HL Arledge

Where do Obama and McCain stand on Environmental Health?

I don't like to get into politics in a company blog, but this one is a safe bet.

On the subject of Environmental Health, both candidates are in total agreement.

According to the group Science Debate 2008, both candidates support:

• Offshore drilling
• Refining clean coal
• Using nuclear power
• Adopting alternative fuels
• Exploring renewable energy, such as wind and solar

Both candidates tout plans to use emission trading to roll back the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) to below 1990 levels before the year 2050. These plans differ only in the degrees set as goals. Barack Obama is targeting a 80% reduction, whereas John McCain is shooting for a 60% rollback.

I don't really see this as any difference at all. With any goals, we may come close, or we may overshoot the mark. With these two goals, either effort should get us in the same ballpark.

Either measure may require Environmental Health regulators to track GHG levels, making the next four years a period of growth for EnvisionConnect.

Real leaders can save the world

On the subject of Environmental Health...

What would you say if I told you there was a conservative oil tycoon—the 117th richest man on earth!—who had a realistic plan for breaking the United States' dependency on oil and saving the world in the process?

In this blog, I love to point out great leaders.

I'm beginning to think—unless he really has a lot of people fooled—T. Boone Pickens is one of the greatest.

Decade Software inspects restaurants in Canada

This morning, I am meeting with our sister company in Canada. The team there is taking first steps to migrate HES customers to EnvisionConnect.

As Developer Mike Vea and I prepared for the meeting, it considered that some of you may not yet heard of Decade Canada.

Here's the scoop as recounted on their web-site...

"In November 2003, Decade Software Company, LLC incorporated a Canadian subsidiary company called Decade Software Canada Ltd.

The Environmental Health software assets known as the Hedgehog Environmental Systems (HES) software were purchased from Procura along with the rights to the existing contracts.

The Hedgehog Environmental Systems software was originally developed in 1993 by Neil Grinwis of Hedgehog Systems. Neil was recruited to run the Canadian company and to continue servicing the Canadian Environmental Health customers."

Today, we are comparing business rules between the two products to ensure that HES customers have all they need before the move to EnvisionConnect.

Growth is always exciting for us. I'll keep posted on our progress.

New ideas in Environmental Health

As you know, Decade Software leads the industry in providing software for Environmental Health regulators.  As such, I like to keep readers abreast of new ideas in Environmental Health.

The folks at the Cowlitz County Environmental Health Department in Longview, Washington have started an interesting movement.

They are getting the community involved in identifying and correcting local Environmental Health concerns, using what they describe as a national protocol to work through the process.
The final of three public meetings will be held 7:30 to 9, Friday morning.

Environmental Health regulators, software demand increases

Decade Software Company's flagship products, EnvisionConnect, makes the life of the Environmental Health regulator extremely easy. As Environmental Health concerns worsen throughout the country—and the world—the regulator's job becomes more important.

As earthquakes, tornadoes, and flooding reach all-time highs, Environmental Health is becoming a topic the folks in Washington cannot ignore.

"The Environmental Protection Agency has repeatedly chosen to stray from the clear and science-based recommendations of expert advisory panels, public health organizations and advocates, and in some cases even its own career staff scientists, in order to make policies and decisions that fall short of adequately protecting children as well as the general public.”

That concluded testimony this week from a member of the EPA Children's Health Protection Advisory Committee before the Senate Public Sector Solutions to Global Warming, Oversight, and Children’s Health Protection Subcommittee of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

We need more Sonic Drive-ins on Skid Row

I saw a news headline Saturday that read, "Global Food Price Crisis Threatens Worldwide Starvation". Sunday, I ate lunch at the Sonic Drive-in.

My wife and I were sitting at one of those picnic tables between the drive-up areas—as were several other after-Church families—and the family next to us was arguing with their car-hop.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I cannot split the order over two cards. You should have specified that when you ordered."

It was a couple with three kids. They had ordered five burgers, each with drinks and tater-tots.

"Well, if my wife and I can't split the cost, we're not paying." The father replied.

"Then, I will have to take your food back."

"Fine."

Without even opening the bags or putting straws into their drinks, the family got into their car and rode away—and the car-hop threw all five burgers, tater-tots, and drinks into the trash can next to our table.

A few minutes later, the same car-hop was talking to me.

She said, "Sir, there will be a 15 minute wait on your tater-tots. We are out and will have to make some more."

My wife kicked me before I could say...

"You wouldn't have to make more if you hadn't thrown five orders into the trash can!"

That's when I remembered the headline regarding starvation, and I thought about Ethiopia and those commercials networks show when you're eating dinner, and then I knew why other countries think all Americans are fat and spoiled.

Environmental Health Clinic Opens for Business

Our flagship product, EnvisionConnect, is the most complete set of tools available for regulating Environmental Health.

As such, I like to make it a point to keep readers abreast of the latest Environmental Health news, and New York University has recently setup an Environmental Health Clinic. That is news worth passing on.

The university describes it this way...

"The Environmental Health Clinic at NYU is a clinic and lab, modeled on other health clinics at universities. However the project approaches health from an understanding of its dependence on external local environments; rather than on the internal biology and genetic predispositions of an individual."

The clinic works like this. You make an appointment—as you would at a traditional public health clinic—to talk about your particular environmental health concerns.

...so when folks see your agency inspections posted online and are concerned about offenders, they have someone else to call other than their local Environmental Health regulator.

Over 12 states suing EPA over Environmental Health

Today, a dozen states and eleven non-profit organizations filed suit to require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to comply with a Supreme Court ruling on the regulation of global warming pollution.

I'm still wondering what it will mean for Environmental Health regulators if the EPA does comply.

The suit comes a year after the Court ruled that the EPA has the authority under existing law to regulate greenhouse gases and a week after the head of the EPA recanted his repeated commitment to respond to the decision on a firm and prompt time table.

The legal action asks a federal court in Washington, D.C. to direct the EPA to issue its determination whether global warming pollution endangers public health or welfare within 60 days. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is leading this new legal effort.

Environmental Defense Fund Deputy General Counsel Vickie Patton said today... 

“The EPA is defying the Supreme Court and endangering our economy, our environment, and our health. The law and the science are clear: The EPA must act now.” 

The Environmental Health Defense Fund is a party to the suit.

The petitioning states are: Massachusetts, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Arizona, Delaware, Iowa, Maryland and Minnesota.  

Three cities also joined the suit.

EH Departments to inspect people for contamination

The Minnesota Star Tribune reports that Environmental Health Departments will soon be testing humans for contaminants.

The 2008 studies will be part of a $2 million experiment in bio-monitoring, which collects human tissue, hair, blood or urine to look for harmful contaminants.

The purpose is to learn what substances are actually in human bodies, rather than merely in the air, water or soil that pollution control officials typically measure.

5 Dysfunctions and those trusted to solve our problems

EnvisionConnect—our flagship product—is primarily used by Environmental Health regulators. With this in mind—that and the whole I'm-Worried-We-Might-Destroy-Our-Planet thing—I like to keep up with Environmental Health news.

During a public hearing yesterday on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposal to strengthen the current health standard for air pollution, a health advocate from Environmental Defense urged the EPA to—and I am quoting—

"...adopt the stronger health standard recommended by all 23 expert scientists on the EPA’s Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) that would protect millions more Americans."

It just seems to me that this would be a no-brainer. In the movies, if 23 different scientists from around the world said a meteor was about to destroy the earth, we'd unite against the common foe, call in John Wayne and Bruce Willis, etc.—but in the real world, no one can trust their teammates long enough to admit we have problems, which is a prerequisite to solving those problems. 

To recap Patrick Lencioni's 5 Dysfunctions of a Team...

"An Absence of Trust causes

Fear of Conflict, which causes

a Lack of Commitment, which causes

an Avoidance of Accountability, which causes

Inattention to results."

Ignoring the problems faced by any team—including our politicians—is the surest way never to solve the problems.