Independent UK: Gore takes cash for water campaign from chemical firm

[marmar]

This hurts my heart.:cry:



Gore takes cash for water campaign from chemical firm
Environmentalists condemn former vice-president for letting controversial company fund Life Earth

By Nina Lakhani
Sunday, 18 April 2010


Al Gore, the self-styled squeakiest-clean and deepest-green politician in American history, has some explaining to do this weekend. His environmental organisation has taken money to raise awareness about the need for clean water from a controversial chemicals company involved in the aftermath of one of the world's worst pollution disasters.

Dow Chemical, the US firm which now owns the leaking pesticides factory responsible for thousands of deaths in Bhopal, India, is sponsoring Life Earth events in 150 cities today. The event aims to raise money for clean water programmes. Research by environmental organisations has found dangerous levels of highly toxic chemicals in rivers, lakes and other water supplies close to several other factories owned by Dow and its subsidiaries in countries including the United States, Brazil and South Africa.

Dow's factories at its global headquarters in Midland, Michigan, have been accused of contaminating the region, including the Tittabawassee River floodplains, with high levels of dioxin – one of the "dirty dozen" most dangerous chemicals. In 2007, the highest level of dioxin contamination ever measured by the US Environmental Protection Agency was found in the Michigan Saginaw River. Residents are advised to avoid contact with river sediments and not to eat locally caught fish.

Campaigners are outraged by what they call Dow's "blatant attempt" to paint itself as a green company and divert attention from the Bhopal scandal, where 25 years after the 1984 disaster at the plant (then owned by Union Carbide) thousands of villagers are still forced to use contaminated water which causes birth defects, cancer and skin disorders. .........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/gore-takes-cash-for-water-campaign-from-chemical-firm-1947723.html

[gateley]

1. I say take the money since it goes for clean water programs, and

still keep the spotlight on Dow's duplicity and despicable lack of right action around the globe.

It's not as though Gore is going to become Dow's mouthpiece -- he wasn't "bought off" like several of our esteemed congresspeople and senators.

[Radical Activist]

2. So Gore didn't personally take any cash for himself

as the poorly worded headline implies. Very misleading choice of words. And the fact that this is Gore's group is news to me. I thought it was done by the same people who did Live Earth in the 80's.

Accepting money from DOW is less controversial that partnering with NBC (General Electric) for their global warming concert in '07. Did GE shut down their coal power plants yet?

[Warren Stupidity]

3. Ah another hit piece on Al Gore. How refreshing.

"Campaigners are outraged" - what an odd phrase that is. Now indeed the Bhopal disaster and Dow's failures to address its responsibilities are awful. And indeed perhaps Dow is attempting to buy good pr image with donations to environmental organizations, but 'Gore takes cash' - sorry that is spurious bullshit.