The Lowell Center's initiative ultimately led to a strong primary prevention component of the Massachusetts Strategic Plan for Asthma 2015-2020.
The Beginning
A highly successful three-day version of the Sustainability Action Summer Institute was held in summer 2011.
The Lowell Center held a workshop on Wood Biomass for Heat & Electricity: The Public Health Perspective. The workshop brought a diverse group together to discuss the health risks of wood burning in homes and institutions, considering how health concerns should be taken into account when wood-burning units are proposed for institutions where people are particularly susceptible to hazardous exposures, such as schools or hospitals.
The Sustainability Action Summer Institute went to California in June 2012, presenting “Alternatives Assessment 101: Hands-On Training” for the California Department of Toxic Substances Control. This two-day training introduced participants to the process of assessing safer alternatives for chemicals and products.
The Lowell Center organized a symposium on the “Primary Prevention of Asthma: Current Evidence, Research Needs and Opportunities for Action” in 2013. In 2015, this led to a strong primary prevention component of the Massachusetts Strategic Plan for Asthma 2015-2020.