PSR PA News & Blogs
Celebrating a Win for Pennsylvanians and the Climate
PSR PA Supports Statewide Home Repairs and Weatherization Program

On July 8, 2022, the Pennsylvania Legislature passed the 2022–2023 state budget, including a $125-million appropriation to create the first-of-its-kind Whole-Home Repairs Program, seeded with federal funding from the American Rescue Plan.

The creation of this program represents a major win for Pennsylvanians, thanks to the leadership of Senator Saval, who authored the program, and a diverse coalition of organizations and individuals across the state. PSR PA proudly lent its voice in advocacy for the program’s objectives, underscoring the health challenges that the program aims to address including home-related asthma triggers, safety issues related to improper heating, and mold due to water damage.

Continue reading on PSR PA's blog.
Four Actions to Address Climate Change from USCAN's June Annual Meeting
By Dr. Walter Tsou

PSR PA is one of over 190 US based environmental justice groups who are members of the US Climate Action Network (USCAN) dedicated to fight climate change in a just and equitable way. Our own Tammy Murphy, Medical Advocacy Director and Walter Tsou, MD, PSR board member represented us at their June Annual Meeting in Charlotte, NC.

The major outcome of the meeting is to create four Action Teams where the many grassroots environmental groups can collectively work on goals that have broad impact on climate change.
Continue reading on our blog.
PSR's Health Report on Hydrogen Blending

Hydrogen blending is being pushed by the fossil fuel industry in many states, but it is a false solution. PSR's health report on hydrogen blending tells you why.

Among its main points:

  • Gas utilities are hyping a blend of hydrogen with methane ("natural" or "fracked") gas to burn in our stoves and furnaces. It's a bad idea: dangerous in the home, bad for the climate.
  • Blending hydrogen with methane perpetuates our use of methane, which is a highly potent greenhouse gas: over 80 times more powerful a heat-trapper than carbon dioxide over its first 20 years in the atmosphere.
  • Hydrogen also means more nitrogen dioxide emissions in our homes, since burning methane emits this harmful gas. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) damages the lungs: it contributes to the development of asthma, can increase asthma symptoms, and increases susceptibility to respiratory infections.

There is plenty more in the report, continue reading here.
Upcoming PSR PA Events
Town Hall Meeting
When: Sunday, July 31, 2022, 1-3PM
Where: The Settlers Inn, 4 Main Ave, Hawley, PA 18428

PSR PA and Action Together NEPA invite you to participate in a Town Hall Meeting on Saturday July 31 to discuss the health of our community and protecting air, water, and soil quality from the impact of fracking.
Climate Emergency Film Club: Atmosphere
When: September 15, 6 to 7 PM
Where: Register Now!

Join Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania for the second of five intriguing panel discussions as we delve into the Climate Emergency: Feedback Loops.

Global warming is altering Earth’s weather patterns dramatically. A warmer atmosphere absorbs more water vapor, which in turn traps more heat and warms the planet further in an accelerating feedback loop. Climate change is also disrupting the jet stream, triggering a feedback loop that brings warm air northward, and causes weather patterns to stall in place for longer.

Physician CME: this activity is approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Pharmacy CEU: this program is approved for 1 CEU (1 hour). ACPE # 0097-9999-21-023-H04-P. Nurses who attend will receive a certificate for 1 hour at the conclusion of the program. Pharmacy and Nursing credit is only available for individuals with a Pennsylvania license.
Past Events

COP 27: A Regional Response to Climate Action, Health, and Equity Watch Here

Climate Emergency Film Club Part II: Permafrost Watch Here

Climate Emergency Film Club Part I: Introduction Watch Here

Asthma Awareness Month: Clean Stoves, Healthy Families: How Indoor Air Affects Childhood Asthma Confirmation. Watch Here
Meet Our Team
Briana Nicholas is the Bookkeeper and Grant Associate at PSR PA. With a background in both labor and non profits, she understands the need for resources and financial management to ensure that organizations can run and people can be advocated for. 
Emily Baer joined PSR PA as the Communications and Development Coordinator. Emily is passionate about social and environmental justice, as well as bettering the communities around her.. She believes that through relationship building and inspiration, everyone can step up and make a difference.
What PSR PA Supports
PSR PA supports a number of actions throughout the year. Below are a few of the recent letters we've signed on to. Please click the titles to see the full letter.
Have questions or suggestions for PSR PA? Email us at info@psrpa.org.