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Jennifer Sass's Blog

About

Bio:

I grew up in the Canadian prairies where I learned to love open spaces, wild places, big skies, long summer nights, cozy cold winters, and the comfort of good friends. I came to the US as a post-doctoral student of toxicology and environmental health. After about a dozen successful years as a bench scientist conducting basic medical research, I wanted to transition into policy work. I joined NRDC in 2001 to work towards strengthening the regulation of toxic chemicals. When not in the office I like to hike, bike white water kayak, and walk my dog.

Roots in:
Canadian Prairies
Favorite place:
wild spaces, wild water, woods, rivers in the moonlight, my tent and a cozy sleeping bag, snow fall.
Why "environmentalism" matters:
I come to environmentalism from a history of social justice. My grandparents, parents, and siblings have all devoted their working lives to advocating for the rights and health of disempowered people. When I was a little girl my dad used to take me with him to inspect workplaces, and I remember clearly the smell and taste of slaughterhouse kill floors, the heat and dust of mining and processing plants, the noise of the steel foundry. My dad would blow his nose after our tour and only black dust would come out, and he would tell me that management showed him monitoring data as evidence that noise and dust levels were ‘legal’ and therefore ‘safe’. He taught me to listen to people, not devices and equipment, because they know what makes them sick. As an environmental scientist with NRDC, I advocate for disclosure of information, regard for scientific inquiry and facts, justice for disempowered people, honesty by government, and corporate accountability.

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