Apopka, FL

So, my crazy worklife has slowed just a bit at the moment. Mostly, I'm taking the next couple weeks to do research on the various campaigns I've been running and get a good head start for next year. And learning more about things like why disinfectants are not more widely peroxide based since we all know that ones based on phenols and Quaternary ammonium compounds are pretty toxic.

I also decided that The New Yorker is too important to my quality of life to not renew my subscription, especially since they send notices with bigger and better discounts practically every week. I'm so easily swayed by good marketing. Damnit!

Anyways, I'm heading to visit the fam on Monday in Florida and I thought I should talk again about the situation in Apopka, Fl. The last time I visited there was probably in September. I did my own toxic tour of the area. Smelly, gross, and just disgusting that these people are being targeted by so many environmental harms.

Here is are a couple pictures I took during that tour:






The reason that Apopka has gotten any press at all is because of studies on alligators. They are increasingly being born with decreasing penis size. Our world's amphibian's are becoming the focus of many studies in the past several years that are linking our toxicity levels to developmental mutations. But in many cases we are leaving out the growing link between these animals reproductive problems and the growing developmental disorders of the people that live near these animals.

Here is an interesting article on the potential extinction of amphibians.

Happy Sunday!
Renee

It Doesn't Matter

I'm back.

I know you missed me.

You may not be surprised that I want many changes in this country. That i have many ideals similar to our next president. Not all, so be prepared that I am as sarcastic to him as I have been to all those that have run our country in the last many many years.

What I feel now is what has already been expressed by:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b80Bsw0UG-U&feature=related

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kf0x_TpDris&NR=1

I have no creative or unique things to say right now. Because we are not very different than what has come before. People are people.We will always be similar, we will always be alike and we should always stand up for one another because if we don't . . . well you may have a couple extra dollars but you don't have much else.

Renee Claire

Are We Too Poor To Care About The Planet?

I wonder what chemical industry new employee manuals look like:

Day One: Create outgoing voice mail message
Day Two: Read Tips on How to Scare Small Communities Memo
Day Three: Discuss new 401(k) plan with HR director

Do you think they also have those stupid mentor/mentoree (is that even the right word?) programs where the new employee visits a public hearing with a long term employee in a town that is trying to take back their right for self determination by deciding plastic bags are unnecessary in their community? I'm only suggesting this because I keep seeing that really big chemical lobby firms are showing up all over the place in rural communities. It's kind of weird that some guy that lives in Georgetown or Fairfax and works in Alexandria would fly up to Maine to discuss how banning single use plastic bags hurts small business and community. It just has to be part of the new employee training program for ACC. I mean really . . only freshman employees should have to do something so humiliating.

But my real reason for this post is the scare mongering of the chemical industry during the economic crisis we are all facing. I keep seeing articles about how we may have to rethink how important this green movement we have going on because soon we are going to be too poor to care about that kind of stuff. There was this absurd article on the front page of MSN.com that was titled: Will Any Money Be Left For the Environment?


Day Four: Talk in public about how being 'green' is anti-business.

Employee manuals are so predictable.