Wellfleet Connects The Dots for Climate Impact Day

There were more cars than usual on Main Street this morning, under cloudy skies. Behind me, a shopper entered AIM, looking over her shoulder at the small crowd gathering in front of town hall. There were children, dogs, peace drummers, regular citizens, non-residents, all present to protest global warming and join Connect The Dots. It did feel exhilarating to be part of a worldwide movement like this one. I watched our leader, Harriet Korim, unfurl her Cape Cool 350 sign. Nearby two parents helped their three-year old with a Solar-Power sunflower sign. Deb Giza lifted high her globe, symbol for the earth, for the photo op. We then formed a circle and everyone had a chance to identify him or herself.

"I’m Brian, and I’m for whatever we can do to keep consciousness up,” said one man.

There were folks from Swampscott who actually came because of Wellfleet's listing on the Climate Dots page, so cool because they had never been to town before.

After personal statements, Chuck Cole led a version of “This Little Light” that began “From here in Wellfleet, out to all the world …”

A man rode by on a bike, pulling a stroller attachment. I was glad to see him biking, but also could not help but think about the world we have created for the toddlers, riding behind him, at car-exhaust level. Fortunately, the tarp covering the trailer was closed.

I thought of the pollution fossil fuels cause to the environment and my conversation this morning over breakfast with a guest from Indiana, a professor who studies rodents before birth. He said his research had recently expanded to preemies. We have more premature births in our country than in many others. He told me about the prevalence of omphalocle in Indiana (the baby is delivered with intestines outside the body) and gastroschisis, conditions which increase dramatically the closer parents live to Michigan, due to industrial pollution. The numbers are increasing, and the stats will soon be coming to an environmental news bulletin near you, one the media may or may not choose to report on.

Meanwhile, Harriet was saying, “Sometimes we feel so powerless … (faced by the corporations) … but we have amazing power when we get together. As the movement grows, the tides of awareness will increase.”

Brian led everyone in “This land is your land."

Before walking to Uncle Tim's Bridge, Harriet mentioned tomorrow is the 150th anniversary of the death of Thoreau, who walked Cape Cod's outer beach. “I have a feeling he would stand with us,” she added.

When the bridge was rebuilt, it was built higher, due to climate change, Harriet told me. The waters will rise. Check here on whether your state is prepared for the impact of climate change on its water resources.

Check out Wellfleet on the 350.org Web site, posted by Bill McKibben.

Gloomy Thoughts on a Rainy Day ...

Over the past year I have accumulated a lot of Facebook friends who care about the environment and worry about the state of the world. Every day there seems to be more evidence indicating toxic chemicals are bad for the environment or additional research showing climate change is very real. Why don’t our legislators do something about these important matters?

Take yesterday’s article from Scientific American: Scientists Warn Chemicals May Be Altering Breast Development. Or, last week, 60 Minutes, Australia, apparently different programming from 60 Minutes, USA, brought a clear warning entitled, The Toxic Truth. Why doesn’t 60 Minutes, USA, report on this topic, too?

Yesterday a friend shared the five-page essay by Al Gore that will soon appear in Rolling Stone, entitled Climate of Denial. This piece came only days after Chris Hedges’ article The Sky Really Is Falling and a warning from scientists about the disastrous state of the oceans, worse than anyone had previously thought. The message in this Huffington Post article was echoed yesterday by CBS News: Mass Extinction Threat “Significant” in Oceans.

Locally, attempts to protect drinking water seem to fall on deaf ears. Of course, there’s the Cape Cod struggle against NStar, but I also follow the hydro-fracking controversy in Pennsylvania and New York, amazed to realize that word has gone out to legislators to support natural gas drilling, even if it pollutes groundwater.

A Green Room guest this week told me about Padukah, Kenntucky, where the aquifer was contaminated with trichloroethylene (TCE) and technetium-99 (Tc-99). She said the town was able to drill 800 feet down and find a second aquifer. Now, relate that to Cape Cod’s situation. There is no second aquifer here. We have a sole-source aquifer. If NStar is allowed to proceed with its plan to apply up to five herbicides under the power lines, our water will be contaminated with traces of these toxic chemicals. Glyphosate exposure may create birth defects in the unborn child: it does in lab animals.

Did you know toxic chemicals are also disrupting reproduction? Denmark reports sperm counts down 50%. Certain endocrine disruptors mimic estrogen. You have, no doubt, read about the feminization of frogs. I believe the same thing is happening to humans ...

Facebook postings in the Middle East led to revolution. Sometimes I wonder if that is where this country is heading. I wish we could clone Senators Frank Lautenberg and Bernie Sanders, who are obviously not swayed by lobbyists.

I also read a blog called Attainable Sustainable, where writer Kris Bordessa recommends one small change a day, reviving the art of sustainability. I think we should all apply this approach. But, I’m no longer sure all our little changes will save us, based on what Al Gore says, if legislators continue to put the wishes of corporate funders first.

Any ideas on what it will take to turn this dismal situation around?