Grassroots with Patti & Doug Wood

Both the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Health and Human Services have recently asked for public and scientific input on the health harm of exposure to wireless radiation, but why? In the news this week, Patti and Doug talk about microplastics in chewing gum, the growing scientific alarm over PFAS chemicals, and parents in Madison Wisconsin opting out of digital learning f...

Pink ribbons have become synonymous with the fight against breast cancer, but the movement to “raise awareness” is often sponsored by corporations who would prefer not to raise awareness of the increased cancer risk linked to their products. In the news this week, Patti and Doug discuss how the rapid growth of data centers is causing hyperscalers to pull back on climate commitments, and how some p...

While the news about climate change continues to get worse, the oil and gas industry is busy constructing more gas pipelines to bring more fossil fuel to the market for us to burn. In the news this week, Patti and Doug talk about oil producing countries blocking a worldwide plastic treaty, the top ten foods that contain microplastics, and how a new geothermal plant is producing energy for thousand...

Less than ten percent of all breast cancer cases are the result of inherited genes. That means that most cases can be related to environmental exposures, including chemicals in our food, our air, our water, and the products that surround us. In the news this week, Patti and Doug talk about a new report on the environmental links to cancer, the legal case against “plastic recycling fraud,” and how...

There is nothing more important for your health, well-being, and longevity than the food you eat, but our current food system isn’t helping you. In the news this week, Patti and Doug talk about the politics of food, data centers using tricks to avoid regulation of their emissions, and a UN report on the importance of restoring forests. Then pediatrician Dr. Larry Palevsky talks about the new food...

Forever chemicals (“PFAS") have contaminated drinking water in thousands of communities across the country, often with devastating impacts for families. In the news this week, Patti and Doug talk about wireless radiation in classrooms, the health impact of noise from data centers, and schools located near toxic dumps. Then, with PFAS in the news again, we reprise an interview with Sandy Wynn and T...

The heavily industrialized process of hydraulic fracking for natural gas has turned parts of rural Pennsylvania into a daily nightmare for local residents. This week on Green Street, Patti and Doug talk about artificial fragrances in air fresheners and laundry products that can contain a host of toxic chemicals and dramatically impact your health, and how data centers are not only using prodigious...

Products with chemicals known to cause cancer, neurological damage, and other serious health problems line the shelves of stores across the country, and the incidence of childhood illness is rising rapidly. In the news this week, Patti and Doug talk about the public’s failure to link weather events to climate change, and the release of information about the toxins at ground zero on 9/11. Then pedi...

House fires are becoming more toxic and deadly than ever before, thanks to the increasing use of plastic in home construction and furnishings. In the news this week, Patti and Doug talk about a new court ruling ordering the FCC to explain why it has still not updated its 30-year-old wireless radiation exposure guidelines, and how the Trump administration is quietly working to hide the astronomical...

Microplastics are filling our environment and infiltrating our bodies at an alarming rate, with serious public health implications. In the news this week, Patti and Doug talk about new studies linking the ingestion of plastic particles with serious microbiome problems, including cancer, the rapid deployment of solar energy in the EU, reaching 25% of all power needs, and a leaked Trump administrati...

The federal government is proposing to increase the amount of radiation to which the public can be exposed, in order to help reduce costs for the nuclear industry. In the news this week, Patti and Doug talk about the Trump administration working to undermine California’s efforts to pivot away from fossil fuels, the pork industry’s powerful influence over regulations concerning concentrated animal...

Children spend a major portion of their early life in classrooms or other school facilities, so it’s critical that those environments don't contain any type of toxic exposures. In the news this week, Patti and Doug talk about health professionals urging Congress not to weaken the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the EU banning high levels of PFAS in food packaging, and Amazon's plan to build a...

School is a child's second home, but the products used in and around schools can contain an array of chemicals known to be harmful to kids. This week Patti and Doug talk about the Trump administration blocking wind power projects, harmful chemicals found in baby mattresses, and how the EPA has disbanded the department to study nitrates in drinking water. Then in Part One of a two-part series, we f...

The sugar industry has spent years downplaying the health impacts of sugar and promoting the use of fluoride in public water supplies, despite clear evidence of its potential harm, especially for kids.  In the news this week, Patti and Doug talk about a new warning on plastic pollution and children's health, how play sand in Australia has been found to be laced with asbestos, and the EPA's head-sc...

What if the real solution for reducing the risk of breast cancer was eliminating the chemicals in our environment that have been linked to the development of the disease? This week, in a special edition of Green Street, Patti and Doug talk briefly about President Trump's angry dismissal of climate change science. Then Nancy Buermeyer and Laura Gillan from the non-profit Breast Cancer Prevention Pa...

Our near-constant exposure to electromagnetic fields and microwave radiation from cell phones, Wi-Fi, and countless connected devices is quietly taking a toll on our health. This week on Green Street, Patti and Doug talk about the impact of warming rivers on nuclear power plants, the ability of scientists to accurately determine the impacts of climate change, and how reducing your exposure to plas...

Multinational food companies focus almost exclusively on production and profit. Under this system, plenty of food is produced, but because of this system, billions of people around the world remain food insecure, our resources are being depleted, and our climate is suffering. This week on Green Street, Patti and Doug talk about the public health costs associated with ultra-processed foods, and how...

Cooking with gas releases a wide range of chemicals into the home, exacerbating asthma symptoms and potentially causing other serious health problems. This week on Green Street, Patti and Doug talk about plastic recycling plants being shut down for pollution violations, the Supreme Court decision that people can't sue if a pesticide manufacturer doesn’t disclose dangers on the label, and data cent...

Forever chemicals are contaminating our air, our water, and our food supply. The State of Maine is showing what can be done about it. In the news this week, Patti and Doug talk about new research on prenatal exposure to Wi-Fi radiation and its impact on neurodevelopment, and how data centers powering AI are driving a massive increase in the use of fossil fuels to produce energy. Then author Marina...

A large and growing segment of the population is biologically intolerant of radio frequency radiation – the kind emitted by all cell phones, cell towers, routers and other wireless devices. This week on Green Street Patti and Doug discuss some good news about a new type of plastic, what scientists are learning about microplastics in Pennsylvania, and the renewed debate over the safety of plastic g...

Is our growing web of wireless radiation causing havoc in the natural world? This week on Green Street, Patti and Doug talk about new research on plastic water bottles, including the chemicals and vast quantities of microplastics they contain, in addition to water which is often unregulated. Then renowned author, epidemiologist and toxicologist Dr. Devra Davis talks about what we are learning rega...

Pollinators are in trouble around the world, and that could spell disaster for humans. This week on Green Street Patti and Doug talk about Erin Brockovitch’s fight against data centers, and the incredible plastic waste associated with cut flowers. Then entomologist Dr. Tara Cornelisse, Lead Zoologist of NatureServe, joins the conversation to talk about the plight of our pollinator population, and...

The Trump administration is doing everything in its power to break the EPA. Will the agency survive? This week on Green Street, Patti and Doug talk about the rise of anti-bacterial resistance due to climate change, and the EPA’s latest attempt to weaken drinking water standards for PFAS chemicals. Then former EPA scientist Dr. Kyla Bennett, senior scientist at Public Employees for Environmental Re...

What does it mean to be human, and how is digital technology stealing the skills we need to get along with each other? This week on Green Street, Patti and Doug talk about the EPA’s efforts to undo regulations on hydrofluorocarbons, and how New York Governor Hochul is dismantling the State’s groundbreaking climate law. Then psychologist and author Dr. Betsy Stone talks about the impact of digital...

Could the air inside your car contain chemicals known to cause cancer? This week on Green Street, Patti and Doug talk about Denmark's amazing energy island and Al Gore’s thoughts about addressing the power demands of AI. Then biophysical chemist Dr. Arlene Blum, founder of the Green Science Policy Institute, talks about her lifetime of work on flame retardant chemicals and her recent study of the...