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North Bay Environmental Health Network

North Bay Environmental Health Network2023-01-31T13:50:04-08:00

The world doesn’t change one person at a time. It changes as networks of relationships form among people who discover they share a common cause and vision of what’s possible… Rather than worry about critical mass, our work is to foster critical connections. We don’t need to convince large numbers of people to change; instead, we need to connect with kindred spirits. Through these relationships, we will develop the new knowledge, practices, courage, and commitment that lead to broad-based change. – Margaret Wheatley

What we do to the environment, we do unto ourselves. Our environment’s health is our health.

Everything exists in systems of relationships, or ecologies. We exist in interdependent relationships with our environment through the food we eat, water we drink, air we breathe, and communities we are a part of. Our behaviors, including land, agricultural, and water management practices, affect our environment and, consequently, our health.

Daily Acts has always prioritized the health of our environment by promoting land and water stewardship and homegrown skills. As part of our Be The Change model, in addition to spreading solutions and models, we are building networks and coalitions to strengthen community leadership and build the public will and civic engagement needed to shift culture and influence policy change specific to our environmental health.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution or pathway to restoring and enhancing our environmental health. There are many solutions and pathways. Much of what we need to resolve our most challenging environmental health issues can be found right here in our community. To this effect, we are proud to be the home of the North Bay Area Environmental Health Network and to help weave together coalitions and networks to address our environmental health issues.

What is Environmental Health?

Environmental health is the science and practice of preventing human illness and injury and promoting wellness for all. Environmental health is an intersectional issue that layers environmental justice and social justice issues. Community members who live, learn, and work on the frontlines of agriculture and industry are disproportionately impacted by unhealthy environmental practices.

Risk Factors:

Mono-culture is the practice of farming one single crop, like grapes. This crop specialization increases yield but also the risk of exposure to pests and diseases. Mono-culture is reliant on conventional agricultural practices which destroys soil nutrients, results in the use of harmful pesticides, pollutes groundwater supplies, requires a lot of water for irrigation, and alters the natural ecosystem.

Protective Factors:

Click on the links below to learn more about the organizations and concepts that help keep agriculture safe:

Risk Factors

Indoor and outdoor air quality have far-reaching health impacts. CO2 emissions, particulate pollution from smoke and ash, and pesticide drift impact human health.

Protective Factors

Click on the links below to learn more about the organizations that help protect air quality:

Risk Factors

Climate change presents many risks to our environmental health. The changing environment and climate catastrophes (like fires, storms, floods, extreme weather) is expected to cause more heat stress, an increase in waterborne and vector borne diseases, poor air quality, water shortages, food supply disruption, and mental health impacts.

Protective Factors

Click on the links below to learn more about the organizations that help mitigate climate change locally:

Risk Factors

Vector Borne illnesses are the result of an infection transmitted to humans and other animals by blood-feeding arthropods, such as mosquitoes, ticks, and fleas. Examples of vector-borne illness include Dengue Fever, West Nile Virus, Lyme Disease, and Malaria. (Marin/Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District)

Protective Factors

Risk Factors

Thousands of published, peer-reviewed studies by independent scientists have demonstrated harm from exposure to EMF and wireless radiation. Serious human health problems include reproductive harm, neurological problems and cancer. Children and other vulnerable populations are particularly at risk.

Protective Factors

Environmental education increases public awareness and knowledge of environmental issues. It teaches people to critically think about the environment and develop the skills to identify and resolve environmental risks.

Protective Factors

Click on the links below to learn more about local organizations that are providing environmental education:

Risk Factors

Hunger and food insecurity are significant concerns in Sonoma County. One-third of Sonoma County residents went hungry in 2017. Although we have the capacity to produce large amounts of diverse foods, the majority of our locally-grown food are grapes for wine, milk, poultry and livestock. Most of this is exported out of our county and most of our food is imported from elsewhere.Food security depends upon a shift to more sustainable, local, and regenerative agricultural practices.

Protective Factors

Learn more about local organizations addressing food security locally:

Risk Factors

Over 3000 people are homeless in Sonoma County. Unsheltered people are particularly susceptible to illness and death from climate change related increases in air pollution, prolonged exposure, and extreme weather. The environmental impacts of housing insecurity and homelessness include increased bio-waste and garbage pollution in our communities and watershed.

Protective Factors

Learn more about local organizations addressing housing locally:

Risk Factors

Environmental health factors such as climate change, toxic chemical exposures, air pollution, extreme weather, and nutrient-deficiency affect biology and neurochemistry and contribute to mental illness. Environmental injustice issues also affect our mental health. Stress and trauma from environmental and climate catastrophes can impair mental health and social functioning.

Protective Factors

Learn more about local organizations addressing mental health locally:

Risk Factors

Sonoma County uses over 2.5 million pounds of pesticides annually. 2.3 million pounds are used on wine grapes.
Pesticides can cause acute and chronic health problems. Pesticides include insecticides (bug killers), herbicides (weed killers), fungicides (fungus killers), rodenticides, and antimicrobials. Pesticides come in spray cans and crop dusters, in household cleaners, hand soaps and swimming pools.
Pesticides are also sometimes broken down into chemical classes and modes of action. Major chemical classes include: carbamates, organochlorines, organophosphates (mostly developed 70 or more years ago for chemical warfare) and triazines. Newer classes include pyrethroids and neonicotinoids, synthesized to mimic nature’s pest protection. More details on specific pesticides here.

Protective Factors

Learn more about local organizations working to eliminate synthetic pesticides:

Risk Factors

Justice and equity are central and intersectional issues in environmental health. Environmental racism is systemic; institutional rules, regulations, policies, and corporate decisions deliberately target communities of color for land use and lax enforcement of zoning and environmental laws, which exposes communities of color to toxics and hazardous waste. Environmental health hazards disproportionately burden communities of color and low income communities. This is environmental racism.

Protective Factors

Learn more about local organizations addressing racism in our community:

Risk Factors

In addition to pesticides and industrial chemicals, there are over 80,000 chemicals on the market in common products. There are six classes of chemicals that are used in everyday products that are harmful to people and the planet.

Sonoma County has 2 Superfund sites contaminated by toxic chemicals:

  1. Cloverdale Superfund Site

  2. Petaluma Superfund Site

Protective Factors

Learn more about local organizations protecting our community from toxic chemical exposure:

Risk Factors

Water is life. Safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene are essential to human and environmental health. Water sanitation and wastewater management are critical to preventing infections and reducing the spread of antimicrobial resistance.

Protective Factors

Learn more about local agencies protecting our community from waste with water sanitation:

Risk Factors

Natural disasters including fires and floods have had devastating impacts on the Russian River Watershed in recent years with the potential to create more disturbances in the future. Negative impacts would, however, be reduced by employing regenerative/”climate smart” land management principles and by educating local landowners on alternatives to using toxic chemicals, like pesticides.

Protective Factors

Learn more about local agencies protecting the Russian River Watershed:

North Bay Environmental Health Network

Rooted in science and evidence-based best practices, our environmental health network creates a forum for discussion about critical environmental health risks and a platform for sharing protective resources and calls to action.

Current Networks & Alliances:

Sonoma County Climate Activists Network (SoCo CAN)

Sonoma County Climate Activists Network(S0C0 CAN)is composed of climate activist groups and individuals working together to address and reverse climate change.
Join a meeting:
Peace & Justice Center
467 Sebastopol Ave, Santa Rosa 95401
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm on the 5th Monday
(only on months that have 5 Mondays)
Contact: [email protected]

Sonoma Safe Agriculture Safe Schools (SASS)

Sonoma Safe Agriculture Safe Schools (SASS) is a coalition of community organizations paving the way for safer land management policies around our schools and communities. Our work has resulted in multiple city and school district bans on pesticide use on publicly owned land throughout Sonoma County. The majority of parks in Sonoma County are now managed completely toxics-free!

Families Advocating for Chemical and Toxics Safety (FACTS)

Families Advocating for Chemical and Toxics Safety (FACTS) a one-stop clearinghouse for evidence-based information and expert resources in children’s environmental health. FACTS promotes easy, affordable, and sustainable actions to remediate the unnecessary and harmful exposure to chemicals and toxics in our everyday lives. FACTS is a project of the Center for Environmental Health.

Sonoma Community Resilience Collaborative

Sonoma Community Resilience Collaborative is working in partnership across our community with The Center for Mind Body Medicine. The vision for the Collaborative, which has been endorsed and adopted as a part of Sonoma County Health Action, is to develop our local capacity for healing, empower people with comprehensive tools, build the social connections that are the predictor of community resilience, and prevent the progression of stress and trauma into more serious social, mental, physical, and social impacts.

Leadership Institute for Just and Resilient Communities

Designed around the principle that true leadership comes from the inside out, The Leadership Institute for Just and Resilient Communities centers on strengthening our internal compass, empowering civic action, and growing collective power through collaboration. Our goal over this 10-month program is to offer passionate change agents the inspiration, skills and support to strengthen their leadership in addressing our climate crisis, closing the historical and escalating inequality gaps, and growing connection with self, community and place.

Bay Area Climate Literacy Impact Collaborative

Through our ECO2school program, we participate in Bay Area Climate Literacy Impact Collaborative. BayCLIC points educators towards the highest quality professional development opportunities that are available, simplifying the process of getting started. They design and host a climate education road-map, which provides a brief and digestible summary of the recommended steps an educator needs to take to start communicating on climate change. They go beyond climate literacy and shift individuals towards more climate friendly behaviors.

Past North Bay Environmental Health Network Projects

We take pride in every project. We are so grateful for our incredible partners who make our work possible!

Resource Guides

Toxics Released into Environment from Urban Wildfires2020-04-21T15:11:29-07:00

Toxics Released Source of Contaminant Known Health Outcomes
Asbestos Building materials Asbestosis, lung abnormalities, reduced immune function, increased risk of lung cancer
Arsenic

(Volatile Organic Compound – VOC)

 Electronics, industrial manufacturing, insecticides, herbicides, furniture Children: increased cancer risks as adults, increased infant mortality, neurological impairment, reduced birth weight.

Adults: Impaired intellectual function, impaired motor function, neuropathy, coronary heart disease, hypertension, heart attack, kidney cancer, bladder cancer, skin lesions, skin cancer, diabetes, pulmonary tuberculosis, bronchiectasis, lung cancer, liver cancer Female impaired glucose tolerance during pregnancy
Cadmium Electronics, lasers, batteries, paint pigments, cosmetics, cigarette smoke, galvanized steel, building materials, fertilizers, automobiles Kidney damage, impaired Vitamin D metabolism in kidneys, impaired gut absorption, osteomalacia with osteoporosis, renal dysfunction, central nervous system disturbances, learning disabilities, anemia, calcium malabsorption, metabolic syndrome, decreased bone health, cardiovascular hypertensions, diabetes and insulin resistance, sudden cardiac death, oxidative stress, immune system impairment, impaired fetal development, autoimmune disorders, endocrine disruptor, class B1 carcinogen with links to breast cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Males: reduced sperm count and sub-fertility or infertility
Cobalt Burning of coal, oil, or cobalt alloys used in manufactured items such as magnets, grinding and cutting tools, colored glass, ceramics, paints, porcelain enamel Complex clinical syndrome, skin ulcerations and dermatitis, hearing and visual impairment, cardiovascular deficits, endocrine disruptor, hematological dysfunctions
Formaldehyde (VOC) Combustion process, furniture, carpet, rugs, window dressings, permanent press fabrics, cigarettes, cosmetics, fertilizers, electrical insulation, manufactured wood products, paint and varnish, preserved food Eye, nose, and throat irritation, asthmatic symptoms, asthma, impaired learning, behavior changes, stomach damage, nose cancer, throat cancer.
Lead Electronics, old paint, building materials, automobiles Children: nervous system damage, behavior problems, lower IQ, hearing loss, learning disabilities, anemia, kidney damage, decreased bone and muscle growth.

Adults: memory loss, lack of concentration, headaches, irritability, depression, high blood pressure, kidney abnormalities and damage, constipation, nausea, poor appetite, fatigue, joint and muscle pain in extremities. Female: spontaneous miscarriage. Male: decreased sex drive and sperm count, sperm abnormalities
Perfluorinated Compounds including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOAs), Manufactured non-stick, non-staining products. Fetal development disruptions, including possible changes in growth, learning, behavior, decreased fertility, endocrine disruptor, increase cholesterol, compromised immune system, increase cancer risk.
Phthalates Manufactured plastic items, electronics, carpet backings, paint, glue, insect repellants, nail polish, hair spray, personal care products Children: known endocrine disruptor, low body weight, bone damage, cleft palate, testes damage, death, liver damage.

Adults: known endocrine disruptor, reduced fertility, decreased sperm count, topical skin irritation, liver damage.
Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs) Flame retardants found in most consumer goods, especially synthetic and foam products, furniture, carpet, rugs, clothing Flame retardants are persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic, carcinogens, mutagens, and reproductive toxicants. Decreased memory and learning, reduced IQ, hyperactivity, obesity, chemicals that mimic estrogen, alters thyroid hormone, decreased fertility, decreased birth weight, decreased sperm quality, diabetes, cancer.
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) Product of combustion, including wildfire smoke, cars, burning structures Birth defects, asthma, cataracts, kidney cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer, bladder cancer
Short-Chain Chlorinated Paraffins (SCCPs) Manufactured products with plastics and PVC, plasticizers, flame retardants, lubricants, coolants Persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic to aquatic organisms at low concentrations, skin and eye irritation, liver damage, kidney damage, thyroid hormone perturbation, reduced fetal body weight
Unknown Chemical Compounds Combustion of unknown chemicals and toxics There were multitudes of chemicals that possibly combined through the combustion process. We do not know what these are or their health impacts.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Manufactured items, solvents used as degreasing agents, acetone, automotive gasoline, furniture, caulks, carpet, vinyl flooring, foam, air fresheners, cleaning products, cosmetics, personal care products, photocopiers/printers,  paint, varnish There are thousands of VOCs in the environment and the EPA only regulates 22. We do not fully know the effects of many VOCs. Many VOCs are known carcinogens and developmental and reproductive toxicants. Difficulty concentrating, confusion, dizziness, fatigue, irritability, lethargy, vomiting, headache, impaired speech, cardiovascular and blood toxicant, pulmonary edema, irregular heart rhythms, eye irritation, nose irritation, throat irritation, lung inflammation, asthmatic symptoms, bronchiolitis obliterans, liver damage, gastrointestinal damage, neurological damage
Toxics Exposure Cycle2018-03-01T10:42:40-08:00

Credit: Raditz 2017

Tech Savvy Suggestions for WiFi Reductions2018-03-01T10:31:09-08:00

Routes of Exposure2018-03-01T10:44:07-08:00

How the Environment Affects Our Health – HOW2020-04-21T14:35:37-07:00

Healthy Schools, Healthy Kids, Brighter Futures2020-04-21T15:58:18-07:00

HEALTHY SCHOOLS + HEALTHY KIDS + BRIGHTER FUTURE

BEST PRACTICES FOR A TOXIC-FREE CAMPUS

Children are uniquely vulnerable to toxics exposure. Their size, immature organs, and developing bodies and brains make their exposure proportionately greater and their ability to detoxify or mitigate certain toxics more difficult. Children are at a greater risk because of the way they live in, play with, and experience their environments.

Toxics are linked to asthma, developmental delays, learning disabilities, autism, autoimmune disorders such as lupus and cancer, and increased incidences of behavioral problems. Since children spend up to 65% of their time in school, you can improve their health through simple daily acts in your classroom and on campus.

There are three main routes of toxics exposure: inhalation, skin absorption, and ingestion. Breathing in fragrances or exhaust fumes from idling cars, touching or playing on surfaces that have been chemically treated, or ingesting contaminated food and water are common forms of exposure.

GREEN CLEANING

  • Choose natural hand soaps & wash hands frequently
  • No antibacterial hand soaps
  • No alcohol-based sanitizing gels or cleaners
  • Use disinfectants ONLY for body fluid spills
  • Use bio-based & biodegradable cleaning products labeled with GreenSeal® or EcoLogo® 
  • No products with chlorine-based ingredients
  • Wash surfaces with vinegar and water

AIR QUALITY CONTROL

  • Adopt a Fragrance-Free Agreement
  • No air fresheners, odor neutralizers, or scents
  • Ensure good classroom ventilation
  • Change/clean air filters regularly
  • Adopt a school-wide No-Idling Policy

CHEMICAL SAFETY

  • Use non-toxic classroom/art supplies
  • Avoid foods from Environmental Working Group’s Dirty 12
  • Share snacks and treats from Environmental Working Group’s Clean 15
  • Drink filtered water & encourage students to bring BPA-free reusable bottle
  • Don’t spray pesticides, insecticiedes, or herbicides on campus
  • Adopt Organic Pest Management & Turf Maintenance Practices

RESPONSIBLE TECHNOLOGY

  • Hard wire your tech
  • Avoid prolonged, close contact with wireless routers, laptop computers, chrome books, tablets & cellphones
  • Place all wireless devices in airplane mode when not in use
  • De-activite wifi modem connection when not in use
  • Don’t cluster children together with wireless devices

The Environmental Health Network is generously supported by  Jonas Children’s Environmental Health.

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