D.O.A. (part 8)

"And Here We Test Our Powers Of Observation" - The Bad Plus

Environmental injustice and racism occur not only when policymakers violate... rights to free informed consent or equal treatment in siting decisions but also when risk assessors use biased scientific methods whose policy consequences de facto result in unjustified discrimination against people of color and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups (3).
“We are not going to be spending a lot of resources chasing something that is intermittent and the firefighters could not even detect,” Department of Agriculture’s pesticides program manager, Robert Boesch (4). Apparently there are no fields of cleome gynandra (a.k.a. "Stinkweed") close enough to the evacuated schools in Kekaha to impute as the reason for symptoms indicative of pesticide exposure (5). Despite recently cleared fields in the area being sprayed by Pioneer and their refusal to share the name of the chemicals applied with the public, even more preposterous specious explanations have been proposed. “Nothing we know of would have caused that,” Steve Lupkes, Pioneer site manager.“This morning the weather guy was talking about the vog hitting Kaua‘i (5).” Allowing Mr. Lupkes the benefit of doubt, perhaps he's never read an MSDS for pesticides Pioneer applies to their crops? It's a miracle that all the schools on Kauai and the state weren't evacuated, as the vog was statewide. According to David Gerow his comments to Adam Harju of The Garden Island Newspaper in reference to propane were printed out of context and without his knowledge of the events taking place in Kekaha. Mr. Harju used journalistic prerogative stating that officials were speculating the cause as being a delivery of propane in the vicinity (4). As per the gas company, propane is heavier than air. With a distance of over 1/4 mile between Kekaha School and St. Theresa's as the crow flies, there is not a vehicle large enough to hold the concentration of propane required to produce the symptoms expressed by children and adults including individuals in areas upwind of where the reported propane truck made it's delivery (6). And here we test our powers of observation.

1. "And Here We Test Our Powers Of Observation" - The Bad Plus : GIVE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OruzDa0He-g

2. Image: "Poison Prevention" 1-800-222-1212

http://www.healthline.com/

3."Environmental Racism and Biased Methods of Risk Assessment" by Daniel C. Wigley & Kristin S. Shrader-Frechette.

http://www.piercelaw.edu/risk/vol7/winter/wigley.htm

4. The Garden Island Newspaper , April 17, 2008

http://www.kauaiworld.com/articles/2008/04/17/news/news03.txt

5. The Garden Island Newspaper, April 15,2008

http://www.kauaiworld.com/articles/2008/04/16/news/news01.txt

6. Google Earth map - Kekaha School to St. Theresa's

http://www.box.net/shared/t5jlc7ysc0

C.B.P.R.

Community-Based Participatory Research

“A collaborative approach to research that equitably involves all partners in the research process and recognizes the unique strengths that each brings. CBPR begins with a research topic of importance to the community and has the aim of combining knowledge with action and achieving social change..." (1)

Maluhia Group(Maluia-WCMS) is organizing a "Community-Based Participatory Research" project in an effort to determine the genesis of multiple illness of children and adults living on Kauai's westside. In response to governmental agency failure in the monitoring, and protection of the public’s health and welfare this effort includes physician's, chemists, legislators, academics, parents and community members. If you are interested in joining this effort please contact us at maluiawcms@hotmail.com.

The principles that guide the practice of community-based research include:
*A collaborative enterprise between researchers and community members.
*Validates multiple sources of knowledge and promotes the use of multiple methods of discovery and dissemination of the knowledge produced.
*Has as its goal social action and social change. (2)

1. WK Kellogg Foundation Community Health Scholars Program
http://depts.washington.edu/ccph/cbpr/u1/u11.php
2. Center for Social Justice Research, Teaching & Service - Georgetown University
https://www1.georgetown.edu/centers/socialjustice/

Volatilization (part 1)

"to make volatile; especially : to cause to pass off in vapor" (1)

A primer for Hawaii State Dept. of Agriculture and Dept. Health officials.

"After field application, pesticides enter the various environmental compartments: the ground and surface waters, soil, plants and the atmosphere. Their occurrence in the atmosphere can occur as a result of drift during application or, subsequently, volatilization from soil, plants or surface water and by wind erosion. Pesticides may still be observed in the atmosphere after the treatment period has apparently ended in a region. Many observations and experimental studies highlight the contribution of volatilization to atmospheric contamination... This process may continue for several days or weeks after treatment, and even go on for several months... As a result, it causes the transfer of significant fractions of applied chemicals from treated surfaces into the atmosphere. Once they enter the atmosphere, chemicals may be transported over large distances (3)."

1. Merriam-Webster dictionary definition of "Volatilization":

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Volatilization
2. "Dissipation Pathways" diagram:
http://www.epa.gov/oppefed1/ecorisk_ders/terrestrial_field_dissipation.htm
3. Mass transfer of pesticides into the atmosphere by volatilization from soils and plants: overview
Carole BEDOS*, Pierre CELLIER, Raoul CALVET, Enrique BARRIUSO, Benoît GABRIELLE
http://crphyto.be/fichiers/Mass%20transfer%20of%20pesticides%20into%20the%20atmosphere.pdf