Perspectives on Our Right to Breathe:
A Workshop on Health, Air Quality, and Philly’s Energy Future

PSR Philadelphia and Philly Thrive held a public workshop on the state of Philadelphia’s air quality, and the impacts on public health from the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refining complex. This event brought together health professionals and members of the public concerned about the impact of air pollution on their communities, particularly residents living near the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refining complex. The event featured the community perspectives and the research of Dr. Tyra Bryant-Stephens, Dr. Marilyn Howarth and Dr. Peter DeCarlo. Dr. Tyra Bryant-Stephens, MD is the Medical Director of the Community Asthma Prevention Program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “Genetics loads the gun, environment pulls the trigger,” Dr. Bryant-Stephens presents common environmental causes and triggers of asthma in Philadelphia, particularly inside homes and among children, and effective ways to address them.