I had a great day today in Burlington seeing friends, making some arrangements for the new radio show at wbkm.org with Eric and Tony. I learned about something which actually I have heard about but not become particularly educated about. That is the issue of a chemical which is in the water supply for the Champlain Valley Water District serving some 68,000 people in Chittenden County, Vermont. The chemical is called chloramine and is the result of treating the water with both ammonia sulfate and chlorine. The reaction creates chloramine which is toxic. Allowing this toxic chemical in the water supply is a real smack in the face to Vermont’s green image. Unfortunately, since the incidence of illness falls below the statistical radar of the people in charge of the decision to have chloramine in the water, no legislators or government officials seem to be willing to champion the cause of safe drinking water for the Champlain Valley Water District. I wonder what kind of economic pressure such as consumer, tax revolt, or adverse effects on tourism, might get the attention of the folks in charge.
I also had a very clear thought on my drive home, it is this.
If we look at the world and see who is making the most trouble, it is the Abrahamics. Jews, Christians and Muslims, all in the name of Yahweh, or Jehova, or Allah, are savaging much of the world. Their religions have become corporate gangs and armies fighting over resources, control, and ideology.
This has got to stop.
Now, not all Abrahamics are engaged in war. It is the extremists, the fundamentalists, the orthodox. It is the groups that cling most strongly to their traditions, many of which are simply outdated for the challenges we face as a world.
Newsflash! It’s time to move forward rather than be controlled by the past.
It’s time for human beings to grow and behave like responsible adults. Everyone’s simply got to learn to accept difference. We don’t have to like everyone and not everyone’s going to like us but we all exist here together and either we get it together or we perish. And no wealth or military might is going to ultimately protect anyone.
I think that about says it.
19 May 2009
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4 comments:
Man - you're a deep thinker. i love that about you, baruch.
Thanks for putting the word out about chloramine, Baruch. Chloramine has caused 314 people (so far) to report respiratory, digestive and/or skin symptoms to People Concerned About Chloramine, a grass roots citizens group that formed when people started getting sick. If you live in one of the towns listed below and have had chronic problems that won't go away that have arisen since April, 2006- even under a doctor's care, please PLEASE report your symptoms to PCAC. It will help in the overall effort to get this crap out of our water. For more info., learn more specifically about symptoms, and to send me and email or call me, go to vce.org/chloramine.
Towns served by the champlain Water District are:
S. Burlington, Shelburne, Winooski, Willistin, Milton, Jericho Village, Essex, Essex Jct., and Colchester Fire Districts #1 and #3.
Burlington does not use chloramine and has no plans to, thank God, because that's where I have to take a shower- since chloramine went into my tap water in 4/06.
Ellen Powell
Hey Baruch,
Since I read an international newspaper now, I'm not so convinced anymore that the Abrahamics have any kind of near monopoly on troublemaking.
Not to let them off the hook or anything, but I read about plenty of horrendous human rights violations in the far east and Africa, in areas which are not at all Abrahamically dominated.
Perhaps they are simply the most visible from where you sit?
Well I think that one way to deal with that is to place a representative Law suit. For this you will need an ecological oriented lawyer who will represent the whole population of the affected area and sue the authorities. They usually work on a commission on the revenues won in court.
In the meantime drink mineral water or find a well or natural spring.
Maybe it is also possible to filter water. Worth checking.
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