Networking: Networks — Environmental Health Fund

Health Care Without Harm

EHF’s Director Gary Cohen co-founded Health Care Without Harm and currently serves as its co-Executive Director. The mission of Health Care Without Harm is to transform the health care sector worldwide, without compromising patient safety or care, so that it is ecologically sustainable and no longer a source of harm to public health and the environment.

International POPs Elimination Network

EHF has supported the development of the International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN) since its inception in 1998 at the first session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for a POPs Convention in Montreal, Canada. Jack Weinberg, retired Senior Policy Analyst for EHF, was a co-director of IPEN, and EHF’s Dr. Joe DiGangi, as a former EHF staff member played a lead role in IPEN activities worldwide, including serving on the SAICM Bureau on behalf of EHF and IPEN. EHF currently assists IPEN in its fundraising strategy.

IPEN’s mission includes achieving a world in which all chemicals are produced and used in ways that eliminate significant adverse effects on human health and the environment, and where persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and chemicals of equivalent concern no longer pollute our local and global environments, and no longer contaminate our communities, our food, our bodies, or the bodies of our children and future generations.

Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families

EHF co-founded Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families in 2009. Andy Igrejas directs the campaign with support from Lindsay Dahl. Gary Cohen and Monica Rohde Buckhorn direct fundraising for Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, while David Levine convenes a business engagement discussion and Judith Robinson coordinates executive committee functions and outreach to environmental health organizing networks about the campaign. The campaign supports new chemical policy standards that would:

Take immediate action to stop the use of the most dangerous toxic chemicals;
Give the EPA the power to assess the safety of all chemicals so that the health of all people and the environment, especially the most vulnerable subpopulations, including children, workers, and pregnant women will be protected;
Improve the right to know about toxic chemicals by allowing the public, workers, and the marketplace to have full access to information about the health hazards from chemicals and the way in which government safety decisions are made.

International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal

EHF’s director Gary Cohen has been involved in the Bhopal issue for the last 22 years. He helped organize the first U.S. tour of Bhopal survivors in 1989 to confront Union Carbide at its annual shareholders meeting. He also raised the funds for the International Medical Commission to assess the long-term health damages in 1993; and he continues to serve on the international Advisory Board of the Sambhavna Clinic, which offers free medical care to the survivors.

Former EHF staff member Aquene Freechild acted as one of the principal solidarity organizers for the Justice in Bhopal campaign. She has helped build support for accountability work focused on Dow Chemical, which bought Union Carbide in 2001 but refuses to take responsibility for the toxic mess left in Bhopal nor the ongoing criminal case against its subsidiary.

Three organizations of survivors from Bhopal play a leading role in the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal (ICJB). Members of ICJB continue to pressure The Dow Chemical Company and the U.S. and Indian governments to ensure adequate health care, safe environment, and proper rehabilitation for the survivors of the disaster and their children. Exemplary punishment of the Corporation and its guilty officials is one of the key demands of ICJB.

Sustainable Biomaterials Collaborative

EHF’s David Levine is a partner in the Sustainable Biomaterials Collaborative, and helps develop and disseminate sustainability criteria for biobased industrial feedstocks and get them broadly adopted by leading companies.

The Collaborative seeks to advance the development and diffusion of sustainable biomaterials by creating sustainability guidelines, engaging markets, and promoting policy initiatives.

Coming Clean Collaborative

EHF was one of a few organizations to launch a new environmental health collaborative in 2001 to reform the chemical industry so it was no longer a source of harm. Judy Robinson co-directs the collaborative which has grown to over 150 campaigning organizations and networks that work on an integrated set of market, policy, grassroots, science, business, and investor campaigns.

Business NGO Working Group for Safer Chemicals and Sustainable Materials

EHF’s David Levine partners with the Business-NGO Working Group for Safer Chemicals and Sustainable Materials, interacting with leading business and NGOs to help design a positive green chemistry and green jobs agenda that compliments our national policy objectives.

Spearheaded by the nonprofit environmental organization Clean Production Action, the Working Group is a unique collaboration of business and NGO leaders who are creating a roadmap to the widespread use of safer chemicals in consumer products. In 2006, 22 organizations from the environmental community and the electronics, health care, furnishing, and retail sectors started the Working Group. In 2008, the Working Group went public and released the Guiding Principles for Chemicals Policy.


Networking Overview Networks Health Care Without Harm International POPs Elimination Network Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal Sustainable Biomaterials Collaborative Coming Clean Collaborative Business-NGO Working Group for Safer Chemicals and Sustainable Materials		Networks Health Care Without Harm EHF’s Director Gary Cohen co-founded Health Care Without Harm and currently serves as its co-Executive Director. The mission of Health Care Without Harm is to transform the health care sector worldwide, without compromising patient safety or care, so that it is ecologically sustainable and no longer a source of harm to public health and the environment. International POPs Elimination Network EHF has supported the development of the International POPs Elimination Network (IPEN) since its inception in 1998 at the first session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for a POPs Convention in Montreal, Canada. Jack Weinberg, retired Senior Policy Analyst for EHF, was a co-director of IPEN, and EHF’s Dr. Joe DiGangi, as a former EHF staff member played a lead role in IPEN activities worldwide, including serving on the SAICM Bureau on behalf of EHF and IPEN. EHF currently assists IPEN in its fundraising strategy. IPEN’s mission includes achieving a world in which all chemicals are produced and used in ways that eliminate significant adverse effects on human health and the environment, and where persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and chemicals of equivalent concern no longer pollute our local and global environments, and no longer contaminate our communities, our food, our bodies, or the bodies of our children and future generations. Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families EHF co-founded Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families in 2009. Andy Igrejas directs the campaign with support from Lindsay Dahl. Gary Cohen and Monica Rohde Buckhorn direct fundraising for Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, while David Levine convenes a business engagement discussion and Judith Robinson coordinates executive committee functions and outreach to environmental health organizing networks about the campaign. The campaign supports new chemical policy standards that would: Take immediate action to stop the use of the most dangerous toxic chemicals; Give the EPA the power to assess the safety of all chemicals so that the health of all people and the environment, especially the most vulnerable subpopulations, including children, workers, and pregnant women will be protected; Improve the right to know about toxic chemicals by allowing the public, workers, and the marketplace to have full access to information about the health hazards from chemicals and the way in which government safety decisions are made. International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal EHF’s director Gary Cohen has been involved in the Bhopal issue for the last 22 years. He helped organize the first U.S. tour of Bhopal survivors in 1989 to confront Union Carbide at its annual shareholders meeting. He also raised the funds for the International Medical Commission to assess the long-term health damages in 1993; and he continues to serve on the international Advisory Board of the Sambhavna Clinic, which offers free medical care to the survivors. Former EHF staff member Aquene Freechild acted as one of the principal solidarity organizers for the Justice in Bhopal campaign. She has helped build support for accountability work focused on Dow Chemical, which bought Union Carbide in 2001 but refuses to take responsibility for the toxic mess left in Bhopal nor the ongoing criminal case against its subsidiary. Three organizations of survivors from Bhopal play a leading role in the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal (ICJB). Members of ICJB continue to pressure The Dow Chemical Company and the U.S. and Indian governments to ensure adequate health care, safe environment, and proper rehabilitation for the survivors of the disaster and their children. Exemplary punishment of the Corporation and its guilty officials is one of the key demands of ICJB. Sustainable Biomaterials Collaborative EHF’s David Levine is a partner in the Sustainable Biomaterials Collaborative, and helps develop and disseminate sustainability criteria for biobased industrial feedstocks and get them broadly adopted by leading companies. The Collaborative seeks to advance the development and diffusion of sustainable biomaterials by creating sustainability guidelines, engaging markets, and promoting policy initiatives. Coming Clean Collaborative EHF was one of a few organizations to launch a new environmental health collaborative in 2001 to reform the chemical industry so it was no longer a source of harm. Judy Robinson co-directs the collaborative which has grown to over 150 campaigning organizations and networks that work on an integrated set of market, policy, grassroots, science, business, and investor campaigns. Business NGO Working Group for Safer Chemicals and Sustainable Materials EHF’s David Levine partners with the Business-NGO Working Group for Safer Chemicals and Sustainable Materials, interacting with leading business and NGOs to help design a positive green chemistry and green jobs agenda that compliments our national policy objectives. Spearheaded by the nonprofit environmental organization Clean Production Action, the Working Group is a unique collaboration of business and NGO leaders who are creating a roadmap to the widespread use of safer chemicals in consumer products. In 2006, 22 organizations from the environmental community and the electronics, health care, furnishing, and retail sectors started the Working Group. In 2008, the Working Group went public and released the Guiding Principles for Chemicals Policy.