Every year in the U.S., more than a quarter of a million people are diagnosed with breast cancer—a number that continues to rise. Many of these people have no family history of the disease, which raises the question “What causes breast cancer?” Increasingly, researchers are finding environmental links to the disease, including exposures to fossil fuel-based chemicals.
This webinar features Jayla Burton, Program Officer with Breast Cancer Action, Kathryn Rodgers, Staff Scientist with Silent Spring Institute, and Monic Uriarte, Community Organizer and Health Promoter with Esperanza Community Housing Corporation.
athryn Rodgers is a staff scientist at Silent Spring Institute with training in toxicology and risk assessment for public health. She contributes to the Institute’s work on exposures and sources of endocrine disrupting chemicals in the indoor environment. She also leads the Institute’s science translation for policy-makers in governments, businesses, and community groups. Rodgers graduated from Boston University School of Public Health with a Masters in Public Health in environmental health. She received her BS in Neuroscience with a minor in Marine Studies from Trinity College in Hartford, CT.
organization in South Los Angeles that aims to develop and preserve affordable housing, elevate health equity and access to care, mobilize for environmental justice, create and protect local economic opportunities, expand engagement in arts and culture, and advocate for policies protecting human rights. She is a co-founder of People Not Pozos (People Not Wells) a grassroots campaign demanding that AllenCO Energy stop the operation of toxic emissions which caused negative health impacts to community members. AllenCo Energy closed temporarily in November 2013 after years of community efforts. Monic works with STAND LA to establish a city-wide ordinance to create a health and safety buffer between oil drilling and sensitive land.
Jayla Burton is a graduate of the the University of San Francisco with a dual Masters Degrees in Public Health and Behavioral Health Science. She has a passion for reducing health disparities, promoting social justice, and advocating for best practices in healthcare. She has worked in Global Health, Women’s Health, Behavioral Health, and Harm Reduction. As the Program Officer, Jayla works with Breast Cancer Action to execute the Think Before You Pink® (TB4UP) campaign and all other national campaigns. Jayla also facilitates engagement year-round promoting policy and advocacy educational campaigns.Together, the panelists discuss fossil fuels’ connection to breast cancer and the fossil fueled health crisis.