June 17, 2007

Inspiring words of Erin Brockovich

a forward from Gloria Hillard, NPR

Philosophy
April 16, 2007
People ask me all the time what I think and what my opinion is.Well, here are a few of my thoughts and beliefs:Everyone believes, because of the movie, that I am an environmental activist. I am often referred to as the environmentalist with cleavage. I do care a great deal about the environment but my real work and my greatest challenge is trying to overcome deceits that end up jeopardizing public health and safety.I am an advocate for awareness, the truth, and a person's right to know. I believe that in the absence of the truth, all of us stand helpless to defend ourselves, our families and our health, which is the greatest gift we have. As with everything, some people always go too far, too far to the right, too far to the left, and this is true of environmentalism and now, in many instances, our issues fall on a deaf ear. Often times we don't think about or worry about or understand what is happening to another until it happens to us. Deceits have no boundaries. Disease doesn't recognize the color of our skin or our political parties affiliation. When it comes to cover-ups and destruction of our environment, we our all up for grabs. A lot of times I am motivated or become very inspired by a cliché. They make me think and more often than not can be true. For example, "an informed citizen is the only true repository of the American will" - Thomas Jefferson. Oh how right he was. I believe that our perception of things become our reality. It is how you choose to see yourself, your character, that can actually determine your fate. Most people don't know that my favorite movie is not "Erin Brockovich" but "Pay It Forward". All of us should pay it forward but not with the expectation of seeing a reward, that is not why we do it. Pay if forward because it is the right thing to do, reward or not. If you follow your heart, if you listen to your gut, and if you extend your hand to help another, not for any agenda, but for the sake of humanity, you are going to find the truth.

June 9, 2007

Environmental Racism on Kauai's Westside



Like a prehistoric monster looking for it's prey, a chemical sprayer works it's way towards a building of classrooms on Waimea Canyon Middle School campus. With winds blowing towards campus it's sonance carried on the breeze strikes fear in children and adults knowing it's breath will soon cause discomfort, pain, illness, and possible future death. (see video)

Environmental racism can be defined as the intentional siting of hazardous waste sites, landfills, incinerators, and polluting industries in communities inhabited mainly by African-American, Hispanics, Native Americans, Asians, migrant farm workers, and the working poor. Minorities are particularly vulnerable because they are perceived as weak and passive citizens who will not fight back against the poisoning of their neighborhoods in fear that it may jeopardize jobs and economic survival (1). Environmental injustice and racism occur not only when policymakers violate minorities' 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 (2). 50 percent of Asian/Pacific Islanders and Native Americans are living in communities with one or more abandoned or uncontrolled toxic waste sites (1,2). A study by the Environmental Protection Agency concluded that socioeconomic conditions and race are the major factors determining environmental discrimination (3).

1. "Fighting Environmental Racism: A Selected Annotated Bibliography " by Irwin Weintraub,
http://ipmall.info/risk/vol7/winter/wigley.htm
2. "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
3. United States Environmental Protection Agency. 1992. Environmental Equity: Reducing Risk For All Communities. Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Policy Planning and Evaluation.

June 2, 2007

Pesticide 101

The following is a partial list of herbicide/pesticide/fungicides that have been used on Ag lands adjacent to Waimea Canyon Middle School during the 06-07 school year. Active chemical is listed and product name is in parentheses. Go to the Pesticide 101 for a spreadsheet summarizing symptoms caused as a result of exposure and toxicity of chemical.

Glyphosate (Touchdown Hitech)
EPTC (Eradicaine)
Mesotrione (Callisto)
Alachlor (Intrro)
Atrazine
Baccilus Thuringiensis (Xentari)
Chlorothalonil (Bravo)
Mancozeb
Carbaryl

Links for information about these chemicals can be found at:
http://www.pesticideinfo.org/Index.html
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ipcs/nicstart.html
http://hazard.com/msds/