DECEMBER 10, 2024
Dear Friends:
As health advocates, we strive to prevent what we cannot cure, and we can still protect health at local and state levels, despite the new federal administration’s threats to cut environmental protection funding. One of SF Bay PSR’s most impactful efforts is to protect the health of our communities and climate by advocating for policies that would reduce air pollution. The Bay Area has the fifth worst annual particulate levels in the nation (p. 18), and “people of color were 2.3 times as likely as white people to live in a county with 3 failing grades” in air quality.
We welcome you to join our efforts and make a year-end gift! Together, we can ensure California is resilient. Please GIVE HERE TODAY to help us reach our year-end goal of $30,000! Thank You!
How do we do this work? For example, just last week we organized a striking turn-out of white coats, health professionals, to make public comments at the Bay Area Air District in support of the first-in-the-nation rules to phase in zero-emission water and space heaters. An Air District board member told us that our health professionals had a big impact!
These rules are expected to help prevent 15,000 asthma symptom incidents and avoid up to 85 premature deaths every year, and save an estimated $890 million annually in ER visits skipped, lost days of work and school avoided, and family members’ lives extended. These rules would greatly improve health equity and of course, help to protect our climate. Left: Drs. Mary Williams, Bret Andrews, Margie Chen, and CHN colleague Dr. Wendy Bernstein.
In the coming year, we will be laser-focused on the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to encourage their timely implementation of similar ZE appliance rules, and to support the creation of indoor air pollution standards; our work includes a new partnership with UCLA to study indoor air pollution in lower-income homes.
Our Building Electrification program created and distributed health- and equity-focused information to educate about the benefits of electrification. In 2025, we will expand our community outreach through our collaboration with the San Francisco Environment Climate Equity Hub and a series of workshops developed in partnership with the Bayview Hunters Point Community Advocates, ensuring that environmental justice communities benefit from the transition to electric buildings. Left: Bailey Ward, Julie Lindow, Crystal Loucel, and Bret Andrews.
SF Bay PSR/ANHE Fellow Crystal Loucel, RN, was interviewed on Telemundo TV about the health benefits of portable heat pumps for heating and cooling homes. Also, she gave several presentations on how to prevent indoor air pollution and translated community materials into Spanish. In 2025, we hope to expand our Spanish-language presentations and materials. Watch the Telemundo segment here!
Dr. Bret Andrews, on the left, led our efforts to pass a Gas Stove Health Warning Label bill, which made it all the way to Governor Newsom’s desk propelled by testimony by SF Bay PSR members and colleagues to California legislators, based on our close work with CALPIRG in organizing a health professional letter, op-eds, and other focused outreach. We have already met with our colleagues at CALPIRG to begin to address the Governor’s veto message with a new bill to be introduced in 2025.
READ MORE about our efforts to fight air pollution, and the impact your contributions made in our 2024 Accomplishments here.
Together, we have the strength to resist. THANK YOU for being part of our growing community of medical and public health professionals, scientists, health and community advocates, staff and consultants.
Please help us reach our goal of $30,000. We are about half-way there!
GIVE here today! THANK YOU!
Or, if you prefer to mail your contribution to us, please send a check to SF Bay PSR, 548 Market Street, #90725, San Francisco, CA 94104. Any amount that you donate will be much appreciated and used well!
If you find it more cost effective to donate stock, please reach out to our Executive Director Marj Plumb to arrange for that transfer at director@sfbaypsr.org
Also, please keep your eyes out for our year-end fundraising postcard. To conserve resources and reduce costs, we are sending postcards instead of letters this year.
Peace and gratitude,
Robert M. Gould, MD, President
Tova Fuller, MD, PhD, Vice President
Marj Plumb, DrPH, Executive Director
