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Interview with CHE Partner, Jo Ann Rupert Behm, MS, RN
 State and Federal Public Policy Consultant: Health and Education, Learning Disabilities Association of California (LDA-CA), Former State President, Current Public Policy Chair, LDA-CA and Chair LDA-CA Healthy Children Project
Steve Heilig: What first brought you into the environmental health movement?
A chance meeting in San Francisco at the San Francisco Medical Society in March 2002 sponsored by Commonweal...where the nexus for what would become the Collaborative on Health and Environment [CHE] had its roots. I was then State President of the California Learning Disabilities Association and was invited since our national president at the time, Dr. Larry Silver, was a guest panelist.
What hooked me at the meeting was Michael Lerner's introduction. He discussed numerous unexplained illnesses and disabilities in his own family tree. On the ride home, I couldn't help but think of my own family tree and wonder if environmental toxins could be the common denominator among so many cancers and other diseases and disabilities plaguing my loved ones.
This turned out to be a life-changing event. For years I had been a devout after-the-fact parent advocate for children with learning disabilities. Folllowing the SF meeting I joined CHE and the Learning and Developmental Disabilities Initiative Working Group and went to work researching potential underlying causes connected to the plethora of toxic chemicals in our environment.
I wanted to investigate upstream, to connect the dots not only for learning disabilities, but for many disabilities, illnesses, and chronic disease on an inexplicable, sometimes shocking, rise in California and the nation.
In 2005 Commonweal asked me to participate in a California biomonitoring study. I tested positive for a number of unwelcome toxins including chemicals from plastics, flame retardants, heavy metals, water repellents, pesticides --- even DDT. Many of these chemicals are known to be carcinogenic, mutagenic or endocrine disruptors. It’s only natural to wonder what I passed on to my children through the placenta or breast milk or choice of produce, household products, or where we live. But the biggest question for me --- is how to stop this chemical injustice from endangering all life in the future.
What is the primary goal/mission of your organization/project?
The LDA mission is dedicated to identifying causes, promoting prevention, and enhancing the quality of life for all individuals with learning disabilities and their families.
What have been the most significant obstacles and successes you have encountered and achieved in this work to date?
At the state and national level, non-profit, nearly all volunteer membership based organizations are undergoing significant challenges due to the vast access to information over the internet and scarcity of yesteryear's 'stay at home' mom's who held volunteer organizations together. Bottom line is competition and red tape for grant funding, limited staffing, changing leadership, and difficultly attracting younger reserves willing to volunteer.
What is the number one change you would like to see for the future of environmental health?
Create state and national legislation that includes strict government oversight of new and current production, industry accountability and responsibility for pre-market testing, toxic clean-up, and toxic harm. Plus, a new age of consumer advocacy including citizen's right-to-know chemical composition/risks on any food, products, land, facilities, and body burden - biomonitoring as a part of the routine physical and newborn Assessment.
What or who continues to inspire you in your work?
Those of us who can tackle any aspect of this dragon need to do so now --- every day millions and millions of unsuspecting people, even before they are born, are subjected to unacceptable levels of dangerous chemicals. It will take decades to restore the earth and make it healthier for future generations. Delaying this effort is too costly to ignore.
Do you have any comments/suggestions regarding CHE itself?
CHE has been incredibly successful in linking a wide variety of stakeholders --- empowering otherwise isolated folks and smaller organizations into becoming an active part of unified efforts for a healthier planet. Anything, that can be done to enhance and expand this work has my vote. Awareness leads to lifestyle improvements in families, homes, schools, businesses...which leads to improved local policy, then state, federal, and ultimately worldwide coalitions and treaties.
I'd like to see CHE grow to provide coordinated, consistent environmental leadership in all 50 states and nationally and globally. TOP
Posted: 28 September 2006
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