Happy 2011 from Arlene

Dear Friends,

Our belated best wishes for a happy 2011. After our enjoyable holiday in Egypt, we certainly hope this wonderful country can find a peaceful transition to democracy and prosperity. Annalise and I enjoyed visiting the pyramids, temples, and tombs, a Nile cruise, hike up Mt Sinai, Red Sea snorkeling, and a great camel trip in the Sinai with hospitable Bedouins. In Jordan, we explored Petra and scrambled up Jabal um Adami, the highest peak. Annalise’s photos are at: http://picasaweb.google.com/annaliseblum/JordanAndEgyptDecember2010

In August we hiked around Mt. Blanc through France, Italy, and Switzerland. In Chamonix, we stayed with Maurice Herzog, who made the first ascent of Annapurna I, and brought him a copy of my book Annapurna a Woman’s Place, now happily back in print. I will lead a similar trip around Mt. Blanc in late August this year. Get in touch if you might like to join me. Annalise and I will do a short Nepal trek in April.

Annalise graduated from Stanford in June with a major in environmental engineering and a minor in comparative politics. In the fall, she worked on a hand hygiene research project in Kibera, a slum in Nairobi, Kenya. She currently has a fellowship to work with the Border Green Energy Team on the Thai-Burma border through March. You can read of her adventures on her blog: http://annaliseblum.blogspot.com. Annalise is looking for an engineering job back in the US when she returns in April.

I am honored to have been elected to the Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in the Societal Impacts of Science & Engineering. and continue to work with the Green Science Policy Institute to reduce toxics to prevent health problems. Some talks this year were for Obama’s inspiring GreenGov meeting in Washington DC, at the Brominated Flame Retardant meeting in Kyoto Japan, and being a Master Speaker Lecture at Greenbuild 2010 in Chicago.
You might enjoy short TEDx talk at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IDlb4N-_u4 (Or put in my name at yourtube.)

Some recent successes of Green Science Policy Institute include

  • The proposed California bed covering flammability standard was suspended so that pillows, comforters, and memory foam mattress pads are safe from toxics.
  • Strollers, infant carriers, and nursing pillows no longer need flame retardants
  • Our consensus statement on the adverse impacts of flame retardants signed by 205 scientists from 26 countries.
  • The US Green Building Council will give a LEED credit for not using halogenated flame retardants inside buildings which is a first.

Please join us on May 14-15, 2011, for the 28th annual Himalayan Fair which will bring the food, music, crafts and dances of the Himalayas to Live Oak Park in Berkeley.

Annalise and I wish you a peaceful, happy, and healthy 2011.
Love,
Arlene and Annalise


Arlene@arleneblum.com       annaliseblum@gmail.com
Arlene Blum PhD
Arlene@arleneblum.com
Visiting Scholar, Chemistry
University of California, Berkeley
Executive Director, Green Science Policy Institute
Telephone: 510 644-3164           Mobile: 510 919-6363
Web: www.greensciencepolicy.org, www.arleneblum.com