Robina Suwol

Robina Suwol is the founder and Executive Director of California Safe Schoolswww.calisafe.org. an internationally celebrated children's environmental health and justice coalition founded in 1998. California Safe Schools successfully spearheaded the most stringent schools pesticide use policy in the nation, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), at the Los Angeles Unified School District. IPM uses low risk methods to eradicate insects, weeds and other pests, eliminating a major source of indoor and outdoor pollution. It was the first in the United States to embrace the "Precautionary Principle" and "Right to Know" about pesticides used on school campuses.

The success of the Los Angeles Unified policy led to California Legislation, Healthy Schools Act 2000.

On October 6, 2005, Governor Schwarzenegger signed AB 405 ( Montanez) sponsored by California Safe Schools. This important law closes a loophole protecting more than 6 million California k-12 public school students, and hundreds of thousands of teachers and school employees from exposure to experimental pesticides whose health effects are unknown.

Robina is a two time Volvo Hero Award recipient (3rd & 5th), EnvironmentalProtection Agency Region IX - 2007 Environmental Award, Women of Spirit Award, and Los Angeles Children's Council Leading Boldly Award, Southcoast Air Quality Management District Environmental Stewardship Award, 2007 US Western Pollution Prevention Hero, and Prevention Magazine Hero.

Articles about Robina have appeared in "Ladies Home Journal", "Child Magazine", "Parent Magazine", "Prevention Magazine", "National Safety Council", "Children's Advocate", as well as the "Los Angeles Times", and "Daily News".

References

* Volvo for Life Awardshttp://www.volvoforlifeawards.com/cgi-bin/iowa/english/heros/hero2004/5428.html

United States Environmental Protection Agency 2007 Environmental Awardshttp://www.epa.gov/region09/presentations/2007AwardsGallery/pages/EnviroAwardWinners07%20012.html

Red Cross & Arnie Morton's Honor Robina Suwolhttp://www.prlog.org/10026721-wine-dinner-at-arnie-morton-the-steakhouse-honors-robina-suwol.html

Prevention Magazine Herohttp://www.prevention.com/hero/

EPA Honors Environmental Heroeshttp://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/8b770facf5edf6f185257359003fb69e/f91f51a3ebc5d954852572bf0081f95b!OpenDocument

Environmental Justice Conference 2008http://www.ejconference2008.org/images/Suwol_assoc_with_1_JPG_file.pdf

Bioneershttps://secure.bioneers.org/node/1388

Southcoast AQMD -Celebrates Clean Air Winnershttp://www.aqmd.gov/news1/2007/2007cleanairawards.html

August 24, 2007 Waste to Energy Proposal StudiedFebruary 27, 2007 Valley Mom Makes Campuses Saferhttp://www.dailynews.com/

Writer: Louis Sahagun March 30, 1998http://www.latimes.com

Clinton Foundationhttp://giving.clintonfoundation.org/node/243

Whole Children, Whole Planet Expo 2008http://www.wcwpexpo.com/RobinaBio.html

Jewish Journalhttp://www.jewishjournal.com/home/preview.php?id=7603

Writer: Carol Lynn MithersLadies' Home Journal May 2000http://www.lhj.com