Tag Archives: health

How Online Collaboration Can Help Environmental Justice Groups Succeed

Environmental justice organizations in the United States often have limited resources. An article in AlterNet critiqued the environmental movement’s tendency to fund large organizations at the expense of supporting grassroots groups; this may be part of the reason that environmental … Continue reading

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How Infographics Communicate

A wave of infographics has hit the Internet. In this sea of visual information, how can one decide what differentiates a good infographic from a bad one? How can you decide whether or not to make an infographic of your … Continue reading

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“Data Day” Conference Shows the Power of Numbers

There’s power in numbers. That was the consensus in the workshops I visited this Friday at the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission’s Data Day in Boston. The name “Data Day” may not conjure up visions of dramatic reversals of public policy. But the … Continue reading

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Boston Green Scoop Profile: Joel Wool, GreenDorchester

Joel Wool is an organizer at GreenDorchester. GreenDorchester’s recent and/or seed projects include DotBike, a summer farmers’ market, the Dorchester Community Co-op, the Dorchester Winter Farmers’ Market, the TNT Greenspace Master Plan, and urban agriculture. How did you become involved … Continue reading

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Public Health Catches the Wave of Coca-Cola Distribution

In a stopgap solution to an international health crisis, a program called ColaLife is about to use Coca-Cola’s distribution system to bring digestive medicine to places in sub-Saharan Africa where one can buy Coca-Cola but not basic medicines. “One in … Continue reading

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The Health Cost of Black Women’s Hair Products

There is a striking lack of mainstream news coverage of the health hazards posed by beauty products, such as hair relaxers and skin lighteners, that are commonly used by black women. African-American women spend more on beauty products than white … Continue reading

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Climate Change Is Not an Apocalypse

An enlightening article in the Wall Street Journal informed me and other readers that belief in climate change is a religion. This was news to me. Most religious beliefs – including the prophecy that the world will end in 2012 – … Continue reading

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How Majora Carter Changes the Image of Cities

Urban visionary Majora Carter described her ability to reimagine cities and neighborhoods at the Boston Museum of Science on Nov. 2. She told the story of her work to “green the ghetto” by connecting young people with environmental jobs, her … Continue reading

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Is Eco-Friendly Behavior Contagious?

Now that OPOWER is using social science to help us encourage our Facebook friends to save energy, I’ve become curious about the role of social circles in environmentalism. Do environmental values diffuse socially into the larger community? And, if they … Continue reading

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The Perils of Medical Messaging

I’m very skeptical about the effectiveness of social marketing messages related to death and destruction. Although the end of the world may come soon if we don’t quit smoking, start exercising, and end environmental justice violations, I’m not sure audiences … Continue reading

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