April 20 - Pittsburgh - Women’s Health & the Environment conference

[MH1]

This should be interesting - guest speakers include Fran Drescher ("The Nanny" and cancer survivor) and Steve Curwood (host of the environmental radio program Living on Earth). Personally, I'd go just to hear Steve Curwood - I *LOVE* ''Living on Earth'' - best program on radio. But it will be really nice to see THK, too!

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 2007
Pittsburgh, PA
David L. Lawrence Convention Center

A Free Conference Sponsored by
• Teresa Heinz
• The Heinz Endowments and
• Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC

Through Women’s Health & the Environment: New Science, New Solutions you can learn about recent and important discoveries in environmental health and walk away with strategies for designing a safer and healthier world. The conference features an illustrious panel of highly respected scientists, environmentalists and activists. This day-long conference will empower and inform you to take actions that can improve your life and the lives of the women - and men - you love. All attendees will receive a toolkit with resources and materials to enhance their health and wellness journey.

More info - http://www.womenshealthpittsburgh.org/

This event is also part of the Rachel Carson Centennial - don't miss the reception afterward - with Teresa Heinz and The Indigo Girls!

Don't miss this chance to join with our host, Teresa Heinz, and special grammy-award winning guests, The Indigo Girls, to celebrate the woman whose words and personal commitment moved the world to action in defense of our environment and our health.

For those who aren't aware of THK's great history of work on the environment, check this out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teresa_Heinz#Environmental_Programs_and_Advocacy

Environmental Programs and Advocacy

Teresa Heinz has contributed to the environmental movement through many programs and outreach efforts, including but not limited to:

* In 1990, she co-founded the Alliance To End Childhood Lead Poisoning (which later was renamed the Alliance for Healthy Homes), through the first environmental grant of the Vira I. Heinz Endowment. <2> The current website of the Alliance for Healthy Homes lists her as an "honorary board member" and praises her as "One of the foremost advocates on children's health and environmental issues."<3>
* In 1992, she attended the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, as a presidentially-appointed member of a delegation representing non-governmental organizations at the Summit.<4>,<5>
* In 1993, she co-founded, with her future husband Senator John Kerry, and environmentalist academic Dr. Anthony D. Cortese, the organization Second Nature, which brings "Education for Sustainability" to college campuses. <6>
* In 1993 she founded the Heinz Awards, including a category for outstanding contributions to the environment. <7>
* In 1995, through a $20 million grant from the Heinz Endowments, provided initial funding for The Heinz Center<2>, "a nonprofit institution dedicated to improving the scientific and economic foundation for environmental policy through multisectoral collaboration among industry, government, academia, and environmental organizations."<8>
* Since 1996, Heinz has hosted an annual "Women's Health and the Environment" conference series. <9>
* Founded the Teresa Heinz Scholars for Environmental Research program, which annually awards eight $10,000 awards for doctoral dissertation support and eight $5,000 awards for master's thesis support, for research having "public policy relevance that increases society's understanding of environmental concerns and proposed solutions."<10>
* Heinz is currently a board member of the Environmental Defense Fund. <11>
* Co-author with her husband John Kerry, of This Moment on Earth: Today's New Environmentalists and Their Vision for the Future, to be published in March 2007. <12>

My understanding is that she also was a huge force behind turning Pittsburgh into one of the greenest cities in the country.

So, who's going to join me at this conference on April 20?

[karendc]

1. ME!

I saw this and I checked out if I could make it. My husband is an environmental guy and I am a post-menopausal woman with the usual health issues and I was so happy to see someone putting those things together.

Just a *duhhh* moment for me: the body exists in the environment. They probably affect each other...

[MH1]

5. My brother wants to go too

He's a doctor...I was hoping my sister-in-law would go (she may) but he said he would definitely be interested.

He might be too busy with patients though. :( When you need to take all the medicare/medicaid patients you can possibly afford (cuz those are the people who need you, where he lives), it kind of means you have to work longer hours to pay the bills, sigh.

Edit: I forgot to say, he worked for the EPA as an inspector before he became a doc, then he did a fellowship with NIH, and his big interest is traditional plant based medicines (there's a technical term I'm forgetting); this stuff is right up his alley.

[Luftmensch067]

2. K&R!

This looks spectacular! I wish I could go!! Hope those who get to will let us know everything that happens!

[MH1]

8. Hopefully we will get some kind of live-blogging organized.

That will be cool, if we can do it.

[globalvillage]

3. THK !!!

I'm there, MH.

The review of their book is up on Amazon (I ordered two copies). :-) It sounds great.

This Moment on Earth: Today's New Environmentalists and Their Vision for the Future

An inspiring celebration of courageous American innovators who are transforming the way we protect and care for the world we live in.
The environment, and the movement that grew up to protect it, is under attack--concerted and purposeful. Yet the need for solutions to pressing environmental problems grows more urgent each day. Teresa Heinz Kerry and Senator John Kerry traveled across the country in a national campaign to see at first hand how these issues unite people across party and ideological lines. From the San Juan Basin to the Gulf of Mexico to the South Bronx, from mothers on Cape Cod to Colorado ranchers, they found a vibrant coalition of people and communities deploying ingenuity, technology, and sheer will power to save the world they know and love. Now, in this passionate and personal book, Senator John Kerry and Teresa Heinz Kerry shine the spotlight on an inspiring crosssection of these new environmental pioneers.

The book combines intensive research with keenly observed personal experiences to present a portrait of Americans devoted to the natural diversity and spectacular uniqueness of our country. It also includes an extensive guide on where and how readers can get involved.

http://tinyurl.com/24hfao

[MH1]

6. Oooh, I need to order it too.

I will order it for all my sibs whether they want it or not. ;-)

(actually they will all be interested, I think.)

[Luftmensch067]

9. I've got copies on order for my whole family!

Well, that's only three, but still! :-)

The review looks wonderful!!!

[ProSense]

4. Cool! Thanks!

I want to go!

[MH1]

7. Hey you're close enough, right?

Any chance you can be there?

[beachmom]

10. This sounds like a great event! Did I ever mention how much I

LOVE the Indigo Girls!! (What can I say -- I am a sucker for acoustic guitar music). So, ahem, I expect this event to be well covered by certain folks saying they're going. :)