March for Science, Truth, and the Tipping Point

Since the election of Donald Trump, and his subsequent inauguration on January 20, 2017, the world has experienced a palpable shift. Things changed that day, and the reverberations have been felt worldwide. I don’t think anyone could have predicted the global response to the election of Trump to the US presidency, and the proceeding events that would take shape.

I attended the March for Science in Washington, DC. Tens of thousands of people who joined this protest to lend their voice against what has effectively been a persistent attack on science, and a broader attack on facts. Like many of the recent protest rallies, the March for Science was held in cities all across the United States, and all across the globe. People, whether scientists or not, added their voices to a call for – enough. Enough.

Environment in the Crosshairs: Interview with Melanie Moore, Union of Concerned Scientists

In my interview with Melanie Moore from the Union of Concerned Scientists, we discuss how the environment is in the crosshairs.

Starting on the campaign trail, Donald Trump made clear his position on environmental protection. He promised to get rid of the EPA “in almost every form”.

Once elected he held those promises. Trump’s proposed budget would slash the EPA by about 31%. Grants to states, as well as its air and water programs, would be cut by 30 percent. The massive Chesapeake Bay cleanup project would virtually be eliminated in the next fiscal year.

The budget proposes the discontinuation of federal funding for the clean up of abandoned industrial sites, the Clean Power Plan, climate change research and international climate change programs. Altogether, it calls for the elimination of more than 50 programs within the agency.

Richard Nixon actually started the EPA back in 1970. It grew out of a conflagration of issues such as the publishing of the book “A Silent Spring” which documented poisoning of the environment with pesticides, rise in what was termed smog in growing cities, and…the moon landing. When astronauts landed on the moon and sent back to earth pictures of the beautiful blue, peaceful and fragile planet, the responsibility for caring for our celestial home became apparent.

Lead, Social Justice, & Environmental Racism

The ongoing crisis of contaminated water in Flint, Michigan has contributed to a growing discussion about social justice and environmental racism. Are we tacitly comfortable with environmental degradation in some areas, and not in others? For example, is a crisis of lead contaminated water in Flint acceptable, but unacceptable in Dearborn, Michigan? 

This episode covers lead and human health, including the disproportionate impact on pregnant women and children. I discuss with my guest, Ruth Long, the detrimental impact on health, especially for children, and sources of contamination. We also discuss measures you can take to protect yourself and your family from lead exposure, including extraordinary measures our guest had to take to protect her young children.

Our woman in the spotlight is Vandana Shiva, who was a pioneer in eco-feminism.