In this new year of the Horse, when cultures celebrate a fresh start, I recall my own in 1976, when I migrated to our Roaring Fork Valley. My first statewide joy was to contribute to the plan by Governor Lamm and John Denver to expand I-70 through Glenwood Canyon without blasting a “typical four-lane.” They worked tirelessly for us, wild creatures and our Colorado River. It was a huge effort to create a way for wildlife to pass under and quench their thirst. Despite a mindless federal agency, the project guided countless communities. Wildlife lived here, longer than man. Animals would still walk to their river to drink. What was the federal plan? To let cars going 60 miles per hour in darkness hit the large creatures, causing accidents and backups?
Today we face a national health threat that could cause a North American continental health crisis for thousands of humans and other animals. In December, the SPEED (H.R.4776) PERMIT (H.R.3898) acts were passed by our U.S. House of Representatives. Our Third District representative, Jeff Hurd, voted for both.
Standard protocol is that the bills now go to the Senate. If 51 senators say “no,” then they do not become law. Essentially SPEED & PERMIT propose to override the National Environmental Policy Act of 1970. We already have too much poison in our water and air. These would allow more. Most of us know someone with a health issue from pollution — a breathing problem, a skin rash or, worse, a life-threatening disease.
My mother, a Colorado resident for 25 years, was diagnosed with lymphoma cancer at 79. A Boulder doctor tracked her life-threatening illness to starting in childhood and DDT use on her Maine farm. His research shows that accumulated toxins in humans results in disease. I was an instructor at the New England School of Osteopathic Medicine. My class was “Moving Energy for Healing,” and both the head of nursing and the assistant dean of the medical school attended regularly. We helped treat fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis and some cancers.
Physics proves that all matter starts as energy, so when we assess the energetic cause behind “dis-ease” we can heal. Countless scientists and true medical practitioners have proved that contaminants cause illness and death.
Through much effort over 1.5 years, my mother recovered from lymphoma, but many have died. Mother’s recovery required telephone consulting in Switzerland and following a local naturopath and an oncologist. She drank fresh juices daily and we kept her weight up. This toxin related disease also cost my family, Medicare and an insurance company thousands of dollars.
I’m a consumer in the Third District. I buy gasoline – though I saved years to buy an economical hybrid. I purchase used items and repair things. Instead of building more with few constraints, we need to retrofit and build green, because we must have clean water and air. Health comes first, for without that, we have nothing.
In consulting with Colorado Public Radio, I am told that these bills may be the House’s marker for negotiations and that they may not get a floor vote in the Senate. But how do we know? This is too big of a risk to take that chance. When I called Representative Hurd’s office on Friday, Dec. 12 and asked when the SPEED bill was planned for a vote, I suspect I was misinformed. I was told, “Not anytime soon, as we hope for more support.” I suspect the plan was to vote during the holidays because people were celebrating.
After 43 days and nights of worrying about poisoning more small animals and fish, I had another nightmare recently about our convoluted leadership system. More voters need to follow their heart and vote for individuals. Most vote for a “party” or the “lesser of two evils.” Do you? The U.S. is still the largest user of resources per capita on Earth. Are you thinking primarily of your own home, yard and family, or do you act to protect the lives of fellow humans and wildlife?
Each one of us can take responsibility for the governmental mess we’ve created. We must encourage honest people to run for office and serve, not combat. I am registered Independent and helped elect an Independent Maine governor, who then became a senator. He is not beholden to a destructive economy.
The solution to industry’s dangerous pollution is to require adequate filtering systems on equipment before releasing waste into our world. It is that simple. Were these bills to pass in our Senate, we could never clean it up. We are stewards of the watershed for the western states and our responsibility lies in protecting all life here and beyond.
Grateful that I live where I can write this.