When we look back at 2014 we're inspired by the victories you helped us achieve, bringing our communities closer to #healthyhoods.

We remember:

1. Implementing 201 affordable housing units in Westside National City -- with groundbreaking scheduled in 2015.
   The leadership of Councilwoman Alejandra Sotelo-Solis and EHC Leader Adriana Alfaro were invaluable to this victory.
2. Launching the nation's first lead-free candy website.
   Children and toxics don't mix. Our lead free candy resource addresses your concerns and questions about keeping your children safe from lead in candy. 
3. Finalizing a Climate Plan for San Diego -- slated for approval in 2015!
   San Diego will finally have a climate plan that works towards cleaner air, transportation justice and green jobs. 
4. Uniting the Barrio Logan community for a community plan update.
   We are united and ready to continue fighting for community plan update that works towards #healthyhoods. 
5. Saving the Arroyo Alamar - united with our allies in Tijuana to prevent channelization.
   We were proud to organize Colectivo Ollín Calli, members of the Colectivo Chilpancingo Pro Justicia Ambiental, Jóvenes Pro Justicia Ambiental, residents of the Colonia Chilpancingo and more to submit a petition to stop channelization harmful to the local ecosystem.
6. Leading SALTA training in three languages for the first time.
   Leaders will now be prepared to organize their communities to fight for environmental justice in Vietnamese, Spanish and English. See SALTA graduate Tuan Luu’s reaction to graduating from SALTA. 
7. Transportation justice advocates advancing transit, bicycling and walking before freeway expansion.
   We’ve have shown city decision makers that our communities demand transportation plans that work for all types of commuters and keep our air clean. 
8. Port of San Diego finalizing its Climate Action Plan.
   The Port of San Diego’s Climate Action Plan prepares for unavoidable effects of climate change and a 25% reduction of air pollution by 2035 to keep our air clean. 
9. 400 people supporting #healthyhoods at EHC's Annual Awards Celebration.
   If you missed it, you can read about the accomplishments of our incredible awardees here. 
10. Launching the video-learning tool, Creating Healthy Neighborhoods, to inspire grassroots community change and build leaders.
    Don’t leave important decisions about your family’s health and safety in the hands of others. Reclaim your power, and help create the community you want to live in. Check out the video tool here.

Thank you for your dedication to environmental justice that makes these victories a reality. With your support, we look forward to continuing this momentum into 2015 and the years to come. To join Environmental Health Coalition, please click here.

We know voting is important, but we want to know why you vote. We asked some of our staff members, and now we want to hear it from you! Submit a short video to us on Facebook and Twitter and we'll share our favorites. Why do you vote?

The approach of the new year has us reflecting on the year we are about to leave. In 2013, we accomplished goals many years in the making, and we couldn't have done it without our staff, community leaders, volunteers, board members, sponsors and ally organizations.

Our greatest accomplishments include: 

• San Diego City Council approved the first update to the Barrio Logan Community Plan in over 30 years, developed over the past five years and over 50 community meetings.
• The City Council in National City approved the removal of two polluting businesses within 1,000 feet of Kimball Elementary School in Old Town, National City.
• We defeated two polluting power plants (Pio Pico, proposed for Otay Mesa, and Quail Brush, proposed next to Mission Trails.)
• We took action to restore and protect Arroyo Alamar in Tijuana. We stopped progress paving over the river and currently participate in developing a sustainable plan.
• The San Diego Unified Port District adopted a Climate Action Plan, charting a course of action to lower the Port's greenhouse gas emissions for the next two decades.
• We launched our new Membership Program. For as little as two dollars a month you can join other members empowering EHC to make a difference in our communities.
• We empowered community members to advocate for the causes effecting their neighborhoods and vote for leaders who will do the same.
• We earned exceptional media coverage of our work and our leaders.

With the tireless hard work and support of everyone involved with EHC, we celebrate these incredible victories for our communities. When we look at 2014, we see ourselves already on the path to success. Thank you for everything you have done to bring these achievements to fruition and for never giving up on our vision of social and environmental justice.

Happy Holidays, friends. Talk to you next year.

- EHC

"When I travel with my kids, I tell them they're seeing things I don't expect they'll see again in future because of the climate crisis."

This is what Professor Ralph Keeling— world-renowned climate scientist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography's CO2 Program— told the San Diego City Council regarding the state of our region's climate. Keeling shared insights from his research and startling statistics about what challenges lie ahead for San Diego.

With atmospheric CO2 levels at the highest Earth has seen in the past 800,000 years, Professor Keeling warned that San Diego will see at least 15 feet of sea level rise. He also predicted more intense heat waves, droughts, wildfires, and impaired air quality— all especially concerning for low-income communities such as Barrio Logan, Sherman Heights, City Heights and National City. Our communities already suffer the health consequences of the region's pollution and lack of resources such as healthcare, air conditioning and transportation, making it more challenging to cope with worsening conditions.

We have already seen climate change disproportionately impact our disadvantaged communities. During the state's heat wave of 2006, 99 percent of the associated deaths occurred in zip codes where more than half of residents were below the poverty line. The California Department of Public Health and the American Public Health Association have identified climate change as one of the most serious public health threats facing our nation, warning that the impacts are occurring sooner than expected.

San Diego can still tackle the great challenges of climate change, and the time to act is... yesterday! We have many solutions within our grasp to reduce pollution and create local jobs at the same time, such as installing solar panelson our rooftops and in our parking lots, making our buildings more energy and water efficient, building better transit and making neighborhoods more walkable and bikeable. The City of San Diego and the Port of San Diego have the opportunity to plan and implement all of these solutions by passing sustainable Climate Action Plans.

Old plans were not aggressive enough to keep up with the pace of climate change, and the Port of San Diego has yet to release a full draft of the plan it's been crafting for nearly three years. Meanwhile, our communities are already experiencing the effects of climate change. San Diegans deserve climate action plans that work, and they deserve them now.

Professor Keeling gave us hope that we still have a window of opportunity to stop the worst of climate change, but he warned that window is quickly closing. Hopefully his research and advice will urge City Council and the Port to take action equally as fast and aggressive as climate change. Stay tuned for more updates on the City and Port of San Diego's Climate Plan progress.

Our final post for May's Allergy Awareness Month features tips on how to prevent household mold from affecting your family's health by using natural cleaners.

Mold growth inside the home can be hazardous to your family’s health, causing allergic reactions, such as sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, asthma, and skin rash.  However, mold can be eliminated from your home using natural cleaners.

Baking soda is well known as a natural and safe household cleaner. Unlike other mold killers which contain harsh chemicals, baking soda is mild (pH of 8.1) and harmless to your family and any pets. Besides killing mold, baking soda also deodorizes and so using it can get rid of the smell mold leaves in your home. Baking soda also absorbs moisture to help keep mold away.

                How to Kill Mold with Baking Soda:

• Add ¼ tablespoon of baking soda to a spray bottle of water. Shake well.
• Spray moldy area with baking soda/water solution.
• Use a sponge or scrub brush to remove the mold from the surface.
• Once the mold is gone, rinse the area with water to remove the residual.
• Spray the area with the solution again and let dry. This will kill any left over mold and prevent it from returning.

Vinegar is often used along with baking soda when cleaning up a mold problem since vinegar kills different species of mold. Vinegar is a mild acid which can kill 82% of mold species. However it also has the advantages of being natural and safe. Vinegar is non-toxic and doesn't give off dangerous fumes like bleach does. If you want to use vinegar to prevent mold growing on surfaces just spray vinegar on the surface and leave it. Repeat this every few days to ensure the surface will stay mold-free.

Controlling the source of moisture inside the house is necessary to eliminate mold growth. Mold grows when air-born spores (invisible to the naked eye) land on a wet or damp surface. Indoor mold has potential to cause ill health effects resulting from inhalation. 

This story was originally published at blog.livingwithasthma.net on May 6, 2013.

Silvia León shared her story of asthma awareness and her son's asthma triggers in honor of World Asthma Day:

Asthma Story- I visit many families every month and I am able to hear personal stories about their children's asthma. Mostly all families are using bleach and many other household cleaning products to disinfect their homes. Most of the time families are not aware that using windex, bleach, ajax, comex, and many others can be asthma triggers. Our non-toxic kits and recommendations is an easy way to start to change the air quality of their home. The air that children breathe while inside their home is what is causing the asthma most of the time, because studies show that we spend about 80% of our time in our house. So if mommy used bleach to clean the strong smell, and/or other chemicals, kids breathe that in and it can cause an attack.

Asthma Tips- My son has asthma and his triggers have diminished greatly because I do the following:

• Use non-toxic cleaning products
• Throw their pillows in the dryer once a week
• Use aller-ease mattress covers
• Put baking soda on their bedroom carpet to absorb more dust than the vacuum alone can
• Throw stuffed animals in the dryer
• Open windows for ventilation
• Keep pets outside.
• I am very pro-active and informed. Information is the key!

For more information on Sylvia's efforts, please visit the following links:

Environmental Health Blog: Protecting Your Child From Asthma Attacks
Environmental Health Twitter
Environmental Health Healthy Kids Twitter

Brand new green bicycle lane installed in City Heights on 54th and University Ave.

The Active Transportation Manager at the City Heights Community Development Corporation (CDC), Randy Van Vleck, sent out an email on May 14th stating that the bike lanes on 54th Street had been upgraded with green paint. With his permission, we have reproduced his message with some minor adjustments:

For years, the intersection of 54th street and University Avenue in City Heights has been a major point of contention between cyclists and motorists. Although a bike lane exists, many accidents continued to occur at the northwest corner of this intersection.

Yet today, cyclists can commute safely on this road because City Heights has installed the city of San Diego's second-ever green bike lane. The additions to the existing bike lane include a fresh coat of green paint that alerts motorists to cyclists nearby with bike lane dashes in the conflict point of the intersection along with a "Yield to Bikes" sign with an image of a green bike lane.

The City installed the green bike lane last week in response to City Heights CDC's request on behalf of the City Heights Built Environment Team; a group of residents, along with Environmental Health Coalition, advocating for a health-supportive built environment. These changes signal a sigh of relief for BET members and residents alike who have been calling for action on behalf of a need for a improved safety at this intersection for 2.5 years.

We'd like to acknowledge everyone who stood alongside Environmental Health Coalition and the City Heights Built Environment Team in contributing in this effort:

-Residents of the 54th St & Uni Ave area-Mayor Filner and Bike Program Initiatives Manager Ed Clancy
-Councilmember Emerald and staff
-Traffic engineers Brian Genovese, Tom Landre, Linda Marabian, and Esmerelda White
-Bike SD Executive Director Samantha Ollinger
-Vien Dong market
-International Rescue Committee, Academia de Comunitario Liderazgo, Star Pal, Colina Park Neighborhood's First Initiative
-City Heights Area Planning Committee
-University Avenue Mobility Plan (54th St to 68th St) Working Group
-Media coverage: Megan Burks (Speak City Heights), Brian Myers (Media Arts Center), Adrian Florido (then with Voice of San Diego, now with KPBS), NBC

Still, the work here is not done— we need to make this intersection safe for everyone and reflect the consistency of the CA Complete Streets Act and new CA Highway Design Manual. Yet this green bike lane serves as a symbol of commitment to improve safety for active transportation at this intersection but to encourage it for years to come.

Part 2/2 in Protecting Your Child From Common Asthma Triggers

Reducing allergens and irritants that are common in homes is one way to help your child breathe easier. The second half of this blog series addresses pets, molds, and pests as asthma triggers in the home, and what you can do about them.

Pets

Your pet’s skin flakes, urine and saliva can be asthma triggers.

• Consider keeping pets outdoors or even finding a new home for pets, if necessary.
• Keep pets out of the bedroom and other sleeping areas at all times, and keep the door closed.
• Keep pets away from fabric-covered furniture, carpets, and stuffed toys.

Molds

Molds grow on damp materials. The key to mold control is moisture control. If mold is a problem in your home, get rid of both the mold and excess moisture. This will also help reduce other triggers, such as dust mites and cockroaches.

• Wash mold off hard surfaces and dry completely. Absorbent material may need to be replaced.
• Fix leaky plumbing or other sources of water.
• Keep drip pans in your air conditioner, refrigerator, and dehumidifier clean and dry.
• Use exhaust fans or open windows in kitchens and bathrooms when showering, cooking or using the dishwasher.
• Vent clothes dryers to outside of the home.
• Maintain low indoor humidity, ideally between 30-50% relative humidity. This can be measured by hygrometers which are available at local hardware stores.

Pests

Droppings or body parts of pests such as cockroaches or rodents can be asthma triggers.

• Do not leave food or garbage out
• Store food in airtight containers
• Clean all food crumbs or spills right away
• Try using insect baits, boric acid (for roaches), or traps first before using pesticide sprays

If sprays are used, limit the spray to the infested area and carefully follow the instructions on the label. Make sure there is plenty of fresh air when you spray, and keep anyone with asthma out of the room.

2013 Awards Celebration: A Healthy Kids Victory a Resounding Success

In 2013, we honored five heroes whose leadership led to major victories for healthy kids in San Diego. EHC's four Healthy Kids Champion Awards went to EHC Promotora Martha Cortes, the California Attorney General, San Diego Housing Commission and the Channel 10 Investigative News Team. A sold-out crowd at Marina Village Baja Room in Mission Bay paid homage to these honorees along with the 3rd Annal Donna Frye Spirit of Justice Award winner Dr. Gerald Markowitz, public health professor, author and activist. (Enough writing, skip to the photos.)

EHC's A Healthy Kids Victory extends its thanks to the sponors that made this event possible: EHC's Presenting Sponsor Pacifica Companies and Blue Summit Wealth Management, Bruce and Betsy Gill, Chatten-Brown and Carstens and the Briggs Law Corporation.

We're planning our next awards event. Please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for information. 

EHC's Healthy Kids Champion Awards honored:

• Sherman Heights Resident Martha Cortés

As a community leader for EHC since 1998, this "promotora" was a key spokesperson and activist for lead-safe candy initiatives that resulted in groundbreaking agreements between the U.S. and Mexico and that led to California's first lead-safe candy law, a first in the nation. She's now a community expert helping her neighbors create healthy homes by addressing mold, pesticides, carbon monoxide, and toxic household cleaners.

• California Attorney General

Following the 2005 California law banning the sale of lead-contaminated candy, the California Attorney General partnered with EHC to advance a lawsuit to force candy companies to immediately stop producing lead-contaminated candies. The suit resulted in a candy certification program that includes annual testing of candy and makes lead-free candy available in stores around the world.

• San Diego Housing Commission

A leader in ensuring lead-free homes for all families in San Diego, the San Diego Housing Commission has dedicated $30 million toward its program that has saved lives and prevented disease. In partnership with EHC, the Housing Commission's support has helped more than 1,500 homes become lead safe and given 3,000 children healthier living conditions.

• Channel 10 Investigative News Team

After EHC's advocacy efforts lead to the City of San Diego's adoption of the Children's Right to Lead Safe House Ordinance, the Channel 10 Investigative News Team went undercover to reveal the truth about compliance. Their investigation exposed disobedient rental homes and apartment complexes that continued to harm children's health.

• Dr. Gerald Markowitz

A national leader calling for corporate and government accountability to address the harmful affects of lead, Markowitz leant his expertise to EHC's effort to enact the Children's Right to Lead Safe Housing in San Diego. Markowitz' latest book is "Lead Wars: The Politics of Science and the Fate of America's Children reveals incisive examination of lead poisoning during the past half century."

 MESA TÉCNICA

Abril 2013

¿Cómo es que algo con un nombre tan frío como "mesa técnica" es tan importante para el corazón de una comunidad?

La familia y el arroyo 

Ana es madre de dos hijos, un niño que acaba de entrar a la primaria y un adolescente. Viven en una casa pequeña cerca del Arroyo Alamar. Los tres son integrantes de la campaña del la frontera de Environmental Health Coalition. Ella pertenece al Colectivo Chilpancingo Pro Justicia Ambiental y sus hijos al grupo de jóvenes.

Por años han sido testigos, junto a toda la comunidad, de cómo el impacto por la contaminación y el crecimiento que genera la industria maquiladora han ido deteriorando el arroyo. Y más ahora con el proyecto de canalización del Alamar que está revistiendo de concreto el lecho del arroyo.

El Arroyo Alamar significa, para ellos y para muchas otras familias que viven cerca, una gran posibilidad de mitigar la contaminación por la maquiladora y el paso de los traileres que le sirven a esta industria. Es por esta razón que, desde hace ya varios meses, con EHC, el Colectivo y muchas otras ONG's, habían estado buscando la oportunidad de sentarse con las dependencias de gobierno encargadas del proyecto y encontrar una manera más sustentable de hacer el encauzamiento y la construcción de la vialidades que acompañan a dicho proyecto.

 La mesa técnica

En la casa de Ana y su familia, por generaciones la mesa del comedor ha significado el punto de encuentro de la familia, donde se nutre el cuerpo y se conectan todas las historias de chicos y grandes. Ahora la "Mesa Técnica del Arroyo Alamar" significa punto de encuentro entre gobierno, comunidad y organizaciones civiles, donde se nutre la posibilidad de mejorar la calidad de vida para las comunidades.

Recientemente se ha logrado consolidar la participación de la Secretaria de Protección al Ambiente del Estado como coordinador de la mesa técnica y se tiene la esperanza de que el tema suba a nivel regional, integrando a funcionarios y comunidad de ambos lados de la frontera, ya que el Arroyo Alamar, aunque está dentro de México, nace y termina en suelo norteamericano.

Aníbal Méndez Martínez
Organizador Comunitario