I hope you received the October 3 eNews and read our article.
It reported that the Patagonia Environmental Fund awarded WILPF $12,000 for our new project, "The Pentagon: Exposing the Hidden Polluter of Water."
This Earth Democracy Issue Committee project is specifically focused on California, where we have twelve branches and more than 900 members. That's why we're writing you today.
The Major Themes of This Project
* Water Pollution by "Forever Chemicals"
* The Role of the Pentagon, Militarism and Endless War
*
Public and State Officials Want Action
These themes are described in more detail here.
Our Questions to You
- Do you live near a military base?
- Do you know of reports on clusters of illness, in particular cancers, near California military bases or in your community if you live near a military base?
- Would you like to host military pollution expert Pat Elder for a speaking event during March, 2020, when he is on tour?
- Would you like to attend the "Water, Military Pollution, and Health Forum" on March 21 in the San Francisco Bay Area? If so, could you help on that day in various ways to be worked out later?
- If we provide you with a draft Letter to the Editor or Op-Ed, would you be able to submit one to your local paper?
The Three-Part California Water Pollution Project
First,
Pat Elder is creating a project website (see miliarypoisons.org) and a database of California military base profiles, with a history of contamination and searchable by town and zip code. Pat will create a tool kit on how to do this kind of research. We'll continue to gather information and want to engage directly with those affected to highlight the conditions in these communities. Can you help us find these voices to include at local tour events or at our concluding forum in the San Francisco Bay Area?
Second
, during March 2020, Pat will join Nancy Price on a speaking tour hosted by our branches and collaborating organizations, such as Veterans for Peace chapters, and Code Pink, and World Beyond War members. Nancy has also begun to contact environmental, health, and water groups. One project goal is to bring together these groups with the peace movement.
Finally,
on March 21, the day before World Water Day, we'll hold our "Water, Military Pollution and Health Forum" -- featuring keynote speakers and workshops on:
* The Human Right to Water: UN and California
(In 2012 California added the human right to safe, sufficient, and affordable water to the State Water Code!)
*
Military Contamination: Bases, Daily Operations, and Endless War
* Health Effect of PFAS
On November 16, Join us at the Cluster Meeting in Santa Cruz for a presentation on this tour.
All
California WILPFers are invited to this sort of "mini-conference"! Cluster meetings occur only once a year, at most, and they provide an opportunity to meet many other WILPFers. The Santa Cruz Branch is doing all they can - including the option of local overnight hospitality - to make this Cluster welcoming and informative. We hope you can attend. Please contact
D. Nunns at
[email protected]
for more information (put Cluster in the subject line).
In November,
You Can Take Action Locally!
DARK WATERS
- Opens in theaters Nov. 22.
Mark Ruffalo, activist and "Dark Waters"producer, portrays a corporate lawyer turned activist. After years of work with the residents, they won a settlement of more than $600,000 against the corporate giant DuPont for toxic runoff from their chemical manufacturing plant into a local stream.
Print and hand out flyers
at local showings of "Dark Waters"!
Watch for the announcement when these
Earth Democracy fliers, The Pentagon: Hidden Polluter of Water, are available on our website.
We hope to meet you at the Cluster Meeting, a tour event and at the March 21 Forum.
Randa Solick and Nancy Price on behalf of the Earth Democracy Leadership Team
