Toxic Campaign Needs Assistance

To the Editors:

So, we’re moving into the heart of the semester and things are starting to fall into place. Your time is quickly filling up and all the work you have in front of you is very, very clear. Before things get too settled, though, I’d like to ask a favor of you. I want you to help me save lives, 80,500 lives a year, to be exact. And I also want you to help me prevent 13 million asthma attacks, 24,000 spontaneous abortions and 136,000 low-weight births. These statistics represent some of the health consequences of toxic pollution in our environment, and many of these consequences can be prevented by a public health system that tracks chronic diseases and their links to exposure to toxic chemicals. Unfortunately, right now there is no national network set up to perform this important task. That’s why Ohio PIRG’s Campaign Against Toxics has joined with other health advocacy groups to push for federal funding for a Nationwide Health Tracking Network. The network will not only track diseases and exposures, it will go into communities where a high prevalence of chronic disease has been located and work with citizens to find out what’s behind the high rates. Public health officials will then be able to use what they’ve learned not only to protect the health of that particular community but also to help prevent chronic diseases throughout the country. To make the Nationwide Health Tracking Network a reality we need your help. I know it’s a cliché, but it’s absolutely true. We need you.
And what would you be doing? It may surprise some people to know that members of Ohio PIRG don’t spend all of their time signing postcards, writing letters and trying to get other Obies to sign postcards and write letters. Shocking but true. As a matter of fact, during my three years with Ohio PIRG’s Toxics Campaign those are definitely the political activities that I’ve spent the least amount of time doing. Granted, I’ve probably offered a clipboard and a pen to thousands of people, but the vast majority of them haven’t been college students. I’ve been all across the state talking to people about important issues, giving out information, and, yes, gathering public comments. But even including these trips outside of the bubble, the vast majority of my time has been spent on another important task: organizing.
I’ve organized press conferences. I’ve organized public forums. I’ve organized meetings between citizens affected by pollution and their congressperson. I’ve worked closely with citizen groups, helping them to organize against the toxic threats in their communities. I’ve helped to build coalitions that will influence decision makers. These are the kinds of tasks that we’ll be doing this semester in the Toxics Campaign, and these are some of the skills that you’ll learn by getting involved. These are the skills that will help you be an effective activist and an effective citizen throughout your life.
So, if you’d like to get involved or if you just want to find out more, email the Toxics Campaign at ohiopirg@oberlin.edu or call x8137, or, better yet, stop by our meetings at 10 p.m. every Wednesday night in Wilder TBA.

–Mark Minett
College senior
Co-coordinator of Ohio PIRG’s Toxic Campaign