Recently, there was a pretty big story in the U.S. media about levels of formaldehyde in FEMA trailers for Katrina refugees. FEMA, activists that they are, have been studying the issue for one and a half years. The substance, at higher concentrations, is a carcinogen and can irritate eyes, skin, and lungs, and possibly do further long-term damage. Now FEMA is contemplating what to do about this problem, talking of relocating people and prescribing that people leave their windows open, maintain a certain temperature, etc. Once summer hits, heat and humidity will cause the levels to increase, putting more people in danger.
First, let us take a step back when observing this problem. Two years, and New Orleans is still devastated. Two years, and thousands of people live in trailers or other cities. Two years, and homes are not rebuilt. Two years, and government still isn't taking proper measures to restore the city. Two years, and no firehouses. Two years, and the 9th ward is still in ruins. Two years later we have done nothing but leave these people to rot, while we try as a people to forget about the injustices done to those citizens by local, state, and federal officials. While we try to forget about the Superdome. While we try to forget about cops murdering people in cold blood. While we try and forget the refugees in our own country. These people are being forgotten, have slipped through the cracks and the people that are trying to lift them back up are celebrities of all people. Celebrities are stepping up to do what our government and we as a people are failing to do. They are remembering New Orleans, and doing what they can to rebuild it, and make life better for the people there.
What should FEMA do about the toxins in the trailers? One, they should be a loud voice telling the government to pump funds into residential redevelopment in New Orleans and other Katrina sites festering in poverty and inaction. Second, while the houses are rebuilt, they should give every trailer flowers. Boston Ferns and chrysanthemums *thanks Mr. J* are effective at removing formaldehyde from the air. And they're cheap and relatively low maintenance. It's so simple it hurts, and nobody is talking about it. Here I am, some kid in Las Vegas, who put two and two together to take the toxins from the trailers. Behold the flower power!
We as a nation shouldn't hide, nor should we sit on our asses and criticize. It's time to act up. Even if it's the donation that we can't really spare, or the letter to our government that won't be read, or changing that getaway trip into a reality check and volunteer spree, it's time that we start making choices to make things right. We can't wait on the world to change. We have to change it. And we have to start now. With a letter. With a donation. With a blog. With a letter. With an idea. With an action. We must be bold, open ourselves up, accept the heaping helping of failure shoved in our mouths like sand, and keep going.
Me? I'm gonna help make a documentary. Then I'm gonna start replacing light bulbs.
Conservatives starve agencies like FEMA, the Forest Service, the Education Department, etc. and staff them with their cohorts of industry. It turns into a fox in the henhouse scenario and when these agencies don't have enough funding to function, they point and say, oh look at how government has failed the people, democracy doesn't work. let's leave everything up to the corporations.
Every organism's heartbeat holds a universe of beauty at http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/green-underbelly