The editors of Green Health Watch Magazine, Nick Anderson and Jenny Spinner, are dedicated to reporting and giving the other side of the story on:

• how the way we live and the actions of Governments and Big Business affect our health
• the actions we can take to protect it, where known

They publish one of the best health magazines in the UK.

When collating, writing and editing the magazine, Jenny and Nick report the views of the original authors as faithfully as possible, expressing their own opinions as editorials, but it is obvious that they believe strongly in 'people before profit' and in people taking positive action to protect their health. This is not surprising given their backgrounds.

Nick Anderson
I have been interested in promoting fairer economic systems and ways of government since university, but it took a brain tumour in 1984 and two years convalescence to make the opportunity and space needed in my life to turn words into action. Raising awareness of the many factors affecting our health became a consuming interest.

I became a Green Party activist in 1985, eventually serving on the Party's Executive for eight years between 1987 and 1999. Over the same period, I directed the national medical charity Action for M.E. for three years and worked as course development manager for the Yoga for Health Foundation for three years. Whilst working at the Foundation I qualified as a yoga teacher.

In 2001 I moved Green Health Watch Magazine from Bristol to Forres (near Inverness, in Scotland) in order to be closer to my daughter, Amber, and am now her principal carer. I continue to work with Jenny (in Bristol) by telephone and email. Developing Green Health Watch Magazine, looking after Amber and developing my songwriting, musical and performance skills are now my main occupations.

Jenny Spinner
My focus on human health in an environmental context comes from my belief that much of the destruction and pollution of nature wouldn’t happen if every human life was valued. Classist and racist attitudes, in particular, make it easier for businesses and Governments to decide that some human lives are worth less than others and for the rest of us to go along with it. I believe that, if we took better care of our health and each other as a species, the biodiversity of our planet would automatically be protected.

My interest in all aspects of health led me to train and qualify as an acupuncturist, and has developed further since contracting M.E., as I research the possible underlying causes of such a mystifying disease. At present I live and work in Bristol where I am also exploring the potential of Qi Gong (an ancient Chinese energy practice) as a self-healing method.

I am also interested in the potential of local community as an antidote to our increasingly 'multinational' lifestyles and am the chairperson of a new housing co-op. I am involved in group work that looks at power dynamics between people, and belong to a counselling network which works with people to heal from the hurts of oppression.

History
Nick researched, wrote and published the first edition of Green Health Watch Magazine from his home in Glastonbury in March 1995. At that time it was called Health Facts and Fiction, a simple black and white photocopied document. The magazine was well received and editor and researcher Jenny Spinner came on board for the second and all subsequent editions.

From the second edition through to edition 17, the magazine was called Environment & Health News, graduating from photocopied document to printed journal, then relaunched as Green Health Watch Magazine in December 2000 (edition 18). From edition 27, the magazine has sported a full-colour cover to give it a higher profile in shops and other public places.

Green Health Watch Magazine is available both on paper (as a 24-page A4 magazine) or in electronic formats (PDF or plain email text).

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Sample news items
Free sample (in electronic format - PDF)

Green Health Watch Magazine - the other side of the story, a health magazine explaining how environmental pollution and the way we live affect our health.