The folks at Air Alliance Houston believe it’s never too early to teach children about the importance of clean air. With an emphasis on community well-being, it’s no surprise that Air Alliance Houston is heavily influenced by mothers. The organization was founded in 2010 when the only two clean air advocacy groups in Houston decided …

Harry Alford, President and CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC), spoke before the Senate committee on behalf of black-owned businesses in this country. He stated that the NBCC is the largest African American chamber of commerce, which means that his sphere of influence could be significant. This is why I

I love stories of proactive moms who, in the face of their children’s health challenges, take matters into their own hands. Some moms do their homework and find the right treatments and professionals to help them. And other mothers become the professionals. Such is the case with Sara Chana. Sara is a mother of 7. …

Who is this figure who strikes both dread and relentless criticism with the simple mention of her title? How is it that she has become the symbol of all things gone individually and collectively awry? Why is it that anyone can invoke profound disdain by simply speaking the three words that describe her? Angry. Black. …

How long should children have to wait for clean air? Their entire childhood and beyond? How much should families have to shoulder the cost in money and health before industry steps up and stops polluting? How long can Houston area industry skirt around their responsibility for toxic emissions? Well, the answer thus far is 30 …

Doctor’s know! They know that many of their patient’s social challenges are having a profound impact on their health. They know these are by far the most significant and constant obstacles to healing and health maintenance. Doctor’s know that their medical services can only go so far to solve their patient’s health problems. They know …

It’s the end of the year and my mailbox is full of solicitations from non-profits seeking end-of-year donations. The solicitations are becoming more and more beautiful and heart wrenching. I want to give to them all, and I feel a mixture of guilt and sadness when I throw all of the pretty paper away because …

Winter is a tough time for children with asthma. As the temperature drops and kids are more exposed to colds and flu germs at school, the opportunity for asthma to be triggered greatly increases. And don’t forget stress. The stress and anxiety of the winter holidays can be a profound trigger that is often ignored, …

In current presidential debates, the attention has turned (finally) to job creation. This is no doubt in response to President Obama’s jobs bill. This would be a good focus if the proposed solutions weren’t so darn scary! Are candidates really talking about creating jobs by allowing more air pollution? Alarmingly, it seems so. This notion, …

These are troubling times. The fight for clean air is often a discouraging one. The back and forth between those who support, and those who oppose the EPA standards regarding Mercury and other toxics, and the cross-state emissions has been dizzying. First, the EPA proposed standards that are right where they should be. And then, …