Love Canal - how one woman took on the government and won
Howdy,
We demonstrate how People Have the Power. This can admittedly sound like coffee cup wisdom unless you look back in history for examples. Lois Gibbs is one such example.
I was vaguely familiar with the Love Canal story when I listened to Lois on Ralph Nader's podcast. Here's the link and show notes:
Ralph Nader
In the spring of 1978, a 27 year-old housewife, Lois Gibbs, discovered that her child was attending an elementary school built next to a 20,000 ton, toxic-chemical dump in Niagara Falls, New York. Desperate to do something about it, she organized her neighbors into the Love Canal Homeowners Association. Her community organizing efforts eventually led President Jimmy Carter to deliver an Emergency Declaration, which moved 833 families from this dangerous area and signified victory for the grassroots community. On the heels of that victory, Lois created the Center for Health, Environment and Justice, an organization that has assisted over 11,000 grassroots groups with organizing, technical, and general information nationwide. She is the winner of numerous environmental awards and was the subject of a CBS TV movie entitled, “Lois Gibbs: The Love Canal Story.”
After listening to the show I was captivated. I immediately started looking for a first edition of Lois's seminal book, Love Canal - My Story. I highly recommend reading the book. The first edition is long out of print. But I found a used copy here:
Gibbs, Lois Marie
Lois's work led to the creation of the landmark Superfund sites. She is proof that regular people can organize, make a difference in their communities, and that People Have the Power.
Thank you Lois.
tty next time,
