Krissie Harman - Love Canal

I showed the Love Canal video and an article about the Fukushima Daiichi Plant to friends and roommates. I then asked,"Were you aware of that environmental tragedies of this magnitude still exist today?" These are their comments:

1.  I can't believe that stuff like that actually happens!!
2.  I had no idea that people could mutate from junk that that...
3. What about the children?!  Why on Earth would people stay there?
4.  Nope, I didn't realize stuff like this actually happens.
5. I never realized chemicals could do that much damage if not disposed of properly.
6. This is why America has such rigid regulation! If Japan had had that much, they'd be better off.
7.  This is so sad.  I never realized things like this still happen.  Why don't we ever hear about this kind of stuff on the news?
8.  That really sucks.  But, it'll never happen here in Provo so no need to fear.
9. I didn't know that these environmental problems still happened but, it's not like my new-found knowledge is going to change anything.
10.  Think of all the animals that were affected!  I know that environmental tragedies happen all the time, like with the Ducks in China!

Why should we care about something that happened over thirty years ago?

We should still care about environmental tragedies that happened years ago because alot of times, their negative affects still carry over for years and years. I mean really! Look at Chernobyl, the radiation damage to the land and people still are there today.  It's a scary thought, but definitely something we need to be aware of.

Do you believe that environmental crises affect you and your family today?

On the small scale, no. My family isn't near any place that has been plagued with such problems. But, on the larger scale, definitely.  The United States is not an isolated country.  When those that we trade with are hit with these problems, it has an adverse effect on us as well.  So when Japan's nuclear energy sources takes a hit so do we!

In your opinion, are environmental hazards something we should be concerned with on a daily basis?

I think not.  As long as we're keeping ourselves in line with the health standards given to us, I don't think this is something we need to worry ourselves with.  Save the regulations for the government.  There's a reason why we haven't had any drastic environmental problems in the U.S. for a while; our government is doing a good job, keeping things safe.