Sunday, August 24, 2008

Media Release and Funeral Arrangements for Clare Hindman

GODSPEED, CLARE.  WE WERE GLAD TO KNOW YOU
 
Lois M. Speaker, Ph.D.
    South Fulton and Fayette Community Task Force
  
This week, in the midst of all the necessary activities that fill your life, take a few moments to think prayerfully about what Clare Hindman's family and friends and neighbors are undergoing as they bid her goodbye and turn off the machinery.  Think of Clare herself over the last two years, struggling to maintain her personhood and her identity as the symptoms of Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) ate relentlessly at her body, destroying her and all she held most dear.  And think about why this terrible disease might have happened to Clare, one of the most gracious, loving and gentle of Southern ladies, who led an active, healthy lifestyle surrounded by adoring family.  Consider that she might have died this frightful death chiefly because of where she lived, about half a mile from the so-called PSC "waste treatment" plant in south Fulton County.  [See "Waste plant stirs up stink," Atlanta Journal Constitution Metro Section page 1, Sept. 15, 2006; also see numerous articles, editorials, blogs and broadcasts by Ben Nelms and others published in the Citizen newspaper and website between May 2006 and the present).
 
Anyone who smelled the rotten garlic odor two years ago was exposed to the chemical associated with it, an oranophosphorus (OP) pesticide called ethoprop.  Scary as it may be, think of this happening to anyone among your own nearest and dearest.  OP poisoning might have sidled into your household, eventually attacking in the form of  ALS, other nervous system damage, cancer or any of a huge variety of the ills that flesh is heir to.   The rate of disease development may be slow – many cancers don't show up for several years – but it is inexorable.  Clare's ALS was atypical in many ways, increasing the suspicion that its cause was unique.  It worsened unusually fast, very rapidly taking away her speech, her ability to swallow, her independence at every level.  But every morning for as long as she could, says her daughter Cindy, "Mama got up in the morning and made herself pretty for the day."  Her usual outing with her husband was lunch at Chick-Fil-A in Peachtree City, where the staff would grind up her favorite menu and Earl would feed it to her through a tube.  
 
Why do I insist on telling you such unpleasant things, describing ugly and threatening conditions that could destroy your serenity?   Why should you react to the illness and death of Clare Hindman with a more generous passion than you usually feel at the death of a stranger?  After all, we can't yet prove beyond the shadow of a doubt (although experts in the field have been making great strides) that Clare's ALS was caused by the OP-laden air that pooled around her home every day for monthsBecause Clare was our neighbor, a friend to some of us, and because many of us were exposed to the same poison that she ingested.  
 
.  Nevertheless, we can show you long lists of others who also detected the horrendous odor and claim they were made ill by whatever was causing the odor and that many of their pets died because of it.   A statistical research team from the respected Veterinary School of a large midwestern university, analyzing data from pet clinics associated with a large chain of pet supply stores, found increased incidence of respiratory problems and eye inflammation in a 20-mile radius around the PSC plant during the period over which ethoprop was released. Does anyone seriously question whether the Tokyo subway deaths of several years ago were caused by Sarin (a "nerve gas" chemically related to PSC's MOCAP "waste?")   If so, the Japanese system of justice was grossly mistaken in convicting and punishing those who were found to be responsible.
 
Who is ultimately responsible for fixing these problems?  We are!  Only we can vote into office the men and women who will institute legislation to protect us.  In particular, Georgia governing officials at all levels must establish control over our rapidly cascading "real estate development" and its inevitable accompanying issues of waste creation and management.  Not tomorrow, but NOW!  Our present uncontrolled situation allows such grotesqueries as whipping up froths and fogs of pesticide-loaded mixtures and distributing them for months at a time over hundreds of square miles of formerly pristine countryside (the PSC "incident"); and, building new homes near Old National Highway virtually to the lip of active granite quarries.  Routine blasting by Vulcan Materials not only destroys the fabric of the homes but also creates an atmosphere laden with granite particles that can cause mesothelioma, an incurable lung condition
 
We all should care about Clare's death because she was a fine human being who probably would have enjoyed many more years of fulfilling life if PSC had been forbidden to repeatedly contaminate her environment with a material that is known to be so dangerous that a group of Nicaraguan banana workers recently was awarded $7million.  The court agreed that ethoprop had rendered these men sterile.  We should care about Clare's death because it may well mirror our own exposures to dangerous materials it the environment.  We should care about Clare's death because it is a warning:  "Take care," she tells us in effect, "be very aware of what you are ingesting from the water, the earth, the air, and what it may do to your body and, especially to your children's bodies, because they get higher doses of all environmental contaminants.  Take responsibility.  If you don't, who will? And when?" 
 
The environmental regulations in this state are pitiable, formulated in the mistaken and outdated notion that the best way to draw industry here is to offer "laizzez faire" across the board.  For all practical purposes, Georgia's industry can do whatever they want with whatever material they want, no holds barred and no matter who gets hurt. " Compliance" is a joke We require a new agency that understands and strongly enforces the proper management and disposal of reactants, products and waste materials, a capability that EPD does not have. We Georgians must elect educated officials who understand the importance of "cradle to grave" management of materials in a new era of environmental responsibility.  If she could, Clare Hindman would tell us that we need legislation to keep us from being a garbage can for more forward-thinking states like Alabama.  She was a lovely lady, and she is missed.  



FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

EVENING VISITATION 5-8PM - MONDAY AUGUST 25 - PARROT FUNERAL HOME -  http://www.parrottfuneralhome.com/

FUNERAL SERVICE - 11AM - TUESDAY AUGUST 26 - PEACHTREE CITY CHRISTIAN CHURCH -  http://www.ptcchristian.com/

GRAVESIDE SERVICE FOLLOWING FUNERAL SERVICE - BETHANY UNITED METHODIST -  http://www.gbgm-umc.org/bethany-fayetteville/

(The family has requested that in lieu of flowers please give to these organizations that were near and dear to Clare's heart - Peachtree City Christian Church http://www.ptcchristian.com/ - Action of Faith Ministries http://aofministries.org/ - Cystic Fibrosis Foundation http://www.cff.org/ )




Connie Thomas Biemiller, Chair
   South Fulton and Fayette Community Task Force
Environmental Institute of Georgia
770-314-6999

As Margaret Mead once said:

Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.









Our Dear Friend Clare Hindman Passed Away This Morning

Good Morning Neighbor:

Earl called me this morning to let me know that his dear, sweet Clare went home to her loving Father this morning at 3:30am.  All of the family was around her when she passed as Earl told a story of another past family adventure.  Clare loved stories and loved to laugh - she was a great story teller herself and even when she could no longer speak she would still try to tell me a story on paper when I came to visit.  

I will write more later today as funeral arrangements are confirmed.  The family asks for your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

Your neighbor,

Connie


 

Connie Thomas Biemiller, Chair
South Fulton and Fayette Community Task Force
Environmental Institute of Georgia
770-314-6999

As Margaret Mead once said:

Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.






Connie Thomas Biemiller, Chair
Environmental Institute of Georgia
770-314-6999

As Margaret Mead once said:

Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.





Monday, August 18, 2008

E Waste and Our Inside Track To The Democratic Convention

Good Evening Neighbor:

Well my heart was overcome with pain when I saw this video about the discarding of our Electronic Waste in Ghana http://www.thecommunityvoice.tv/video/277129-electronic-waste-in-ghana.html .  You will understand when you watch this video - it is no different than having pesticides dumped in your backyard because there are no laws to protect you.  The same for the people in Ghana because there are no laws of protection there - American Corporations can quickly disguise their garbage as second hand goods and literally dump them in their backyard.  After viewing this video, I began to research where our community might have some assurance when discarding our electronics to be truly recycled.  I spoke with Peggy Denby the Director of Keep America Beautiful in Atlanta.  They offer E Waste recycling and truly try to learn and have guarantees that the waste will not be dumped in another country.  Go to http://www.keepatlantabeautiful.org/programs/Grady-Midtown_rec-eWaste.pdf .

On a much brighter note,  I have had a wonderful call from Erin Marie Glynn who is an elected District 3 Congressional Delegate to the Democratic Convention.  She is an avid environmentalist and is employed by the Sierra Club as a Grassroots Organizer focusing on Energy Policy in Georgia.  She is very impressed with our website and would like to use it as a tool to inform us via blog, pictures and video to give us an insider's view into the convention.  She will be informing us on any environmental initiatives that become a part of the Democratic Platform as well.  So be sure to check the website http://www.thecommunityvoice.tv/on a daily basis in the coming days to hear from Erin - she may post some pre-convention news very soon and would love to have your blogs responses or questions.  

If anyone knows a Republican Delegate, please ask them to call me and post as well during the Republican Convention.

Your neighbor,

Connie



Connie Thomas Biemiller, Chair
South Fulton and Fayette Community Task Force
Environmental Institute of Georgia
770-314-6999

As Margaret Mead once said:

Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.








Thursday, August 07, 2008

Religious Congregations are going Green

Good Morning Neighbor:

I just returned from a trip to the Grand Canyon which was a vast reminder of our need to care for this earth and all of its beauty.  I have had the pleasure to get to know an organization that partners with Churches to help them promote this care for our earth - Georgia Interfaith Power and Light.  If you are a member of a congregation, please pass this website forward to your worship leaders - http://www.gipl.org/home.html .  I was reading through their most recent newsletter and it appears that there are ways you can help your place of worship to save money on its energy cost and provide educational materials for classes and special services.

I am also including this link  http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/06/technology/06green.html?_r=1&emc=tnt&tntemail1=y&oref=slogin - this article provides you a way to reduce the electrical cost of your personal computers for free.  I encourage you to take advantage of this - if each person on this community email list did this - our community alone would save more than $10,000 in energy cost - so I say let's get it done!!

Your neighbor,

Connie


Connie Biemiller, Chair
South Fulton and Fayette Community Task Force
Environmental Institute of Georgia
770-314-6999

As Margaret Mead once said:

Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.