About 2.5 years ago, I heard Lois Gibbs speak. Her story, as a resident affected by the environmental disaster at Love Canal, NY, served as a touchstone for the work I do IRL—as an environmental scientist, a large part of what I do is contaminant remediation. As I mark five years of doing my best... Continue Reading →
Taking a Trip Through Love Canal: The Real Rises (Part Two)
I woke up tired. I had left the conference’s inaugural party early, but co-workers had also decided to leave…only to initiate a pub crawl. They talked about hockey and hunting and (personal) history, things I could not speak to cleverly, nevermind when I was getting progressively drunker. I was about 128 ounces of beer into... Continue Reading →
Taking a Trip Through Love Canal: The Phony Night Before (Part One)
I had been half-drunk at a notorious Banff bar, packed shoulder to shoulder with people, when I realized with a very Salingeralian bitterness: “Everyone is so full of shit.” I had an hour or so ago traded my business card for a handful of drink tokens marked with the party’s sponsor for the inaugural night... Continue Reading →