P.O.B. 33340
Haifa
Israel
- Environment/Sustainable development
The Public Health Coalition (PHC) believes that every resident of Israel has the right to breathe clean air, live in a healthy environment and influence the conduct of the government in the area where he or she lives.
The Public Health Coalition works to reduce morbidity and mortality caused by environmental pollution by influencing governmental policy; raising public and stakeholder awareness; pressuring the authorities to enforce the law on emission of pollutants and promoting research and professional expertise in this field.
Our activity is focused in Northern Israel and the Haifa Bay area which suffers from long-term industrial pollution and elevated morbidity and mortality in comparison to the rest of the country.
In 2012, the PHC is involved in four main projects:
1. Air Pollution - this project in an on-going national project to improve the air quality in all of Israel. It includes several activities, such as: publication of a report in January 2012, monitoring the implementation of the Israeli clean air act which went into effect on January 2011; frequent meetings with representatives of local and national environmental authorities, encouraging them to enforce environmental laws; involvement in local and national air quality improvement programs committees and more.
2. Hazardous Materials - this project aims to reduce the potential of exposure to hazardous materials such as Ammonia, Bromine and LPG in Haifa Bay Area. Last January we attended a Knesset (Israeli parliament) committee meeting, dedicated to discussing our report about the economical costs of a hazardous material accident in Haifa Bay. We are also involved in the efforts to reduce the risk from Haifa Bay's LPG tanks and Ammonia tank.
3. Dangerous Chemicals at Home - this project aims to raise awareness within the general public, media and stake-holders (authorities, industry) to the harmful effects of specific chemicals within indoor environment, and to advocate to the authorities (ministry of Health, Agriculture, Environmental Protection and Industry, Trade and Labor) to promote policies to minimize the health effects of these chemicals. We have recently published a joint document with Public Trust, an Israeli NGO that promotes descent businesses, dealing with product labeling. There is also an upcoming brochure on safe and ecological cleaning in Israeli coffee shops and restaurants.
4. Environmental Health - this project is designed to raise awareness to the harmful health effects of environmental pollution. We have published an innovative report, dealing with the specific risks that air pollution poses to women's health through an international literature review and integration.
We are the only organization in Israel which focuses only on environmental health. As such, we can contribute the health consequences aspect to any campaign in the country.
We believe that collaboration between different organizations in a campaign can achieve much more than separate actions.