call, we discussed children’s unique vulnerability to environmental hazards, identified common school hazards, and shared educational and advocacy resources for improving school environmental health. A particularly helpful resource presented was CEHN’s Eco-Healthy Child Care® program.
July 2023: The Impact of PFAS
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are an emerging public health threat. Nicknamed the “forever” chemicals, they have contaminated drinking water across the U.S. PFAS are toxic at extremely low levels, are highly persistent in the environment, and bioaccumulate in people.
Environmental pediatrician, Dr. Beth Nealy, in association with the Wisconsin Environmental Health Network, presents the history of PFAS manufacturing, their exposure routes, their impacts on human health, ways you can decrease your exposure, and legislation across the U.S that has recently developed to fight it.
June 2023: UX for EJ
User experience (called “UX”) is a term often used by the tech industry to describe the process of making a product more user-friendly or obtaining valuable insight into a customer base. It is a concept that our IT & Media team at CHEJ finds invaluable in virtually communicating and satisfying our key constituents.
The goal of this Training Call was to introduce grassroots organizers to the tools and language used amongst UX professionals so that they could improve their online presence, recruitment, and connecting with their base.
May 2023: Voices from East Palestine – Lessons Learned
Last February, a 150-car freight train with 20 or so tanker cars carrying toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, OH. The rail company quickly made the decision to spill the contents and then burn 5 tanker cars holding vinyl chloride and other toxic chemicals into a ditch alongside the railroad tracks.
Local resident Jami Wallace, who experienced the accident and the intentional burn, and Amanda Kiger, from River Valley Organizing, shared their experiences after this disaster.
April 2023: How to Define and Deal with a Sacrifice Zone
A few years back, we at CHEJ defined a “sacrifice zone” as any 4-mile area with levels of air pollution exceeding the 70th percentile as according to EPA’s air monitoring data.
In this call, we instruct you on how to use the EJScreen to see if you are living within a sacrifice zone. And if you are, we provide advice on how to use this information as leverage for community-wide action, policy change, and grassroots activism.
March 2023: Understanding Your Right-to-Know
This training focuses on the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) of 1986. This act guarantees citizens the right to know what chemicals are in their area and what is being planned to be brought in or travel through their neighborhoods. Having a citizen’s presence on their Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) is vital to protecting their air, water and community.
When used together, EPCRA and LEPCs, as well as awareness, can be a powerful tool to help keep people safe. This call was hosted by Silverio Caggiano, retired Battalion Chief, Fire Instructor, and HazMat/WMD Specialist for the Youngstown, Ohio Fire Department.
February 2023: Do Health Studies Really Work?
This training focuses on dispelling the “smoking gun” perception of health studies, and will expand on the various types of studies available while noting their limitations. During this call, our Senior Science Associate, Jose Aguayo, dispels this perception and expands upon why health studies often fail at connecting outcomes with chemical exposures.
He then offers an alternative method that CHEJ has developed with the help of many community leaders and public health scientists that we hope can bridge the gap and give affected communities both answers and relief.
November 2022: Chemical Recycling is a Lie
Jessica Roff from the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) provides an introduction to chemical recycling; the current policy, legislation, and regulatory overviews related to it; and highlight community efforts fighting to stop these polluting and toxic operations.
The fossil fuel industry is falsely marketing technologies that turn plastic waste into fuel as “circular, climate-friendly, and sustainable.” This industry is rebranding pyrolysis and gasification as “chemical recycling” (or advanced or even molecular recycling) to distinguish it from mechanical recycling and to signal some improvement on the latter.
October 2022: Can Lawyers Help in Your Fight?
Pete Sessa, Esq. discusses the pros and cons of hiring a lawyer to help in your environmental fight. During this call, he explored when and why you might need to hire an attorney and how you might be better off not even bringing a lawyer on board.
Covered topics include: Why do you need a lawyer? What’s a lawyer good for? How do you protect yourself from bad lawyers? This conversation also includes a Q&A section to further clarify how the legal system does and doesn’t work for you.
August 2022: Technical Assistance
Technical assistance refers to our capacity as an organization to provide expertise on toxicology, environmental testing analysis and other areas that require scientific interpretation. This ability is an invaluable tool to focus your organizing efforts and reinforce the tactics your group can use to win your fight.
This call was an opportunity for grassroots groups to receive direct feedback and on-the-spot scientific expertise from our in-house scientists, Stephen Lester and Jose Aguayo. Also to receive organizing advice from our Senior Organizer and Small-Grants Manager, Teresa Mills.
July 2022: An Introduction to EPA’s Tools
In this intern-led training, we discuss how to use three of the EPA’s screening tools: the EJScreen, ECHO Database, and TRI Toxics Tracker.
NOTE: These are screening tools, they are not designed for risk assessment. Keep in mind that they serve mostly as diagnostic tools for your area. Also, rural areas have traditionally been ignored or under-represented in these tools.
May 2022: A Conversation with Dr. Birnbaum
CHEJ hosted an open conversation with Dr. Linda Birnbaum and our community leaders. Dr. Birnbaum, the former director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology Program, answered questions related to issues such as how scientists assess toxic chemicals for cumulative exposures and risks, scientific uncertainty, synergistic effects, the EPA and much more.
May 2022: A Conversation with Keith O’Brien
Keith O’Brien is the author of “Paradise Falls: The True Story of an Environmental Catastrophe,” a book about Love Canal and all the people involved in creating it and who fought to leave it. CHEJ and our community members had the opportunity to speak with O’Brien, along with Lois Gibbs, Luella Kenny, and other influential people who belonged to this fight.
April 2022: PFAS
Andrea Amico of Testing for Pease, instructs about per- and polyflouroalkyl substances (PFAS) and their presence in drinking water. In the last decade, PFAS contamination has been discovered in thousands of communities across the nation and is impacting the drinking water of millions of Americans. PFAS are also found in many everyday consumer products such as microwave popcorn bags, firefighting foam, weatherproof clothing, firefighting foam and even dental floss. PFAS are persistent chemicals that bioaccumulate in humans, animals and the environment with 99% of Americans having detectable levels PFAS in their blood.
March 2022: Hazardous Oil & Gas Waste
John Stolz, Director of the Environmental Research and Education at Duquesne University, presents his findings on radioactive oil and gas waste.
This radioactive waste is often disproportionately disposed of in communities of color and low-wealth communities. Meaning that these communities are the ones that must bear the burden of adverse effects that the waste has on our environment, the climate and our health.
January 2022: Landfills
We discuss how landfills are a pressing issue within environmental justice. This is due to landfills having poor regulations across local, state and federal jurisdictions; their inability to properly contain toxic chemicals; and myriad other issues involving unidentified wastes, political finagling and toxic drainage.
November 2020: Messaging and Media
Messaging has always been important. But today, with texting campaigns, social media, and virtual organizing, we need to think smarter than ever about our messages.
This training by Lois Gibbs encourages building skills to create messages that make a difference – messages that inspire, galvanize, give voice, and gather power. To win, messages need to resonate with the people that need to be influenced.
October 2020: Organizing from a Distance
Lois Gibbs advises on how to adapt to pandemic-era conditions and to transfer and continue your organizing efforts online.
September 2020: Strategic Planning
CHEJ Founder, Lois Gibbs, discusses how to formulate a strategic plan for organizers against polluters.
June 2020: Pipelines
A discussion on oil pipelines and its associated infrastructure hosted by Sharon Ponton, who served five years as a coordinator for the Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League’s (BREDL) “Stop the Pipelines” campaign.
In this call, she teaches how to fight pipelines on all fronts (local, state, and federal levels) and uncovers the importance of ordinances, property survey laws, and 401 permitting in these fights.
February 2023: Do Health Studies Really Work?
This training focuses on dispelling the “smoking gun” perception of health studies, and will expand on the various types of studies available while noting their limitations. Health studies are often seen as the end goal by communities that want to know what or who is causing the health problems they are experiencing. More often than not, however, they are unable to find clear connections between disease and whatever environmental or chemical factors may be causing them. This inability to answer the questions usually asked by affected communities means that undertaking such studies should be carefully considered. A community’s overall goals need to be considered first. Only then should a health study be evaluated in terms of its appropriateness to help achieve the community’s goals.
During this call, our Senior Science Associate, Jose Aguayo, dispels the “smoking gun” perception of health studies and expands upon why health studies often fail at connecting outcomes with chemical exposures. Instead, he offers an alternative methods that CHEJ has developed with the help of many community leaders and public health scientists that we hope can bridge the gap and give affected communities both answers and relief.
November 2022: Chemical Recycling is a Lie
In this Training Call, Jessica Roff from the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) provides an introduction to chemical recycling; the current policy, legislation, and regulatory overviews related to it; and highlight community efforts fighting to stop these polluting and toxic operations.
The fossil fuel industry is falsely marketing technologies that turn plastic waste into fuel as “circular, climate-friendly, and sustainable.” This industry is rebranding pyrolysis and gasification as “chemical recycling” (or advanced or even molecular recycling) to distinguish it from mechanical recycling and to signal some improvement on the latter. Gasification and pyrolysis technologies are popping up across the globe, both as large-scale and small-scale, backyard operations.
October 2022: Can Lawyers Help in Your Fight?
Pete Sessa, Esq. discusses the pros and cons of hiring a lawyer to help in your environmental fight. During this call, he explored when and why you might need to hire an attorney and how you might be better off not even bringing a lawyer on board: Covered topics include: Why do you need a lawyer? What’s a lawyer good for? How do you protect yourself from bad lawyers? This conversation also includes a Q&A section to further clarify how the legal system does and doesn’t work for you.
August 2022: Technical Assistance
Watch This Training Call is intended to help fence-line communities by offering “technical assistance.” Technical assistance refers to our capacity as an organization to provide expertise on toxicology, environmental testing analysis and other areas that require scientific interpretation. This ability is an invaluable tool to focus your organizing efforts and reinforce the tactics your group can use to win your fight.
This was also an opportunity for grassroots groups to receive direct feedback and on-the-spot scientific expertise from our in-house scientists, Stephen Lester and Jose Aguayo. Also to receive organizing advice from our Senior Organizer and Small-Grants Manager, Teresa Mills.
July 2022: An Introduction to EPA’s Tools
In this intern-led training, we discuss how to use three of the EPA’s screening tools: the EJScreen, ECHO Database, and TRI Toxics Tracker. Note: these are screening tools, they are not designed for risk assessment. Keep in mind that they serve mostly as diagnostic tools for your area. Also, rural areas have traditionally been ignored or under-represented in these tools.
May 2022: A Conversation with Dr. Birnbaum
CHEJ hosted an open conversation with Dr. Linda Birnbaum and our community leaders. Dr. Birnbaum, the former director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Toxicology Program, answered questions related to issues such as how scientists assess toxic chemicals for cumulative exposures and risks, scientific uncertainty, synergistic effects, the EPA and much more.
May 2022: A Conversation with Keith O’Brien
Keith O’Brien is the author of “Paradise Falls: The True Story of an Environmental Catastrophe,” a book about Love Canal and all the people involved in creating it and who fought to leave it. CHEJ and our community members had the opportunity to speak with O’Brien, along with Lois Gibbs, Luella Kenny, and other influential people who belonged to this fight.
April 2022: PFAS
In this call, we learn about per- and polyflouroalkyl substances (PFAS) and their presence in drinking water. Directing this conversation is Andrea Amico, a community organizer from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and co-founder of Testing for Pease, a non-profit that seeks to create proactive changes in state and national drinking water safety.
Less than 10 years ago, the average person had not heard of a large class of manmade chemicals known as PFAS. In the last decade, PFAS contamination has been discovered in thousands of communities across the nation and is impacting the drinking water of millions of Americans. In addition to contaminated water supplies, PFAS are also found in many everyday consumer products such as microwave popcorn bags, firefighting foam, weatherproof clothing, firefighting foam and even dental floss. PFAS are persistent chemicals that bioaccumulate in humans, animals and the environment with 99% of Americans having detectable levels PFAS in their blood. PFAS is now becoming more of a household name and the awareness, legislation, and resources to address this large scale public health issue continues to rapidly grow.
March 2022: Oil & Gas Waste
John Stolz, Director of the Environmental Research and Education at Duquesne University, presents his findings on radioactive oil and gas waste. This radioactive waste is often disproportionately disposed of in communities of color and low-wealth communities. Meaning that these communities are the ones that must bear the burden of adverse effects that the waste has on our environment, the climate and our health.
January 2022: Landfills
We discuss how landfills are a pressing issue within environmental justice. This is due to landfills having poor regulations across local, state and federal jurisdictions; their inability to properly contain toxic chemicals; and myriad other issues involving unidentified wastes, political finagling and toxic drainage.
September 2021: Framing Your Message
This training call helps you craft message and influence the people you need to help you win! Is your cup half empty of half full? Is the facility a sanitary landfill or a nasty dump? Does the facility produce energy or pollute with toxics? The first group to frame an issue is the first group to control the debate. This training call will focus on strategies to help you both craft your message and to make sure this message reaches your target audience.
August 2021: Make Polluters Pay
We have been fighting to #MakePollutersPay for over 25 years since the original Superfund tax expired in 1995. Now, with negotiations for the infrastructure bill, we have an opportunity to demand legislation that would help bring justice to contaminated communities across the U.S. Some aspects of the Polluters Pay tax have been included in the bipartisan infrastructure bill, but they are not enough. We need to demand the FULL #MakePollutersPay tax to make sure we are supporting the communities who need it most.
July 2021: Getting Your Message Out
Attracting media attention to a local campaign can be challenging for grassroots organizations. In this training call, CHEJ’s Gustavo Andrade will discuss how local groups can get their message out by attracting media attention, building relationships with reporters, and earning free media coverage. Using these tactics, grassroots groups can expand their movement and reach a broader audience. This training call will help you learn to use the media to your advantage in your campaign, and turn the media into one of your most powerful organizing tools.
June 2021: Fracking and Fracking Waste
In this training call, we will be joined by John Stolz, a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and the Director for Environmental Research and Education at Duquesne University. We will hear from Dr. Stolz about negative effects fracking and fracking waste have on our environment, the climate, and our health.
June 2021: Small Grants Program
CHEJ’s Small Grants Program helps groups move toward their goals by building leadership and increasing capacity. The program supports grassroots communities of color, low wealth, rural and urban groups. This training call assisted with the application process and answered any questions potential applicants had about the program.
May 2021: Individual Donors
Raising funds from individual donors can be helpful for grassroots organizing for many reasons: it can establish a stable and consistent base of funds, expand your volunteer base and spread the word about your cause, help push policy and change that you are striving for, and more. Join us for a conversation to learn more strategies for unlocking the power and stability that having individual donors unlocks for grassroots organizers.
April 2021: No Safe Levels
A series of studies on some toxic chemicals have found that the risk of death and disease is proportionately greater at lower exposures. These results conflict with the way agencies regulate chemicals and indicate that we have underestimated toxic chemical’s impact on death and disease. Join us to learn more about the science that shows there are no safe levels of toxic chemical exposure.
Guest Speaker: Bruce Lanphear, MD, MPH of Little Things Matter and the International Society for Children’s Health and the Environment
March 2021: Media and Pitching Stories
Getting press coverage for your campaign can be a daunting task especially during a pandemic. Join us for a short dynamic media workshop, and learn from media professionals and successful grassroots leaders about how to call attention to your issue and get the press to spread the word for you.
Guest Speakers: Tim Wilkins and Joie Kichton
February 2021: Campaign Strategy and Power Analysis
It can be challenging to design a winning campaign, especially when you are up against powerful interests with lots of money. This training call will help you understand the power dynamics and craft a successful campaign.
January 2021: Small Grants Program
Does your grassroots group have a goal or project that needs to be implemented to help in your fight for environmental health and justice? Is this project being halted financially? We’re here to help!
CHEJ’S Small Grants Program helps groups move toward their goals by building leadership, increasing capacity and providing training and education. The program supports grassroots communities of color, low wealth, rural and urban groups.
January 2021: Organizing from Home
Sometimes it can feel like staying at home has diminished your organizing power. We are here to tell you that it is still possible to build power in your community and strengthen your campaign, from home! This training explored how to build your campaign using SMS as a tactic that is part of a broader strategy, as you would knocking on doors, and not let distancing hold you back!
November 2020: Messaging and Media
Messaging has always been important. But today, with texting campaigns, social media, and virtual organizing we need to think smarter than ever about our messages. The Messaging and Media training helped participants build skills to create messages that make a difference – messages that inspire, galvanize, give voice, and gather power. To win, messages need to resonate with the people that need to be influenced. This can be done by exploring successful ways to craft messages for a campaign.
October 2020: Organizing from a Distance
Are you having trouble building power in your community during the pandemic? Do you feel like distancing is holding back your campaign? CHEJ is here to help!
September 2020: Strategic Planning with Lois Marie Gibbs
Strategic Planning is critical to winning your fight. Lois has over 40 years of experience in building, strengthening and winning campaigns at all levels.
Guest Speaker: Lois Gibbs, CHEJ Leadership Training Academy
September 2020: Fundraising for Grassroots Groups
Tailor your fundraising strategy to your organization’s message!
Guest Speaker: Lois Gibbs, CHEJ Leadership Training Academy
Audio Recordings:
Learn how to sharpen your skills in communicating with the media and the public. This training will help you to build your skills to move messages that make a difference, inspire, galvanize and give voice.
Guest Speaker: Kathy Mulady, People’s Action Institute
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How to Raise Money For your Group Through Individuals
If your group is always strapped for funds then you should attend this training. Learn how to build a donor campaign that will support your groups important work year after year. Through donations and bequests, individual donors typically account for more than three-quarters of charitable giving each year. It is a good idea to focus on the potential of individuals that are closest to your organization and its mission.
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Dealing with Trouble
This session looks at trouble shooting, problem solving, and sharing common problems with others. Our speaker for the call is David Beckwith, one of the founding members of CHEJ, who has worked as a community organizer, training, and consultant to community groups since 1971.
Download mp3 | CHEJ’s Dealing with Trouble Guidebook
Getting involved in community affairs has never been more important and some of you may be thinking about taking a major step and running for office. Deciding to become a candidate for local office can be an incredibly exciting moment in your life but the first steps and trying to figure out where to start can be daunting. This session will help you think through these first steps and help you identify what you need to get started. Questions that will be addressed include why run, what to consider before making a decision, and how do you get started.
Guest Speakers: Laurel Wales, Deputy Director of Movement Politics with People’s Action; Roxanne Groff, co-founder of Save Our Rural Environment
Download mp3 | Attachments (1) (2) (3) (4) | CHEJ’s Running for Office Guidebook
National Lessons from Maryland’s Fracking Ban
On March 27th, with game-changing support from Republican Governor Larry Hogan, the Maryland General Assembly gave final approval to a bill to ban fracking in Maryland forever. The move culminates years of protests against fracking from landowners, health leaders, and environmentalists. It also sets a significant national precedent, as other states grapple with the dangerous gas-drilling method. But how did it happen? What were the keys to success in Maryland? Why did Republicans support the ban? What are the implications for other fracking and pipeline fights across the country?
Guest Speaker: Teresa Mills, CHEJ Ohio Organizer; Brooke Harper, Maryland Field Director, Chesapeake Climate Action Network
Beyond Flint: Why Your Drinking Water May Be Worse
Learn about drinking water testing, particularly for lead, and why you may not be safe even if your water company meets federal guidelines and standards. Learn what you need to know about testing, what to look for including emerging contaminants, the limits of the testing and how testing should be done. We’ll also discuss the EPA’s revised procedures for sampling lead in drinking water and how these procedures influence the results.
Guest Speakers: Stephen Lester, CHEJ Science Director; Dr. Yanna Lambrinidou, adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Science and Technology in Society at Virginia Tech, and the founder of Parents for Nontoxic Alternatives
Download mp3 | Download PDF (1) | PDF (2)
Media: Effective Framing, Targeting and Messaging
Learn how to sharpen your skills in communicating with the media and the public. Build your skills to move messages that make a difference, inspire, galvanize, and give voice and power.
Guest Speaker: Lois Gibbs
Strategic Planning
Is your organization ready for this new year? Do you have a plan? Join Lois Gibbs to sharpen your skills on developing a plan to stay focused, be proactive and to allow you to figure out when you need to say “No” to others asking for support. Too often leaders are pulled in many different directions and as a result are not as effective as they could be. This training will help you to put together the framework to work proactively and stay focused.
Guest Speaker: Lois Gibbs
Social Media
Discussed were the benefits of social media platforms: FaceBook, Instagram, and Twitter. Also described were suggestions on how to use each platform effectively for community outreach.
Guest Speakers: Lizzy Duncan, Britta Husen, Abigail Esplana, CHEJ Interns
Can Health Studies Help You?
Health studies are a complex subject, particularly when trying to relate them to your cause. This training call addresses the strengths and weaknesses of health studies in the context of what you can learn about the health problems in your community. It discusses the benefits and pitfalls of different types of studies, limitations of health study design, the difficulty in interpreting results and the importance of matching the study design to your community’s concerns.
Guest Speaker: Stephen Lester, CHEJ Science Director
There are two parts to gaining political power and winning the battles you are fighting on environmental justice. The first is people power – you can’t fight city hall on your own, you need people around who will raise their voice for justice with you! The second part of power is more difficult for most people: asking for the money you need to fund your work.
Guest Speakers: Laura Barrett, Marjorie Fine, Gordon Mayer, Jessica Wernli.
School Your Community on the ABCs of Shale Gas Risks
Protect Our Children, a Philadelphia-based coalition of local and regional organizations dedicated to protecting school children from the health risks of shale gas drilling and infrastructure, has a few back-to-school tips for us on how to organize and raise awareness about the potential harm to our kids of fracking.
Guest Speakers: Prarthana Gurung, Gillian Graber, Laura Barrett, Jordan Hoover, Lisa Graves-Marcucci.
Make Candidates Answer Your Questions
Join us for a training call that will show you how to get your issue to the top of a candidate’s agenda, whether they are running for local, regional or state office. If you are on your own, part of a volunteer group or even if you have a 501c3 or 501c4 organization, this call will help you create a civic engagement strategy that will work for you. We will also talk about what environmental justice groups like CHEJ are thinking about doing during the first 100 days of a new EPA administrator to get the focus shifted off corporate polluters and onto the grassroots people.
Guest Speaker: Drew Astolfi, Center for Community Change
Children’s Vulnerabilities to Toxic Chemicals
Why are children more vulnerable to chemical exposure than adults? Children are not little adults. Children are more susceptible to adverse health impacts from exposure because:
The session will also discuss the link between chemical exposure and adverse health effects on children and talk about steps you can take to protect your children.
Guest Speaker: Stephen Lester, CHEJ Science Director
What You Need To Know About Contaminated Drinking Water: A Focus on Lead
Learn about water testing, particularly for lead, including what people need to know about testing, what to look for, who should do the testing, and how testing should be done. We will also discuss the EPA’s new procedures for sampling lead in drinking water and how these procedures (old and new) influence the results.
Guest Speaker Marc Edwards, engineering professor at Virginia Tech University and nationally renowned expert on water quality known for his recent work in Flint, MI.