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September E-News |
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Included in this edition:
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Texas PSR Leads Health Professionals to Port Arthur |
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In early August, Texas PSR, in collaboration with the Medical Society Consortium for Climate and Health and the Port Arthur Community Action Network, led a group of 25 health professionals on a two-day environmental justice trip to Port Arthur. The group, comprised of physicians, nurses, and healthcare students, explored the adverse health effects of fossil fuel refining and engaged with the local community through education and service.
During the trip, participants toured Port Arthur’s petrochemical refineries, dined with community leaders, and hosted a community health fair at the West Side Development Center. They learned about advocacy opportunities in the ongoing fight to prevent new fossil fuel infrastructure in Texas Gulf communities already burdened by pollution.
At the health fair, community members received vital sign checks, education on managing diabetes and reducing cancer risk, consultations with healthcare navigators from the Gulf Coast Health Center for access to services, and immunizations provided by the Port Arthur Health Department. Attendees also received gift cards and backpacks containing hurricane safety kits.
We are proud to have facilitated this impactful event and extend our gratitude to all the dedicated health professionals who joined us. We look forward to organizing more initiatives like this in other communities in the future!
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Why Port Arthur?
Port Arthur was chosen for the trip to give participants firsthand experience of life in a community heavily impacted by industrial pollution. Many of Port Arthur’s predominantly African American and Hispanic residents live next to three major oil refining facilities: North America’s largest refinery, Motiva; the Valero Refinery, which ranks third in the U.S. for potential chronic negative health impacts according to EPA data; and the TotalEnergies Refinery and PetroChemical Plant, which released 400,000 pounds of toxic materials into the air in 2022. Additionally, Port Arthur hosts the sixth largest sulfur dioxide emitter in Texas, Oxbow Calcining (owned by Bill Koch), and the Veolia Port Arthur incinerator, the largest of its kind among Veolia’s 15 facilities, handling hazardous waste, including forever chemicals, military waste, and dioxins.
ProPublica reports that the risk of contracting an industrial-related cancer in Port Arthur is 1 in 53, which is 190 times higher than what the EPA considers acceptable. While many people may know someone who has battled cancer, in Port Arthur, the list of friends and colleagues lost to cancers—such as breast, prostate, lung, bladder, and colon cancers, as well as leukemia and lymphoma—is alarmingly long. John Beard Jr., leader of the Port Arthur Community Action Network, describes Port Arthur as a “sacrifice zone” for the oil and gas industry, where the relentless pursuit of profit comes at the expense of the health and safety of local workers and residents.
Compounding the challenges of severe pollution, Port Arthur also faces significant barriers to accessing effective medical care. Over 25 percent of its residents are low-income, and more than 28 percent lack health insurance, leaving many without the necessary resources for proper medical treatment.
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2023/24 Environmental Health Webinar Recordings |
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Our live webinars, in collaboration with UT Health School of Public Health and the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments, were attended by over 200 participants, many of whom took advantage of the free CME's provided for the 9 live sessions we held. Now 6 of those webinars are available on Youtube!
Click on the name of the webinar below to watch! How Climate Change Affects Cancer Adding Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change to Your Medical Practice Climate Change Child Health and Our Role as Healthcare Providers Air Pollution and Human Health: A Texan Volunteer as the Case Study How to Prepare for the Unexpected: Disaster Preparation for Healthcare Professionals Climate Change and Mental Health: What to Know and What to Do
Stay tuned for announcements of our 2025 CME webinar series. |
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You're Invited! Gun Violence Prevention Forum |
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Texas PSR is a proud co-sponsor of Texas Doctors for Social Responsibility's Gun Violence Prevention Forum on September 27, 2024. You are able to attend In-Person or Online! The in-person location is the Capitol Legislative Auditorium in Austin. Topics include gun safety education, firearm violence statistics from Dr. Archie Bleyer, and strategies to advance gun violence prevention via legislation. Youth advocates and families impacted by firearm violence will also be presenting. View the full agenda and sign up here. |
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Welcome Texas PSR's Student Chapter at McGovern! |
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Texas PSR is excited to welcome our first official student chapter! With a long history of engaging emerging health professionals, our board recently approved a policy to authorize student PSR chapters at health professional schools in Texas. These chapters receive support from our members and staff, and can nominate a leader to serve on the state chapter board. Supporting the next generation of health professionals aligns with our mission to promote health and protect the environment. By empowering students to lead and advocate on issues like climate change, nuclear disarmament, and public health, we help cultivate the skills and passion needed for meaningful change. Our student chapters will be vital hubs for education, advocacy, and community engagement, amplifying the voices of future health leaders. We look forward to working with these dedicated students as they grow into influential advocates in their fields.
Below is a note from the new McGovern Student Chapter Officers: We are a group of medical students at McGovern Medical School that resonated with Texas PSR’s mission to use the expertise of medical professionals to help build a healthier, safer, and more sustainable Texas. As the future health leaders of our communities, we believe we hold a duty to lend our first-hand experience of what is ailing our communities to those responsible for protecting them with policy. Our goal as a new student chapter of PSR is to provide medical students passionate about advocacy and environmental health with the tools and opportunities needed to get involved. To this end, we will be hosting a voter registration drive in the McGovern Medical School building weekly through the month of September to help lower the barriers to civic participation for workers and students of the TMC. Additionally, we are planning an environmental health lecture series to provide students with opportunities to interface with medical leaders on environmental topics relevant to Texas.
Interested in starting a student chapter at your health professional school? Email our Executive Director, Marj Plumb DrPH, at Director@texaspsr.org. |
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Get-Out-The-Vote: How Health Professionals Can Make a Difference |
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There are many ways for health professionals to get involved in get-out-the-vote efforts! Below we are highlighting three great ways to take part in get out the vote efforts between now and election day.
Environmental Voter Project: Get involved by contacting voters who view the environment as their number one priority but don't have a strong history of turning out to vote.
Vote Forward: Write letters to voters
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Are you interested in learning more, or getting involved in local actions to prevent the growing threat that nuclear weapons pose to our health and environment? Let us know of your interest and we'll be in touch! Fill out this quick form or email our Executive Director at Director@TexasPSR.org. |
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Give to Texas PSR |
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We do so much with so little, imagine what we could do |
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To mail your contribution to us, please send a check to our new mailing address: Texas PSR, 3571 Far West Blvd. #3428 Austin, TX 78731 As a registered non-profit under section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code, all donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. |
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