Midnight Oil

[Powderworks] LMOC: Blue Murder / Blue Sky Mining

Kate Parker Adams kate at dnki.net
Sun Jun 6 20:44:58 MDT 2004


The saddest thing about the whole mess isn't that it is all too horrible,
but that it is both all too horrible AND all too common.  In company towns
throughout the world, the story goes on.  Lead smelters, vinyl chloride
plants, asbestos manufacturers, and many many many other uncontrolled
industrial operations have poisoned and deformed those who live hard by
them, with a premium price paid for not caring and not following up.
Unfortunately, regulatory systems are built that way.  See no evil, hear no
evil, take responsibility for no evil.

You live close enough to the Great Lakes to know the tremendous amount of
pollution dumped into that inland marine ecosystem and the implications for
those who still subsist on the fish and live in the polluted communities.

Without going into great detail, the biggest issue with any of this is
CONSENT!  If I really wanted to find out the impacts of a chemical or
substance on human health, I would not be permitted a controlled human
exposure trial because it would violate every basic principle of medical
ethics that derive from the Nuremburg Trials and the Tuskeegee study on up.
Instead, I would have to manufacture a product using or containing the
toxin, expose the workers and community in the process, and then be a Good
Corporate Citizen for actually tracking the health outcomes.  Sick, but
true.  At least my research subjects, er .. employees would receive some
benefit for assuming the risks of exposure.  In most cases, people do not
get much if anything for their risks.

But that's another book I'm going to make you read someday ... when I can
get around to finishing it.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It's about time ... It's about space!
-X
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Kate Parker Adams
University of Massachusetts - Lowell
Department of Work Environment
Kitson 202A
Kate_Adams at uml.edu
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


-----Original Message-----
From: powderworks-bounces at cs-lists.cs.colorado.edu
[mailto:powderworks-bounces at cs-lists.cs.colorado.edu]On Behalf Of Rhonda
Sent: Sunday, June 06, 2004 9:25 PM
To: Jo Daley; Powderworks
Subject: Re: [Powderworks] LMOC: Blue Murder / Blue Sky Mining


Hi Jo,

Just finished the book early this afternoon, couldn't put it down.
 Still trying to totally absorb it...absolutely mind-numbing to think of
the implications.  Each successive chapter seemed more horrific than the
last, and I was often shocked into tears thinking of those people,
especially the little kids that did nothing but grow up there amid that
poison dust.

I hope the management of CSR and other parties responsible all rot in
hell....and I owe MO a thanks for opening my eyes to this situation.
 Likely never would have heard of Wittenoom (or Maralinga, for that
matter) from here, if not for them.

Cheers,
Rhonda


Jo Daley wrote:

> Hi Rhonda,
>
> Back when Blue Sky was released, I managed to get hold of this book at
> a local bookstore on thier clearout table for about $2.. It's
> certainly quite a read isn't it? I read it 14 years ago and numerous
> times since and I still try & avoid buying CSR products. Bit difficult
> at times as they are the major sugar producers here but succeed 95% of
> the time. It's quite horrible reading about their incredible callous
> attitude towards the workers. Big companies, you gotta love 'em- NOT!
>
> Cheers, Jo.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> "On the fields and farms of England, on the airstrips of the desert
> and the jungle, in the hangars of the Persian Gulf and on the tarmacs
> of the southern islands, I have walked and talked with God."
>
> Tom Cutter. Round The Bend, Nevil Shute.
> >From: Rhonda <kayak at sympatico.ca> >To: Powderworks
> <powderworks at cs-lists.cs.colorado.edu> >Subject: [Powderworks] LMOC:
> Blue Murder / Blue Sky Mining >Date: Fri, 04 Jun 2004 14:32:26 -0400 >
> >Just received in the mail today the Blue Murder book by Ben Hills
> >that inspired the Blue Sky Mining album, as a gift from a friend in
> >Oz. Not even finished with the Prologue and I'm hooked already....I
> >can see how the rest of today will be occupied. > >Who else has read
> this one? > >-Rhonda >
> >_______________________________________________ >Powderworks mailing
> list >Powderworks at cs-lists.cs.colorado.edu
> >http://cs-lists.cs.colorado.edu/mailman/listinfo/powderworks
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> FOXTEL Digital - Your ticket to cinema at home
> <http://g.msn.com/8HMBENAU/2737??PS=47575>



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