On Air with Clean Air Council Podcast
On Air with Clean Air Council delves into the work of a Philadelphia-based environmental non-profit. The Council works through a broad array of related sustainability and public health initiatives, using public education, community action, government oversight, and enforcement of environmental laws.
Recently, we sat down with Alex Bomstein, the Council’s new Executive Director, to learn what makes him tick as well as his ideas for Clean Air Council’s future. Alex candidly answers questions about his work at the Council, being a life-long environmentalist and devout vegan, and a dog/cat dad. Tune in and get to know Alex.
This installment of “On Air with Clean Air Council” is the conclusion of our two-part episode looking into the aftermath of Norfolk Southern’s train derailment in East Palestine, OH. This two-part episode features Clean Air Council’s Andrew Woomer, as well as residents and activists Hilary Flint and Jess Conard. In this second episode we discuss the support received by residents living in and around the East Palestine crash site and hear some of the lasting effects almost a year later. Learn more about Clean Air Council here, Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Community here, Unity Council for the East Palestine Train Derailment here, and Beyond Plastics here
The ninth installment of “On Air with Clean Air Council” breaks down the events surrounding Norfolk Southern’s train derailment in East Palestine. This two-part episode features Clean Air Council’s Andrew Woomer, as well as residents and activists Hilary Flint and Jess Conard. In this first episode we discuss what happened the night of the derailment and the immediate response from Norfolk Southern and the EPA. We hear Hilary and Jess’s accounts from the communities in and around the crash site, as well as Andrew’s experience on the ground providing direct relief to those affected. Learn more about Clean Air Council here, Beaver County Marcellus Awareness Community here, Unity Council for the East Palestine Train Derailment here, and Beyond Plastics here
In the eighth installment of “On Air with Clean Air Council,” we follow the story of an apartment building creating a healthier environment for its residents. Thomas Wynne Apartments President Cathy Lockyer Moulton and Leasing Manager Kathryn Willcox give us insights into their journey transitioning to a smoke free apartment building. Find out what challenges and benefits they faced in this process and learn some tips if you want your apartment building to be smoke free. Learn more about our Smokefree program here.
In the seventh installment of “On Air with Clean Air Council,” we learn how infrastructure can make a street more or less safe for pedestrians and other road users. Titania Markland, Clean Air Council Transportation Outreach Coordinator and Feet First Philly representative, talks about Feet first Philly, pedestrian advocacy, and an amazing mini-grant program that puts money in the hands of community members to create public space enhancements and safety improvements where they are needed the most. Learn more about Feet First Philly here and the Mini-Grant program here.
In the sixth installment of “On Air with Clean Air Council,” we travel to Renovo, PA, to talk with residents opposing a proposed power plant right in town. Renovo, PA is a designated environmental justice community and small idyllic town in North Central PA, where Virginia-based multinational engineering corporation, Bechtel Corporation, is proposing to develop the Renovo Energy Center gas-fired power plant. This power plant is being planned to be less than 30 feet from homes and businesses, just north of Erie Avenue in Renovo, PA. The plant would be the fourth largest industrial polluter of greenhouse gases in Pennsylvania and would emit more greenhouse gases than the City of Pittsburgh. Learn from residents Sue Cannon, Maureen Rhul, and Michelle Whitney why this gas fired power plant is unwanted, unnecessary, and will provide no benefits to residents – only burdens. Learn more about Renovo Residents for a Healthy Environment here.
In the fifth installment of “On Air with Clean Air Council,” Clean Air Advocacy Coordinator Lois Bower-Bjornson discusses what it’s like to live among oil and gas infrastructure and how the Protective Buffers campaign aims to protect Pennsylvania communities and the environment. Shale gas and petrochemical infrastructure has been harming the health of Pennsylvania residents for years. Simply put, these industrial projects are being built far too close to where people live, work, and gather. It’s past time for the state to update its outdated laws and protect our health with greater protective buffer distances.
In the fourth installment of “On Air with Clean Air Council,” Clean Air Council Advocate Russell Zerbo talks with community organizing partner Nathaniel Philip about their work in West Philadelphia around a proposed residential development with serious environmental concerns. Nathaniel, a graduate of Drexel University with a master’s degree in Public Health, volunteers with the community group Neighbors for Healthy Community Development (NHCD).
In the third installment of “On Air with Clean Air Council,” Staff Advocate Russell Zerbo talks with community organizing partner Kyle Cruz about their work improving public health and zoning enforcement in North Philadelphia. Their work with HACE (Hispanic Association of Contractors and Entrepreneurs) and APM (Asociación Puertorriqueños en Marcha) aims to help share knowledge and resources with other RCO’s (Recognized Community Organizations) to help them work with developers to ensure the needs of their community are met.
In the second installment of On Air with Clean Air Council, Staff Attorneys Robert Routh and Logan Welde detail how the outcome of the 2020 election will affect environmental health, climate change, environmental justice, and other pressing issues in Pennsylvania and beyond. What changes and opportunities can we expect in the next four years of a Biden administration? Listen and learn.
Executive Director and Chief Counsel, Joseph Minott, explains how the Council was founded, the political climate surrounding the environmental movement, and what you can do to get involved. Bobby Szafranski, Special Events Director, gives a sneak-peek into VIRTUAL Greenfest Philly running Sept. 12-27 on a computer near you.
