Twenty years ago the book Our Stolen Future was the first of its kind to explore the science on how chemicals in our environment interfere with hormonal action in our bodies. Since then, research has brought us to the realization that endocrine disrupting chemicals are ubiquitous in our environment and disrupt our health in many ways. We also know that exposures early in life can stick with us over the life course. But where does this understanding leave us in protecting ourselves and our environment? How has policy responded or not? Where are we to go next as researchers, policy makers and community members?
The last twenty years has ignited a revolution in endocrine disrupting chemical research and activism but there is still more to do. On this call we discussed this revolution and where it is headed with Our Stolen Future’s co-author Dr. Pete Myers.
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Pete Myers, PhD, is the founder, CEO, and chief scientist of Environmental Health Sciences. He is a founding CHE partner and the board chair of the H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment. Dr. Myers has also chaired the board of the Science Communication Network since its founding in 2003. In addition, he currently serves on the board of the Jenifer Altman Foundation. Until its merger with Pew Charitable Trusts in late 2007, he was Board Chair of the National Environmental Trust. He has also served as Board President of the Consultative Group on Biological Diversity, an association of 40+ foundations supporting work on biodiversity, climate, energy and environmental health. For a dozen years beginning in 1990, Myers served as Director of the W. Alton Jones Foundation in Charlottesville, Virginia. Along with co-authors Dianne Dumanoski and the late Dr. Theo Colborn, Myers wrote Our Stolen Future, a book (1996) that explores the scientific basis of concern for how contamination threatens fetal development. Myers is now actively involved in primary research on the impacts of endocrine disruption on human health. He holds a doctorate in the biological sciences from UC Berkeley.
This call was moderated by Steve Heilig, MPH, Director of public health & education at the San Francisco Medical Society and Director of CHE public health & education. The call lasted for 1 hour and was recorded for the call archive.