Coal's Assault on Human Health
1:00 pm US Eastern Time
Slides & Resources
Coal's Assault on Human Health, Physicians for Social Responsibility report (Nov 2009)
Coal Development in Alaska, Overview on ACAT's website
Both of the following PDF's are available at the "Coal Development in Alaska" link above on ACAT's website:
- Coal Ash in Alaska: Our Health, Our Right to Know (PDF), Alaska Community Action on Toxics (Feb 2011)
- Coal, Mercury and Health Fact Sheet (PDF)
This call was hosted by CHE-Alaska.
At every stage—from mining, transportation, storage, combustion and disposal of post-combustion wastes—coal development threatens human and environmental health. Pollutants from coal damage all major organ systems in the human body and contribute to four of the five leading causes of death in the United States.
Dr. Lockwood is professor of Neurology at the University of Buffalo, a member of Physicians for Social Responsiblity and principal author of the PSR medical report "Coal's Assault on Human Health" which takes a new look at the devastating impacts of coal on the human body. Coal combustion releases mercury, particulate matter, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide and dozens of other substances known to be hazardous to human health. This report looks at the cumulative harm inflicted by those pollutants on three major body organ systems: the respiratory system, the cardiovascular system, and the nervous system.
Featured Speaker
Dr. Alan H. Lockwood is an emeritus professor of Neurology at the University at Buffalo. A graduate of Cornell University and Cornell University Medical College, Dr. Lockwood is board certified in neurology, a member of the American Neurological Association and a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology. He is the author of approximately 220 publications on diverse scientific topics ranging from hepatic encephalopathy to environmental toxicants. He has been an active member of Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) for three decades and was President of PSR National in 1994. Currently he is a member of the Board and co-chair of the Environment and Health Committee. Dr. Lockwood is the principal author of the PSR report “Coal’s Assault on Human Health”. The MIT Press will publish a book-length version of this report later this year.
