Pattern of Denial?
If it seems incredible that the federal government could deny the harm done to the majority of first responders and cleanup workers who now suffer from "trade center cough" or other chronic illnesses related to the aftermath of 9/11, it is worth remembering that it has also persisted in denying the existence of Gulf War Syndrome and the lingering deleterious effects of Agent Orange in Vietnam.
Tip o' the hat to Crooks and Liars.
Tip o' the hat to Crooks and Liars.
6 Comments:
It's stuff like this that made me hesitate to join Sierra Club; but I did anyway. Exactly what does this have to do with preserving our wilderness areas?
People will always go "off topic" to spout whatever venom that has invaded their mind. This is not to say this is right or wrong, but it is a good way to get people to go out of their way to ignore what they have to say.
Surely you must see how the release of toxins during a war relates to destruction of the environment. The Sierra Club has long been involved in issues of pollution, whether in wilderness areas or elsewhere.
Re: The first comment. If you joined the club thinking it was solely devoted to saving wilderness areas then you joined under a false impression. While wilderness preservation is still a major part of the SC's mission, by necessity, the club's work has expanded in many different directions, including energy issues, pollution concerns and the effect of environmental pollutants on human health. All three examples cited fall under the last category and, furthermore, touch on the question of whether or not we can trust our government to do the right thing.
Pat Joseph,
You're right. I will not be renewing. I want to give my support to an organization that focuses compeletely on preserving our wilderness areas.
It's my belief that John Muir would be ashamed of what the Sierra Club has become.
Well, that's up to you, and I wish you luck. As I said, the Club still sees wilderness conservation as a priority. Just not *the* priority.
As for Muir, why do you think he would be ashamed? Perhaps I'm mistaken, but I think the man who wrote that, "When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe," would have seen the connections between war and the environment, good governance and the environment, pollution and the environment well enough.
I also think he would have seen the urgency of dealing with global warming -- a definite priority for the Club. After all, what good is it to save the Everglades or coastal wetlands anywhere else in the world, if we stand by and watch them be inundated by the rise in sea level? Ditto coral reefs. And certainly he would have seen the bitter irony of a Glacier National Park with no glaciers.
By the way, I am NOT writing as a spokesman for the Sierra Club. These are just my opinions, which anyone is of course free to take issue with.
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