Meeting Summary: Six Classes Virtual Retreat (held in May 2020)

The Green Science Policy Institute hosted the Six Classes Virtual Retreat online in May 2020.

Videos from the talks are available here.

EHN EHN

Webinar: Fluoride, neurodevelopment, and cognition: a National Toxicology Program monograph
by Sarah Howard on November 19, 2024 at 5:00 pm
This Dec. 3 webinar features Dr. Kyla Taylor of NIEHS who will discuss the results of a National Toxicology Program monograph review that concluded there is "moderate confidence" in the scientific evidence that showed an association between higher levels of fluoride exposure and lower IQ in children.
Webinar: Behind the scenes at EPA: What's gone wrong and what does it mean for our work?
by Sarah Howard on November 19, 2024 at 3:56 pm
This Dec. 9 webinar, Behind the scenes at EPA: what's gone wrong and what does it mean for our work? is part 2 of a series on the future of EPA decision-making. Sponsored by the Collaborative for Health and Environment (CHE), Earthjustice, and UCSF's Earth Center.
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals: hazards and opportunities (ECHO) course
by Sarah Howard on October 31, 2024 at 2:50 pm
This course focuses on the chemical, biological, and societal challenges of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and new opportunities for moving forward. ECHO is a two-week intensive bootcamp-style career development course for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and professionals in the field. It is held at Woods Hole, Massachusetts.

“We have enough evidence” to act on toxic plastic exposure now
by Katherine McMahon,Sarah Howard on November 22, 2024 at 3:31 pm
In a recent commentary published in The Lancet, Dr. Leonardo Trasande of NYU’s Grossman School of Medicine emphasizes the need to address the well-established health harms from exposure to chemical additives used in plastics. “Only through a serious and concerted effort to turn off the plastic tap will we apply the lessons learned from plastic use… and avoid the invisible chemicals used in plastic materials from becoming visible in the form of a larger global pandemic of chronic disease.”
Kids who adopt a gluten-free diet have increased arsenic levels
by Katherine McMahon,Sarah Howard on November 20, 2024 at 1:32 pm
A recent study published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology found that children who adopted a gluten-free (GF) diet after being diagnosed with celiac disease had significantly increased arsenic exposure after only six months. “More research needs to be done to determine whether there are long-term effects of this bump, but overall, I think it speaks to the importance of diversifying the grains in the gluten-free diet.”
NIEHS publishes new strategic plan
by Sarah Howard on November 19, 2024 at 6:03 pm
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) published a 2025-2029 strategic plan, "Health at the Intersection of People and Their Environments."

Trump’s second term could mean fewer protections for drinking water
by EHN Curators on November 21, 2024 at 12:30 pm
Donald Trump’s plans for the Environmental Protection Agency may include rolling back protections against PFAS and other drinking water threats, worrying public health advocates. Hiroko Tabuchi reports for The New York Times.
Kennedy’s fluoride policy faces obstacles
by EHN Curators on November 19, 2024 at 8:28 pm
President-elect Trump’s selection of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services won’t give him direct control over water fluoridation policies, though his influence could sway public and local debates. Miranda Willson reports for E&E News.
Scientists' Declaration for the Global Plastics Treaty
by Sarah Howard on November 19, 2024 at 5:54 pm
The signatories of this declaration are independent scientists with expertise on plastics, and who are free of conflicts of interest associated with the life cycle of plastics. Read it here and sign it here. Due Nov. 22, 2024.