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Benefits and barriers to safe use of ecological sanitation in El Alto, Bolivia – a need for improved hygiene education?
The document evaluates an ecosan project in El Alto, Bolivia, which installed 897 sanitation units, including urine-diverting dry toilets (UDDTs), for approximately 4,489 people. The study found a statistically significant reduction in diarrhoeal disease overall, though the impact was smaller for households with lower socioeconomic status. Key barriers to success included irregular waste collection, age-related sociocultural differences in toilet adoption, and a lack of user knowledge regarding the specific health links between hygiene practices and pathogen exposure.
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Document type: Briefing
Trilogue negotiations on the Commission's proposal for a Trade Secrets Directive: legal uncertainty endangers access to information and worker mobility
The document argues that the proposed Trade Secrets Directive lacks sufficient clarity and scope limitations, potentially chilling the activities of journalists, whistleblowers, and workers' representatives. It specifically calls for protections for disclosures related to public health and the environment, alignment with the UN Aarhus Convention, and safeguards to ensure that employees' honestly acquired skills are not classified as trade secrets.
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Document type: Statement
Closure of Alberta's Coal Plants: A Boon for Canada's Climate, Alberta's Air, Health
The document advocates for the closure of Alberta's coal-fired power plants to meet national climate goals and reduce severe health impacts. It highlights that Alberta is Canada's most carbon-intensive province and that coal plants contribute significantly to air pollutants linked to premature deaths and hospitalizations. Using the Ontario coal phase-out as a successful precedent, the brief argues that similar action in Alberta would lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the economic and human cost of air pollution.
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Document type: Policy brief
MOVING CALIFORNIA FORWARD
The report argues that smart land use policy is critical for California to meet its 2030 decarbonization goals. Using the RapidFire model and E3 California Pathways data, the study finds that 'More Compact' and 'Infill Focus' scenarios can lead to statewide emissions reductions of 40-41% below 1990 levels when combined with aggressive energy technology deployment. Beyond climate targets, smart growth is projected to deliver significant co-benefits, including billions of dollars in household and infrastructure cost savings, improved public health outcomes through reduced air pollution, and the preservation of greenfield land. The authors recommend that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) strengthen emissions reduction targets under SB 375 and provide substantial funding to support cities and regions in implementing target-compliant land use plans.
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Document type: Report
Turning vision into reality
The paper evaluates Namibia's progress toward Vision 2030 and NDP4 targets using the International Futures (IFs) model. It identifies physical capital—specifically electricity, sanitation, and transportation—as the primary constraint on economic growth. Through three scenarios (Current Path, Infrastructure Access, and Leave No Namibian Out), the author demonstrates that while heavy infrastructure investment improves health and GDP, it can detract from education spending. The analysis concludes that Namibia is unlikely to meet its aggressive GDP growth and infant mortality targets by 2030, and that deep-seated structural issues like inequality and extreme poverty will persist across all modeled paths.
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Document type: Research paper
Bringing clean, safe, affordable cooking energy to households across Africa: an agenda for action
The document highlights the critical need to transition sub-Saharan African households from traditional biomass to clean cooking energy. It notes that approximately 700 million people currently rely on biomass, causing 600,000 annual deaths and significant economic losses. The paper advocates for a market transformation toward clean stoves and fuels, suggesting intermediate steps such as improved efficiency stoves and sustainable charcoal regulation, while drawing on evidence from Mali, Ghana, Kenya, and Ethiopia.
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Document type: Research paper
Do Americans Understand Global Warming is Harmful to Health? Evidence from a National Survey
The document describes a research paper examining the extent to which the American public understands the negative health consequences of global warming and the factors influencing this awareness, including the impact of question formatting (open- versus closed-ended) on research findings.
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Document type: Research paper
Economic Assessment of the Impacts of Climate Change in Uganda
The report finds that malaria cases in Tororo and Kabale are projected to more than double by 2050, driven primarily by population growth and secondarily by rising temperatures. Economic costs are expected to at least double, with Tororo's annual costs potentially rising to between US$20.1 million and US$560.5 million, and Kabale's to between US$1.55 million and US$41.7 million. While the evidence base for climate-malaria linkages in Uganda is limited, the study suggests that temperature increases will be particularly significant in the highland region of Kabale. Recommended adaptation strategies include strengthening disease surveillance, improving drainage in infrastructure projects, and continuing the distribution of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS), both of which are identified as cost-effective interventions.
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Document type: Case study
Proposed Oakland Coal Export Terminal
Earthjustice, representing several environmental and community groups, opposes the proposed Oakland Bulk and Oversized Terminal's (OBOT) plan to export coal. The letter contends that coal shipment was never part of the original environmental reviews or development agreements, poses severe health risks through coal dust emissions, and lacks sufficient regulatory protections. It argues that the City of Oakland has the legal authority to prohibit coal exports to protect public health and safety without hindering the broader economic development of the former Army Base.
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Document type: Statement
Submission to Alberta’s Climate Change Advisory Panel
The submission by the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) and partners details the 'triple threat' posed by Alberta's coal plants: air pollution, mercury contamination, and greenhouse gas emissions. It provides health-cost estimates for Alberta and uses Ontario's coal phase-out as a successful case study for improving public health outcomes. The authors recommend a complete phase-out of coal by 2025, avoiding new natural gas investments, and transitioning to renewable energy and energy efficiency.
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Document type: Statement
Mes de la Herencia Hispana: Tiempo de Celebrar y de Cuestionar
A statement by Earthjustice emphasizing the intersection of Hispanic heritage and environmental justice, citing a survey that shows strong Latino support for environmental protection despite facing disproportionate pollution and health risks.
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Document type: Statement
MOVING CALIFORNIA FORWARD
The report argues that smart growth—characterized by compact, walkable, and transit-oriented development—is essential for California to meet its 2030 climate targets. By combining aggressive energy technology deployment with 'More Compact' or 'Infill Focus' land use scenarios, the state could achieve statewide emissions reductions of 40-41% below 1990 levels. Beyond carbon mitigation, the study quantifies significant co-benefits, including billions of dollars in household and infrastructure cost savings, improved public health outcomes, and the conservation of hundreds of square miles of land.
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Document type: Executive summary
Dengue Fever in the Belize District
The study identifies a positive association between dengue fever occurrence in the Belize District and both precipitation and minimum temperature. Projections for the 2050s suggest a general warming trend with an increase in the frequency of days where minimum temperatures exceed 18°C, which may increase DF occurrence. Conversely, a projected increase in days where maximum temperatures exceed 32°C may create less favourable conditions for the disease. The report emphasizes that non-climate factors, including changes in health reporting structures and socio-economic drivers, also influence DF trends.
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Document type: Case study
Time to Decriminalise It
The author contends that cannabis prohibition in Germany has failed, fostering organised crime and leaving consumers and youth unprotected. The text advocates for a regulated market—specifically proposing a draft by the German Greens—that would allow limited personal possession, mandate licensed stores with strict ID checks, and redirect law enforcement savings toward drug prevention.
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Document type: Statement
Bad Chemistry
The Union of Concerned Scientists argues that the American Chemistry Council (ACC) systematically obstructs science-based chemical regulations to protect industry profits. The report details the ACC's use of 'revolving door' lobbyists, political donations to key congressional committees, and the promotion of flawed industry-funded studies to delay regulations on substances like BPA, flame retardants, and formaldehyde. It further examines the ACC's efforts to weaken the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), limit public access to chemical facility risk data, and influence international trade agreements like the TTIP to prevent the regulation of endocrine disruptors.
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Document type: Report
Food safety in Southern Africa: rethinking World Health worries
The briefing examines the intersection of food safety, health security, and agricultural production in Southern Africa, arguing that unsafe food and food insecurity exacerbate the burden on health systems already strained by infectious diseases. It highlights risks from globalisation, such as antimicrobial resistance and longer food chains, and calls on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to increase agricultural capacity and reduce dependence on food exports and aid to ensure long-term socioeconomic development.
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Document type: Briefing
Bad Medicine
The report argues that the pharmaceutical industry is fueling the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) crisis through the unmonitored dumping of antibiotic-laden waste into the environment during the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). It highlights a 'three-tier chain' where raw materials from China are processed in India and then sold to global markets. The document identifies specific polluting factories in China—including NCPC, CSPC/Inner Mongolia Changsheng, and Sinopharm—and links them to major companies such as Pfizer, Teva, and McKesson. It concludes that current Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) are insufficient because they lack environmental criteria, and calls for greater supply chain transparency and the integration of environmental protection into global pharmaceutical standards.
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Document type: Report
Cómo determinadas compañías farmacéuticas contribuyen al aumento de súperbacterias resistentes a los antibióticos
The report argues that the discharge of antibiotic active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) into the environment during production, primarily in China and India, accelerates the development of superbugs. It highlights a lack of transparency in pharmaceutical supply chains, linking major global companies like Pfizer, Teva, and McKesson to polluting factories. The document calls for the integration of environmental protection criteria into Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and greater corporate transparency to mitigate this global health threat.
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Document type: Report
The End of Coal: Ontario’s coal phase-out
Ontario eliminated coal-fired electricity generation by the end of 2014, a process described as the "single largest GHG reduction measure in North America." The transition was primarily driven by public health concerns and the influence of a coalition including the Ontario Medical Association and the Ontario Clean Air Alliance. Key enabling factors included the public ownership of coal plants, which allowed the government to absorb shutdown costs, and the lack of local coal reserves, which minimized economic resistance from producers. While the phase-out significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 34 megatonnes since 2007, the report notes that coal was largely replaced by natural gas rather than renewables. The experience highlights the importance of credible messengers, realistic timelines, and multi-party political consensus in achieving large-scale energy transitions.
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Document type: Report
BRIEF FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HARRIS COUNTY ATTORNEY, AND AIR ALLIANCE HOUSTON AS AMICI CURIAE IN SUPPORT OF APPELLANTS AND IN SUPPORT OF REVERSAL
The City of Houston, Harris County Attorney, and Air Alliance Houston argue that the district court abused its discretion by denying civil penalties and injunctive relief despite finding nearly one hundred actionable Clean Air Act violations at Exxon's Baytown complex. The brief contends that the court misapplied the 'seriousness' and 'economic benefit' factors of the Act, ignoring the public health risks of ozone and carcinogens in the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria Ozone Nonattainment Area. It further argues that the court's narrow interpretation of 'repeated' violations allows polluters to evade liability by frequently changing numeric emission limits.
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Document type: Legal commentary