A group of scientists has launched the Center to End Corporate Harm at UCSF, aiming to expose and counteract the health risks tied to pollution and harmful industrial products.
Carey Gillam reports for The New Lede.
In short:
- The Center to End Corporate Harm, housed at UCSF, unites researchers and physicians to address chronic diseases linked to industrial products like plastics, fossil fuels and ultra-processed foods.
- The center highlights that these products contribute to one-third of global deaths and a rise in chronic conditions, such as cancer and diabetes, by undermining public health through lobbying and regulatory manipulation.
- Using resources like UCSF’s Industry Documents Library, the center will investigate corporate tactics that influence policy and harm health.
Key quote:
“Health-harming industries such as fossil fuels, plastics, chemicals, tobacco and ultra-processed foods have rigged the regulatory and political systems in their favor and it’s critical to public health to hold these industries accountable.”
— Tracey Woodruff, center director and director of the UCSF Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment
Why this matters:
Chronic diseases are surging worldwide, fueled by industries that prioritize profit over health. By holding corporations accountable, this initiative could lead to better regulations and fewer health risks, addressing one of the root causes of preventable illness.
Read more: Fossil fuels and petrochemicals may be making us sicker, research says.
