Last night, I went to Baker for the viewing of the documentary, Living Downstream. This is a book-made-movie, written by Sandra Steingraber. The documentary was described as the "connection between environmental pollution and cancer, as well as Sandra's own struggle."
Steingarber is a biologist living with the constant threat of her bladder cancer (that struck her at age 20) returning. She has been living with cancer for 30 years and, in that time, has been able to achieve a lot of recognition for her cause. Sandra's cause is simply fighting for cancer prevention just as hard as those who are diagnosed with cancer must fight for their lives.
Sandra was able to trace what she believes to be the origin of her cancer to a pesticide that many farmers upstream of her hometown have been using on their crops, atrazine. This harmful chemical not only kills weeds, but it runs-off into the river and contaminates her town's water supply, comes down with the rain and is even in the air supply. Almost every other house in her neighborhood has someone with cancer living in it. Atrazine is still used.
After the film, there was a panel discussion in which the audience was informed that there are roughly 200,000 chemicals used on a daily basis, 120 of which have received adequate safety testing. It is unbelievable.
Watch the youtube video: Ten Americans and do something.
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