Environmental Links to Autism with Dr. Martha Herbert

For many years, the research on autism has been focused on the role of genes – and looking for that single “autism gene” that may be causing the condition. But as Dr. Herbert points out, genes don’t function in a vacuum – they interact with proteins and other chemicals in the body – and with chemicals that enter the body from our environment that aren’t supposed to be there.

Dr. Martha Herbert is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School, and a Pediatric Neurologist and Neuroscientist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Visit her website at MarthaHerbert.org.

The Autism Puzzle with Brita Belli

The rates of autism in the United States have skyrocketed over the past decade. While researchers are still debating the role that preservatives in vaccinations may play, other environmental chemicals are being added to the list of suspects that could be responsible for this alarming trend. The list includes many consumer products we use in and around our homes.

On this edition of Green Street, Patti and Doug interview Brita Belli, author of a new book called The Autism Puzzle, in which she examines the latest research on environmental links to this heartbreaking neurological disorder.

The Poisoning of an American High School with Joy Horowitz

90210 may seem like an unlikely zip code for a story about an environmental disaster, but sadly, this is no Hollywood script. It’s reality.

As our national debate about energy continues to grow, the true environmental cost of oil and gas exploration is being understood more clearly. In Hollywood, where an oil rig and power plant sit just outside the schoolyard fence, thousands of recent graduates are blaming their cancer and other illnesses on the environmental impact of those industrial operations. Similar situations are playing out in schools across the country.

On this edition of Green Street, Patti and Doug welcome author and journalist Joy Horowitz, whose compelling book ‘Parts Per Million: The Poisoning of Beverly Hills High School‘ tells the complex story of toxic environmental pollution, large-scale corporate arrogance and the manipulation of science.