The Clean Energy Justice Convergence

by Linnea Bond

From Sept 20th-23rd, PSR PA joined impacted community members, grassroots organizations, and indigenous land defenders in Pittsburgh for the Clean Energy Justice Convergence, a series of events and protests in solidarity with people around the world working to advance truly clean energy justice and calling on leaders to hasten the break from fossil fuels and the false solutions that will allow fossil fuel companies to continue extracting. Alongside a student-led climate strike and a press conference spotlighting indigenous voices, PSR PA and local organizers offered tours of the steel, petrochemical, and methane gas industries that have taken a heavy health toll on southwestern PA residents.

Continue Reading on our blog.

Climate Action Campaigns' Solutions for Pollution Pennsylvania Kick Off Event

On Tuesday September 20th, Marie DeMarco, Health Educator and Medical Advocacy Coordinator at PSR PA, was invited to speak about her work on the health outcomes of Oil and Gas Drilling in Pennsylvania at the Climate Action Campaign Solutions for Pollution Pennsylvania Campaign launch. This event took place at Philadelphia’s City Hall with several council members, faith leaders and health advocates in attendance. Marie discussed the amazing work done by PSR PA and was able to connect with partner organizations, Climate Action Campaign, EHN, and PennFuture to hear about their work towards climate justice. Also, in attendance were individuals who shared how their communities have been exposed to methane emissions and the impact to their health and our climate. 

The Solutions for Pollution Campaign calls on the Biden Administration to carry out responsibility for environmental laws by advancing 20 protections across federal agencies that could reduce climate pollution by 50% by 2030.

Learn more on the Climate Action Campaign's website.

We've Moved!

A few months ago the post office that housed PSR PA's secure mailing location closed. The USPS forwarded the mail to a new location which caused delays and disappearances. If you have had mail returned, or have sent checks to us that have not been processed please contact us at info@psrpa.org.

Because of the disruption in service we have decided to move our mailing address to better serve our constituents.

PSR PA's mailing address has changed to:

       1735 Market Street

       Suite A # 510

       Philadelphia, PA 19103

Our phone number, office address, and all social media and electronic contacts remain the same.

Thank you for your understanding, patience and updating your contact for us!

Pitt School Of Public Health, PA Dept Of Health Abruptly Pull Out Of Public Meeting They Helped Convene

At The Last Minute, The Institutions Backed Out Of A Public Meeting About Their Own Studies On The Link Between Natural Gas Development and Childhood Cancer Rates. The Meeting Will Still Take Place, And The Health Studies Are Still Ongoing.

by Lisa DePaoli

Washington, PA – Three years ago, a group of parents whose children have been affected by rare cancers, including Ewing sarcoma, asked the PA Department of Health to investigate childhood cancers being diagnosed at disproportionately high rates in Southwestern Pennsylvania, where shale gas drilling, fracking, and infrastructure buildout have occurred.

Continue reading on our blog.

The Titans of Plastic

Pennsylvania becomes the newest sacrifice zone for America’s plastic addiction.

by Kristina Marusic

“The Titans of Plastic,” was recently published by Environmental Health News.

The piece explores what this means for the environment and climate globally, while also shining a light on the health impacts at every step of plastics manufacturing—from the drilling of fracking wells, to the construction of pipelines, to spilled plastic nurdles and emissions of toxic chemicals from petrochemical plants themselves.



During the summer of 2018, two of the largest cranes in the world towered over the Ohio River. The bright-red monoliths were brought in by the multi-national oil and gas company Shell to build an approximately 800-acre petrochemical complex in Potter Township, Pennsylvania—a community of about 500 people. In the months that followed, the construction project would require remediating a brownfield, rerouting a highway, and constructing an office building, a laboratory, a fracked-gas power plant, and a rail system for more than 3,000 freight cars.

Continue reading on the Environmental Health News website.

When: October 20th, 6 to 7 PM

Where: Register Now!

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

The reflectivity of snow and ice at the poles, known as the albedo effect, is one of Earth’s most important cooling mechanisms. But global warming has reduced this reflectivity drastically, setting off a dangerous warming loop: as more Arctic ice and snow melt, the albedo effect decreases, warming the Arctic further, and melting more ice and snow. The volume of Arctic ice has already shrunk 75% In the past 40 years, and scientists predict that the Arctic Ocean will be completely ice-free during the summer months by the end of the century.

The panelists are: Joellen Russell, PhD, Thomas R. Brown Distinguished Chair of Integrative Science and Professor at the University of Arizona in the Department of Geosciences; and Sarah Zhou Rosengard, PhD, Assistant Professor of Environmental Chemistry, School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Moderated by Pouné Saberi, MD, MPH

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

Climate Emergency Film Club Part III: Atmosphere Watch Here

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