Blue Vinyl

The Blue Vinyl's exposé of a product with a harmful cradle to grave life-cycle was not the first documentary I watched on the subject. A movie on the disposal of electronic or e-waste had a similar message of Judith’s film; these issues of disposal need to be answered soon. My interests in e-waste made it so that I paid keen attention to the documentary’s coverage of the production and disposal of PVC. The ubiquity of PVC in products such as house siding and water piping is a large problem in a future of phasing it out. In addition, I would like to know of more economical alternatives than wood purchased from Canada and paint purchased from overseas. Like Judith said, she can't imagine an ordinary family going through with the costs of eco-friendly house siding in replacement of PVC.

Blue Vinyl

This movie was a definite eye opener in a lot of ways. The journey Judith went to gather information about PVC was very detailed and informative, showing both sides of the argument in the case of PVC. Her constant pursuit of PVC information lead her down many roads, which she trudged through to deliver what was a clear message: the pros and cons of PVC. In a way, the facts about PVC are brutally honest to the point that it was upsetting: the regret that something used for so many important things, is toxic. It feels as if we really never learn our lesson when it comes to manufacturing products: the procedures these companies use will lead them to many toxic substances while the same protocols and budget calculations are similar to what was used decades ago.
As we become more informed as time goes on, it seems to annoy people a lot more when yet another product has health hazards. There are so many risks involved in so many things we use, I find it impossible to keep track of all of them. While being informed about many issues is vital, where do we stop? How should we prioritize what is and isn't important? I think one subtle lesson I learned from this experience is that nothing is perfect, and we should weigh the costs and benefits of the products we consume, or the things we endorse.

Blue Vinyl

Talking to my roommate today, I began describing in extensive detail about what I had learned from Blue Vinyl. The fact that I knew next to nothing about the hazards associated with PVC frightened me. How could a chemical so pervasive and intrinsic to our lifestyle be ignored so easily? I began to question what else I do not know about the products I am using. As a result, I feel very appreciative that Judith’s documentary brought these issues to light. Access to information is critical to making informed, ethical decisions and as Judith continually asks her family, "if you knew, would you still have purchased the vinyl?" Right to information is a crucial component of environmental justice, and I am thankful for the opportunity to be a more knowledgeable consumer.

However, what most affected about the film was the complexity of the situation. It is not like DDT where there are easily available substitutes. For those homeless women who were provided an affordable house by the Vinyl Institute, vinyl represented the gateway to meeting basic necessities such as shelter. In addition, Judith herself struggled with the high cost of alternatives. I wish everyone could afford straw houses and recycled wood but this is not feasible.

After reporting about the endless health problems inflicting the workers in Louisiana and Italy, my roommate countered that vinyl did not seem to pose any immediate risks to those not living near the factory. I then began recounting PVC’s most dangerous quality-its inability to be recycled. This aspect scares me the most. What we blindly create now will remain a problem for future generations. Even though vinyl may seem like the easiest solution at the present, I hope that our country can learn to approach the chemical industry from a more precautionary perspective.

-Tiffany

NOTE:

Insert "PCB" everywhere I wrote "PCV" :-)

Blue Vinyl

I found Blue Vinyl to be an eye-opening and very informative documentary by Judith Helfand. Judith followed the life of the vinyl used in her parents' home from its creation to its eventual recycling, and investigated every lead along the way, creating a thorough, comprehensive study and illustration of the vinyl industry.

Unsurprisingly, the documentary included many unsavory facts about vinyl, a material used a tremendous amount in day to day American life. Manufacturers of the polyvinyl chemical were being taken to court under criminal charges in Italy, and it seems that the industry has come under a lot of scrutiny as many countries begin to seek alternatives to PCB, a integral chemical in vinyl, and begin to phase-out the use of vinyl in many industries.

On the surface, the film is great. However, as a viewer, I had a very different reaction to the movie. On an intellectual level, I enjoyed it since I learned a great deal. On an emotional level, I was actually quite upset. I have vinyl on my home. Does my parents purchasing vinyl, making them a consumer of the vinyl industry, make them responsible in any way for the suffering of the towns in Louisiana and Kentucky where vinyl is manufactured? If there is lead in the paint on the exterior of my home and I choose to replace the painted surface with vinyl siding, would I be supporting putting other people's children in danger for the sake of protecting my own?

I feel that because Judith, in a way, guilted her parents into replacing their siding, she was making them feel as if they supported the vinyl industry by choosing one of its products for their home. This sounds a bit harsh and a bit unsettling, and I was certainly unsettled by the end of the documentary. Not enough to want to go to Louisiana and protest the industry, but enough to really become overwhelmed and shut down. After reading Poisoned Profits and watching Blue Vinyl, I'm left wondering what, if anything, I can do. It seems that the chemical industry is causing an outrageous amount of suffering but proves to have its hand supporting too many aspects of life to want to tear it down.

Right now, I'm thinking of all the different ways that the chemical industry is supporting my own life, and wondering how I will be affected later on down the road. I'm beginning to see bit by bit where small changes being taken can amount to large-scale differences in the world. I'm not saying I'm optimistic just yet, but maybe with some discussion on what is being done positively in the world, I'll feel a little better.

Blue Vinyl AND Poisoned Profits Response

I have a brief response to Poisoned Profits as well because I forgot to put my thoughts from that book into blog-form. So, about Poisoned Profits...I'm sorry I missed the discussion with the Shabecoffs because while I was reading I was wondering how difficult it must have been to document such a multitude of these injury/illness cases. The research they did was incredible, but I kept thinking about the emotional weight that they must have felt, too. I was glad though, that as the book the progressed it spoke to other key issues in addition to the emotional. The Shabecoffs recognize that we do need chemicals, and that in many cases the capitalist society we live in encourages the cheapest means to dispose of waste. I thought they had insightful and knowledgable advice to how we can get around these two issues and protect ourselves amidst all the chemicals to which we are exposed.

Now, about Blue Vinyl- I had seen this movie once before in a class I took my freshman year. The first time, the movie really introduced to me to this concept that materials can be most harmful in their production and disposal. Watching the movie today was a reminder of how dangerous this fact is, but I also saw it through a new light with regards to environmental justice issues, and all the environmental chemistry I have learned last semester and this summer. Judith remarked on the problem that vinyl is just cheaper to produce, which I think is a massive obstacle to overcome. The Shabecoffs touched upon this, not about vinyl specifically, but about the influences from capitalism. They suggested that the government needs to step in and motivate industry to produce and dispose cleanly. I really hope this film helps motivate action like that because it is frightening how such a widely-used product puts human lives on the line.

post test data doc!

https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AkFOO8eoO87JdG5oU3pveEZNbmdNZ2gyRUJCMVF5dEE&hl=en&authkey=CIr0tYkC

:)!
If you don't have full access to the doc, its because I didn't have your e-mail on hand, so comment with it and I'll share the doc with yaaaah!

Blue Vinyl Reponse

I found the movie "Blue Vinyl" very inspiring, as Judith Helfand addressed a large, and perhaps widely uknown, environmental issue. The film was informative, extremely funny (her father was great), and generally very well put together. Judith really did an excellent job of following each and every lead she found, and the people she interviewed were fascinating, especially the Venetian scientist and Bill, the lawyer with an enormous archive of information relevant to PCV and vinyl. I am greatly looking forward to meeting Judith, as I anticipate she will be a very engaging, open person.

After learning about the dangers of PVC and vinyl, however, I would like to know if any possible alternatives are being investigated for a product that is used worldwide in virtually everything. Judith seemed to explore many other types of exterior siding to use on her house, and in the end she could not find one that was not extremely expensive. It is great that Judith could afford to order special wood and have it shipped to her parent's home, but, as she freely admits, most people could not. As far as prioritizing the out-phasing of vinyl, I personally put it fairly low on the list, even behind things like the remediation of soil in residential areas contaminated by lead. Until alternatives are researched and developed, I do not think it is really even worth trying to eliminate the use of such a valuable product that itself is not harmful to humans. The production of vinyl is another story altogether, as it is clearly killing people in horrible ways. But why can regulations concerning factory conditions and environmental contamination of the lands surrounding the production facilities not be made stricter? The disposal of used vinyl is also a huge problem from an environmental standpoint, but there are external costs for everything, and virtually nothing can be produced without some sort of negative impact on something else. The bottom line for me is this: it is important that we begin to move away from vinyl, but not without a cost effective alternative in place, and its out-phasing should not take precedence over the plethora of other dangerous environmental issues that have the potential to harm many more people aside from those living near and working inside a few large factories.

Visual Assessment Google Doc

Here is the link to the compilation of all the visual assessments:

https://spreadsheets.google.com/a/brandeis.edu/ccc?key=0Al0dKyUt9fcKdGtfa0xiR25hanZSMHlSelgtMUJJcHc&hl=en&AuthEventSource=SSO

Special thanks to Matt and the rest of Worcester roots for creating the Google Doc and online visual assessment form.

Relevant to Environmental (not study) Interests

http://www.boston.com/yourtown/somerville/articles/2010/07/11/long_awaited_green_line_extension_to_somerville_medford_delayed_again/

I wasn't aware that the MBTA had a ton of environmental regulations to comply to, and that they're struggling to comply..

Urban gardens: Lead exposure, recontamination mechanisms,
and implications for remediation design
Heather F. Clark , Debra M. Hausladen, Daniel J. Brabander
Department of Geosciences, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA 02481, USA

a b s t r a c t
(m = micro)
Environmental lead contamination is prevalent in urban areas where soil represents a significant sink and pathway of exposure. This study characterizes the speciation of lead that is relevant to local recontamination and to human exposure in the backyard gardens of Roxbury and Dorchester, MA, USA. One hundred forty-one backyard gardens were tested by X-ray fluorescence, and 81% of gardens have lead levels above the US EPA action limit of 400 mg/g. Raised gardening beds are the in situ exposure reduction method used in the communities to promote urban gardening. Raised beds were tested for lead and the results showed that the lead concentration increased from an initial range of 150 +- 40 mg/g to an average of 336 mg/g over 4 years. The percent distribution of lead in the fine grain soil (less than 100 mm) and the trace metal signature of the raised beds support the conclusion that the mechanism of recontamination is wind-transported particles. Scanning electron microscopy and sequential extraction were used to characterize the speciation of lead, and the trace metal signature of the fine grain soil in both gardens and raised gardening beds is characteristic of lead-based paint. This study demonstrates that raised beds are a limited exposure reduction method and require maintenance to achieve exposure reduction goals. An exposure model was developed based on a suite of parameters that combine relevant values from the literature with site-specific quantification of exposure pathways. This model suggests that consumption of homegrown produce accounts for only 3% of children’s daily exposure of lead while ingestion of fine grained soil (less than 100 mm) accounts for 82% of the daily exposure. This study indicates that urban lead remediation on a yard-by-yard scale requires constant maintenance and that remediation may need to occur on a neighborhood-wide scale.

Worcester Data

Tried to compile as much data as I could onto one spreadsheet:

https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AkFOO8eoO87JdDBNa29pME42MlNURE13MGZ6VUVxc0E&hl=en&authkey=CJrFhJYH

let me know what you think! also all of the lead values are the total estimated lead contents of the samples, not what was extracted.

Tenant Advocacy Clinic

Last night two Heller School students, Masoud and "Slim," came into WATCH seeking advice on what to do about their missed court date. Coming from Afghanistan and Egypt a year ago, the students immediately signed a lease with Lupo, a notoriously deceitful landlord, and thus began a series of problems. The students had entered the clinic months before because Lupo had charged them an arbitrary agent's fee (without letting them know where the money was eventually deposited) and he neglected to fix major problems with the apartment. They had heard rumors that Lupo was dishonest, so they feared giving him their last months rent and never seeing their security deposit returned. Instead, they asked that the security deposit be used in lieu of their final months rent and wanted to be checked out immediately. He never responded and the students left for the summer believing they were finished with the situation. However, Lupo had secretly filed a complaint for lack of payment and apartment damages but sent the letter to their previous address. Consequently, they never received the court notice and missed their appointment. Therefore, last night, we had to refresh our knowledge of court appeal procedures in order to ensure that the students would not get charged. They left with the appeal and answer forms and a plan to submit these to the Waltham District Court this week. Their situation was frustrating and unfair but both boys held a positive attitude. Masoud said that as long as he can prevent Lupo from doing this to others, the whole process will be worth it.

Poisoned Profits

Poisoned Profits concludes with a section on corporate reform. The Shabecoff’s write, “Taming corporate power and its abuses will take far more than ineffectual regulatory Band-Aids, fines, and a few prison sentence” (251). Years ago the Shabecoff’s sounded the warning call against the over-powerful position of corporations in American society and the risks associated with treating businesses like people. These points remain pertinent to our country’s current situation. Ironically, before the Gulf oil spill on April 20, BP was a finalist for the Mineral Management Service’s SAFE award. It sadly took another major catastrophe to produce a public outcry, despite environmentalists reporting violations and lack of transparency in these companies for decades. Now the question remains whether or not the new regulations being put into place in Washington will remain simply a “Band-Aid.” The fact the Poisoned Profits did not receive the same controversial reception as Silent Spring in the 1960s worries me. The Shabecoff’s hoped that their book would inspire social action and transform the political structure, but as of yet, it does not seem to have sparked a call to action except within the academic strata. I hope someday this book will make it to mainstream audiences, because I believe it is an important overview of the dangers facing our planet.

Meeting the Shabecoff’s really added to the experience of reading the book. I was shocked to hear the NYTimes fired Philip for being too “pro-environment” but felt inspired to see a couple believe so passionately in these issues and willingly face adversity in order to share their message. Each of the speakers thus far on the JBS program finished by asking us what we plan to do to help the environment. I personally appreciate the challenge, especially since it is not a particular generation’s problem but requires the efforts of all ages and nations.
-Tiffany

Advocacy Clinic Monday Night

On Monday night an older woman came in right at seven o'clock, and immediately began talking about her difficulties (I can only remember her last name, so I'll just leave her anonymous). She quickly began telling Paul and I that the town of Newton was corrupt, and was only run by rich white men who only cared about themselves. She also claimed that she had been verbally and physically abused by both the police and other people in her apartment complex. In addition, the woman came in with a police report stating that several formal complaints had been filed against her by one of her neighbors, and that she was to appear in court on thursday. We advised her to ask for a lawyer once she got there (although she claimed that the court had previously denied her one for no reason), but then informed her that we could not really give legal advise because we are not lawyers (which she apparently not aware of, and she reacted angrily). The woman stated that her landlord had broken into her apartment about a year ago and stolen all of her belongings except for her clothes, so we gave her a form on how to file a grievance. But aside from that we could do very little for her except listen.

On a happier note, Junia came in a little before eight, and it appears as though she has found an apartment in Waltham that is in her price range. The problem is, she must pay 2,000 dollars for first and last months rent, and she only has 500 dollars in savings and 300 from her church. In order to raise the remaining 1200 dollars Paul and I drafted an letter to various organizations around Boston to see if any could contribute money to Junia's cause. Hopefully at least a few of them will be willing to give something, and Junia and her three children will be able to move into the new apartment by August 1.

Poisoned Profits

I thought the Shabecoffs covered the issue of chemical contamination in our modern environment with both emotional candor and solid empirical science. The suffering accrued and shear magnitude of all these individuals that were interviewed by the Shabecoffs brought a new insight into the shear scope of current environmental risks. The book definitely had an emotional aspect to it but it never caused the book to deviate from its sound presentations of how chemicals have become such a large part of modern living. The book gave a great overview of chemicals in our food, water, and air, and how companies have such an alarmingly powerful influence on government regulation. On a lighter note, really appreciated the appendix's of the book. There was great advice for what steps you could take as a person living in our modern world.

Plans for Stonehurst Saturday

Dear Crew,
Judy Fallows of Healthy Waltham, the Wayside fellows and the Waltham Land Trust are eager for your involvement this Saturday, 12-4pm at the community event at Stonehurst. Please let me know if you plan to go for any part.
All is planned already for you. Below is from Judy about your involvement in the activity and transportation options. (See earlier posting on blog about the event itself):

"We are planning the activity, all your students have to do is show up. There will be a couple of options, but the one we like the most is making a bookmark with things they find around the grounds - leaves, flower petals, etc. - and capturing them between clear sheets of contact paper. We will probably also do leaf rubbings, again they will need to hunt around and find suitable leaves. If your students come for a couple of hours, it would be terrific if they could come in shifts, so we have help with the activity throughout the 4 hours. We'll also have them keep an eye on the water station and help people get water to drink.
If some students could be there between noon and 4, that would be great, and if anybody wanted to stay beyond 4 and help with cleanup, I'd be glad to give them a ride back to Brandeis. There will be a shuttle bus (city trolley) going from the top of Moody St, past the common and out to Stonehurst several times that day, as part of the Historic Waltham Days deal. I don't have the schedule yet, but some of your students might be able to hop on the shuttle to get to Stonehurst.
I can discuss more on Thursday morning [at Brandeis garden.]I'll show up at 9 and perhaps can stay for 20 minutes,as I also have to get to Stonehurst to set up there."

Will you let me know if you plan to come, and for what portion?

See you tomorrow at "our" van in EAST lost at 10am, dirty plates and all!
Prof G

The Chili I made for you in Fall River. I also added a can of corn, and some Parmesan cheese.

Chicken Jack’s 3-Bean Chili
1 cup dried black beans

½ cup dried Spanish red beans

½ cup dried Italian white beans

2 tablespoons canola or olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, medium dice

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, medium dice

2 poblano peppers, seeds removed, medium dice

1 red pepper, medium dice

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon Mexican oregano

1 teaspoon cinnamon

4 cups vegetable broth

4 cups water

16 ounces fire-roasted tomatoes

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Soak the beans together overnight. Drain.

In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the onion, garlic, and jalapeno, poblano and red peppers; cook 5-10 minutes, until soft.

Add the cumin, chili powder, oregano, and cinnamon; cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes. Add beans; stir to evenly distribute seasonings, and add broth and water. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, leaving the pot uncovered; cook for at least 1 hour or until beans are tender to taste.

Add tomatoes. salt and pepper; continue simmering for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the chili has thickened. If at any time the liquid falls below the level of the bean mixture, add more broth or water to cover. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 10.

Poisoned Profits Response

When I first started reading Poisoned Profits I did not love it. Something about the way it was written bothered me, and I felt like every sentence was constructed in such a way as to rile people up, and really get them angry at the big "evil" chemical companies. This is the type of persuasive writing that always gets under my skin, because I do not think there is anything truly evil about a company seeking to maximize profits at the expense of the environment-it is simply extremely irresponsible and short-sighted. That being said, however, I started to come around when I realized how much research the Shabecoffs obviously had to do for this book, and the way the information was put together in an easy to understand, accessible story. Once I realized how the book was set up I became more interested; the first half gave numerous statistics regarding skyrocketing hazardous chemical production and the decrease in the health of many Americans (especially children). The second half then went on to describe how the system works, and how we can begin to correct this steadily worsening situation. Although I did not agree with everything that was said in the latter, it was nice to see that the authors were offering solutions instead of simply scaring everyone and telling them not to eat or touch anything.

I also thought it was great to be able to talk to the Shabecoffs via Skype, and it was really nice of them to take the time to figure out the technology and stick with us through all of the technical difficulties. Both offered a lot of insight into what went into the making of the book, and it was interesting to learn more about their careers. Something that really caught my attention was when Philip said that, although he was expecting to be harassed and sued by the big chemical companies when the book was released, he actually met very little opposition. Multi billion dollar companies would have no trouble making anyone's life a living hell, especially someone who wrote a book with pages and pages of statistics and numbers, not all of which could be totally defended if thoroughly investigated. I find it very interesting, then, that the chemical industry seemed to do exactly what the class suggested would have been in their best interest when going up against Rachel Carson, and that is completely ignore the book. Luckily, judging by the popularity of the book it appears as though the message has reached the people nonetheless, helping everyday American citizens to become more aware of what their children are exposed to. While this was not my absolute favorite book, I must admit that it did grow on me, and I would recommend it to anyone who does not see that mankind is truly destroying the only environment we have in virtually every imaginable way for the sake of profit.

Clinic 7/8/10

This past Thursday at the clinic, Hanna and I worked with a woman, Stephanie, who was hoping to move out of her apartment by August 13th. We helped her look up different apartments in towns around Boston. She is looking to live with an elderly woman as a housemate or to find a situation where she could exchange childcare or household work for living arrangements. She does currently live with her husband, but is worried that things between them will continue getting worse. She left the clinic with a bunch of places to call, but I think she was still very apprehensive about the whole situation. She is currently out of work, and though she has training as a nurse, the hospital wants her to be living in a stable environment before they rehire her.