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Desikan A, MacKinney T, Kalman C, Carter JM, Reed G, Goldman GT. An equity and environmental justice assessment of anti-science actions during the Trump administration. J Public Health Policy 2023; 44:147-162. [PMID: 36737622 PMCID: PMC9896454 DOI: 10.1057/s41271-022-00390-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
In the United States, science shapes federal health and safety protections, but political officials can and do politicize federal science and science-based safeguards. Many presidential administrations have politicized science, but under the administration of President Trump, these attacks on science-such as buried research, censored scientists, halted data collection-increased in number to unprecedented levels. Underserved communities bore the brunt of the harms. Such attacks disproportionately harm Black, Indigenous, low-income communities, and communities of color, all of whom have long been burdened by pollution exposure and other stressors. We analyze the effects on underserved communities of the Trump administration's anti-science environmental and public health policy actions and offer policy recommendations for current and future administrations. Our goal is to strengthen scientific integrity, prioritize health disparity research, and meaningfully engage affected communities in federal rulemaking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Desikan
- Center for Science and Democracy, Union of Concerned Scientists, Washington, DC, USA.
| | - Taryn MacKinney
- Center for Science and Democracy, Union of Concerned Scientists, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Casey Kalman
- Center for Science and Democracy, Union of Concerned Scientists, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jacob M Carter
- Center for Science and Democracy, Union of Concerned Scientists, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Genna Reed
- Center for Science and Democracy, Union of Concerned Scientists, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Gretchen T Goldman
- Center for Science and Democracy, Union of Concerned Scientists, Washington, DC, USA
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6
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Sullivan M, Fredrickson L, Sellers C. The EPA's Commitment to Children's Environmental Health: History and Current Challenges. Am J Public Health 2022; 112:124-134. [PMID: 34936388 PMCID: PMC8713602 DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2021.306537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Children's environmental health (CEH) has a 25-year history at the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), during which the agency has advanced CEH through research, policy, and programs that address children's special vulnerability to environmental harm. However, the Trump administration took many actions that weakened efforts to improve CEH. The actions included downgrading or ignoring CEH concerns in decision-making, defunding research, sidelining the Children's Health Protection Advisory Committee, and rescinding regulations that were written in part to protect children. To improve CEH, federal environmental statutes should be reviewed to ensure they are sufficiently protective. The administrator should ensure the EPA's children's health agenda encompasses the most important current challenges and that there is accountability for improvement. Guidance documents should be reviewed and updated to be protective of CEH and the federal lead strategy refocused on primary prevention. The Office of Children's Health Protection's historically low funding and staffing should be remedied. Finally, the EPA should update CEH data systems, reinvigorate the role of the Children's Health Protection Advisory Committee, and restore funding for CEH research that is aligned with environmental justice and regulatory decision-making needs. (Am J Public Health. 2022;112(1):124-134. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306537).
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne Sullivan
- Marianne Sullivan is with the Department of Public Health, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ. Leif Fredrickson is with the Department of History, University of Montana, Missoula. Chris Sellers is with the Department of History, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
| | - Leif Fredrickson
- Marianne Sullivan is with the Department of Public Health, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ. Leif Fredrickson is with the Department of History, University of Montana, Missoula. Chris Sellers is with the Department of History, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
| | - Chris Sellers
- Marianne Sullivan is with the Department of Public Health, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ. Leif Fredrickson is with the Department of History, University of Montana, Missoula. Chris Sellers is with the Department of History, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
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8
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Woolhandler S, Himmelstein DU, Ahmed S, Bailey Z, Bassett MT, Bird M, Bor J, Bor D, Carrasquillo O, Chowkwanyun M, Dickman SL, Fisher S, Gaffney A, Galea S, Gottfried RN, Grumbach K, Guyatt G, Hansen H, Landrigan PJ, Lighty M, McKee M, McCormick D, McGregor A, Mirza R, Morris JE, Mukherjee JS, Nestle M, Prine L, Saadi A, Schiff D, Shapiro M, Tesema L, Venkataramani A. Public policy and health in the Trump era. Lancet 2021; 397:705-753. [PMID: 33581802 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(20)32545-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Steffie Woolhandler
- Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David U Himmelstein
- School of Urban Public Health, City University of New York at Hunter College, New York, NY, USA; Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Sameer Ahmed
- Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program, Harvard Law School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zinzi Bailey
- Medical Oncology Division, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Mary T Bassett
- Francois-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Jacob Bor
- School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David Bor
- Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Olveen Carrasquillo
- Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | | | | | - Samantha Fisher
- Program for Global Public Health and the Common Good, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Adam Gaffney
- Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sandro Galea
- School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Kevin Grumbach
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Gordon Guyatt
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence & Impact and Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Helena Hansen
- Research Theme in Translational Social Science and Health Equity, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Philip J Landrigan
- Program for Global Public Health and the Common Good, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | | | - Martin McKee
- Department of Health Services Research & Policy, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Danny McCormick
- Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alecia McGregor
- Department of Community Health, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - Reza Mirza
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Juliana E Morris
- Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine and Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joia S Mukherjee
- Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA; Partners in Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marion Nestle
- Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Linda Prine
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Altaf Saadi
- Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Davida Schiff
- Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA; Division of General Academic Pediatrics, MassGeneral Hospital for Children, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Martin Shapiro
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lello Tesema
- Department of Public Health, Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Atheendar Venkataramani
- Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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11
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Bantol KEA, Brumberg HL, Shah SI, Javier JR. Perspectives from the Society for Pediatric Research: contaminants of water and children's health: Can we do better? Pediatr Res 2020; 88:535-543. [PMID: 32470969 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-020-0985-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Revised: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Children are uniquely susceptible to the health consequences of water contamination. In this review, we summarize the existing, robust literature supporting the importance of examining specific water contaminants (i.e., lead, pesticides, nitrates, arsenic, perchlorate) and the routes of contamination in the United States and globally. We also discuss the health effects of exposure to contaminated water and significant disparities related to access to clean water. Lastly, we offer strategies for prevention and intervention-including those focused on the individual patient level-and review the current US policy framework pertaining to regulation of these toxicants. IMPACT: A key message in this article is that exposure to water contaminants have serious and long-lasting consequences on children's health. This review summarizes current existing literature and adds policy recommendations supporting clean water for children. Information from this review has two potential impacts: Guide health professionals in screening and/or treating children's health problems resulting from water contaminant exposure. Guide policy makers in using evidence-based approaches to improve water quality and clean water access.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamil Evy A Bantol
- Division of General Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Heather L Brumberg
- New York Medical College, Maria Fareri Children's Hospital at Westchester Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shetal I Shah
- New York Medical College, Maria Fareri Children's Hospital at Westchester Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joyce R Javier
- Division of General Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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