Dear Friends of PSR Philadelphia / Pennsylvania,

We thank you for your long-standing and dedicated support !

May 9, 2019
PSR Philadelphia / PA Events
#1: Webinar: Public Health Impacts of a Just Transition
Date: Tuesday, May 14th. 7:00-8:00pm
Location: Online Webinar

PSR Philadelphia is happy to invite you to this joint webinar
with our friends at EQAT!

How can a just transition to renewable energy save lives and improve health? In this webinar, learn from Physicians for Social Responsibility’s Pouné Saberi and POWER’s Anthony Giancatarino about the need for a just transition and how it could not only improve the health of the climate, but the health of our communities.

Register online at: eqat.org/healthwebinar
Dr. Pouné Saberi
MD, MPH, President, Board of Directors, Physicians for Social Responsibility has been a doctor for 15 years currently specializing in Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Her work focuses on health impacts of fossil fuels and climate change, and health benefits of transitioning to clean renewable energy sources.



Anthony Giancatarino
project fellow on Just Community Energy Transitions (JCET) housed at the Movement Strategy Innovation Center. He partners with local leaders to support organizing efforts, strategic planning, alignment building, and community-driven policy solutions that seek to transition away from extractive policies, practices, and spaces towards a more rooted and regenerative energy economy.
#2: CodeRed PA - Gun Violence Policy Work Group Meeting
Healthcare providers, organizations and individuals have formed a coalition to address gun violence policy in Pennsylvania. PSR PA and PHMC co-chair this work group and invite you to attend the next meeting in Philadelphia - Read More
Tuesday June 11, 9:00-10:30am .
Please email: [email protected] for more information on how to participate.
#3: Soul of Medicine 2019!
Save the Date: The 15th Annual Soul of Medicine Brunch
will be October 6 th

Medical students and seasoned clinicians will share stories that have inspired and challenged them at our 15th Soul of Medicine Brunch.

Join us to celebrate and award 4 th year medical students in the region who best exemplifies humanism and compassion in medicine.
Updates on PSR
PSR Philadelphia at:
Faith & Spiritual Affairs Conference: Health Justice
This year's Faith and Spirituality Conference focused on Health Justice. In that vein both, Dr. Walter Tsou and Tammy Murphy of PSR Philadelphia presented. They spoke at the "Improving Philadelphia's Environmental Policy" session where the affects of the nearly completed SEPTA natural gas generator in Nicetown and the potential health affects on nearby residents if it becomes operational

Tammy Murphy , Medical Advocacy Director, PSR Philadelphia/Pennsylvania (below right) coordinated and facilitated the panel discussion and presented how the proposed power plant in Nicetown is an example of environmental racism using interactive audience participation in a poster presentation. 

Dr. Walter Tsou , Executive Director, PSR Philadelphia/ Pennsylvania (below left) discussed the changes needed at Philadelphia's Air Management Services (AMS) and the Health Department in terms of the permitting process from the perspective of a former Health Commissioner. 

Mimi McKenzie , Legal Director, Public Interest Law Center (PILC) who represented the work of Ebony Griffin counsel at the Public Interest Law Center, presented a look at the cumulative impacts of pollutants with a holistic view; compliance without consideration for the community; how current regulations allow for the environmental racism to exist, how it happens, and how PILC is advocating for change in this area.  

Anthony Giancatarino , Senior Policy Fellow at POWER presented an interactive demonstration of the need and value for community-driven planning processes to avoid replicating the practices and harms of environmental racism; and how about these community processes can help build out a new energy future that protects our constitutional right to clean air and pure water. 
We are Growing!
PSR PA is happy to announce that we have hired a new office manager to help with our ongoing programs. Grant Maxfield started with us this April and comes to PSR PA with a diverse background in non-profit and political work with experience in development, operations, and programs. Grant jumped right in and is pictured below helping our Board President, Dr. Pouné Saberi table at the BioPhily 5 Conference. We are excited to see what we can accomplish with Grant on the team.
Community Events
Join GunSenseUs for a presentation: Why are Extreme Risk Laws Important?
Guest Speaker, Marybeth Christiansen , the co-state lead of Moms Demand Action in PA will educate residents on the importance of these laws. Marybeth will also discuss the history of these laws, where they have been enacted and what results have been seen in states that have them.
When: Wednesday, May 15th at 7:15pm
Where: Old Schoolhouse - St. Paul's UCC 101 Worthington Road, Exton PA
Join PSR Harrisburg for a field trip to the Harrisburg Peace Garden and the State Museum on Saturday July 20 th .
For more information email Dr. Robert Little
Let us know what you think!
Coincident with PSR’s increased focus on the public health impact of climate change, fossil fuel infrastructure and the push for renewable energy, we have had more substantial discussion on the need for a more statewide environmental health focus. We have two active chapters of PSR in Harrisburg and Philadelphia and we are beginning talks of merging to create a larger PSR Pennsylvania chapter. The salient discussion at the January board meeting focused on expanding PSR across the state and we are interested in hearing more from our supporters and interested parties on this topic . If you would like to send us your thoughts, please contact us at [email protected] .
Current News
Renewable Energy Rules in the News:

Do Renewable Portfolio Standards Deliver? A study recently conducted by the University of Chicago called into question the efficacy of state level renewable energy mandates, or Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS). Having been enacted in 29 states and the District Columbia, the research looked at the costs these initiative impose on consumers. They mainly found that cost estimates in the RPS's significantly exceeded the marginal operational costs of renewables, and more so that estimated reductions in carbon emissions were imprecise. However, critics have pointed out that the data used for this study, analyzing costs through 2015, is out dated and since then both wind and solar energy costs have significantly decreased. Click here to read more!
Solar in the News:

  1. A new study by Zillow shows adding solar panels increases a home's value by an average of 4.1%, or $9,274 on the median home. That increase in home value offsets over 70% of the post federal incentive installation price, $12,810. And that return is before any state/local incentives or the lower cost of utility bills are even considered.
  2. Tesla has announced reduced prices on their solar panels. These price cuts mean panels could be fully installed at below $2 per watt. That is 16% lower than the current national average!
  3. Philadelphia is reopening the Solarize Philly Program to help home owners install solar panels. This year's version of the program includes extra help for low income residents! The program's official website is solarizephilly.org
Nuclear in the News:

Three Mile Island nuclear power plant is set to close later this year . The plant is famous for the worst Nuclear accident in US history, read more here . However, its closure does represent the potential of higher carbon emissions for Pennsylvania as nuclear energy is the state's largest source of carbon free energy and the lost electricity will most likely be replaced with Liquid Natural Gas, read more here .

Publis hed: May 9, 2019