On December 28, at 7:30 p.m., in the Fairfield Public Library, about 30 people gathered for a forum on environmental issues. Jack Darin, Director of the Sierra Club, Illinois Chapter, was scheduled to speak (as an individual rather than for the Sierra Club) on behalf of progressive Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama but due to a snowstorm and subsequent railway accident, his Chicago train was held indefinitely at the station. Rohan Patel took his place. A Northwestern University graduate, Patel works with Steven Chasse–the Constituency & Grassroots Outreach Director for Iowa.He began working on Obama’s presidential campaign in January 2007, about which he feels ‘optimistic and fully committed.’
Patel began the forum by talking about Barack Obama’s environmental history, ranging from his initiation of laws to reduce mercury and lead poisoning to working for a Ralph Nader recycling offshoot–and to his personal commitment to cleaning up the air because one of his daughters has asthma. Patel then asked each attendee to introduce himself and to state his main concern for the environment.
As each person took a turn, occasional discussions broke out. But with the last self-introduction, all concerns were intangibly laid out. They ranged from the general to the specific–from the diminishing biodiversity of our entire planet to some of the issues bringing on our decline–global warming, Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and labeling, Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), carbon dioxide emissions from coal, corn-produced ethanol, and the danger in nuclear energy.
As a few attendees broached the subject of global warming, Bert Bell joked that it should be considered first or ‘we’re not going to [be around] to need [reformed] health care.’ Bell then brought up Obama’s interest in Sweden, whose government’s concern over global climate change has spurred them to lead the way in becoming ‘green’ with an ambition to achieve an ‘oil-free economy by 2020’, ‘without building more nuclear power plants.
Daniel Sheehan–chief counsel for the late Karen Silkwood estate suit against Kerr-McGee Corporation, a plutonium fuel plant–spoke up and said that Obama would have many more supporters if Obama ‘would change his position on nuclear power.’ Sheehan brought up the 1979 Three Mile Island nuclear power plant accident and stated that there should be a ‘moratorium on nuclear power plants.’ He said that no more money should be poured into the nuclear energy research that has already gone on for sixty years with no end in sight. He also said that ‘half of the money it takes to build a nuclear power plant [could be] put into alternative energy.’
Patel countered that Obama believes that we should ‘keep nuclear power in the mix [while] developing alternative energy.’ He said that Obama is against building more nuclear power plants. At the same time, Obama sees a need to figure out how to transport and store nuclear waste safely and to ensure that it is not vulnerable to terrorist attacks.
Obama is for a centralized repository for nuclear waste but he is against using the proposed Yucca Mountain in Nevada because, although it is composed of tuff (which experts believe would safely contain radioactive waste for the hundreds of thousands of years necessary to its decay), it lies on a fault-line–in fact, the mountain was formed by multiple large eruptions of a caldera volcano.
Patel addressed other issues. Obama is for mandatory labeling of genetically modified foods and is against the FDA’s food designation of Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS). Patel emphasized that Obama believes ‘the consumer has the right to know’ and that Obama is a forceful proponent of all Consumer Rights. Obama is also for Organic and Sustainable Agriculture. And in a Culture and Rural America Summit, he has addressed rural America concerns, including better-served health care.
Regarding payments to farmers, Obama believes that they should be capped at $250,000 so that mid-size farmers who really need them get them, rather than have millions of taxpayer dollars go to millionaire farmers. According to Patel, Obama believes that CAFOs should be monitored. Then, if they fall short of stringent air and water quality standards, they should be severely fined. In fact, Obama recommends that the federal funding of Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) should go only to smaller livestock operations because, otherwise, funding the larger ones–the greater polluters, who should pay for their own cleanup–basically ‘funds pollution.’
According to Patel, Obama promotes energy efficiency and is for the development of bio-fuels. (Obama drives a Ford Escape Hybrid). He is for ‘clean coal technology’ (liquid coal) only if it will ‘release at least twenty percent less carbon dioxide than [other conventional fuels such as] natural gas.’ There is a known link between carbon dioxide emissions and global warming. For the record, while only ten percent of Iowa’s energy comes from nuclear power, eighty percent comes from coal. Patel went on to say that Obama is for the development of bio-fuels–while conserving our land and water in the process. Obama has said that ethanol is costly but it is a ‘stepping stone to cellulosic ethanol.’ Cellulosic ethanol emits greater energy, is cleaner fuel, and is becoming cheaper to produce.
Although the meeting was still going strong, Graham Wilson, the field organizer for Obama in Jefferson County, politely interjected that we had the room until 9 p.m. and that it was now 8:56. Then, someone asked if Fairfield Mayor Ed Malloy had endorsed Senator Barack Obama. Wilson confirmed that he had–just today.
The room began breaking up. Patel looked at Attorney Daniel Sheehan and said, “I’d like to talk to you.” Sheehan nodded. With a few attendees gathering around him, Patel answered a few questions. When asked what he thought was the most important message to get across on behalf of Obama regarding the most controversial subject of the evening, nuclear power, he said, ‘Fund safety measures. There’s a lot of waste to deal with. There are 103 nuclear power plants [in our nation].’
A couple of participants approached Graham Wilson and asked him about Malloy’s endorsement. Wilson said that Malloy had talked to the Fairfield Ledger and also to Fairfield Iowa Radio News. Malloy said the following-
“I took a neutral position as we were coming into the campaign and I wrote letters to all of the candidates in the spring inviting them to visit Fairfield. Toward the end of the campaign, I wanted to support the person in the best position to lead our country.
Senator Barack Obama really impressed me as a great man of integrity, with a vision. He has a realist approach to policy and international negotiations, which our country needs at this time. I just feel because of those qualities and his strength of character that he would make a great president.”
First in the Nation Iowa Caucuses–Statewide–January 3, 2008 @ 6:30PM; Contact: Iowa Democratic Party, 515-244-7292; To find your caucus location, visit www.iowafirstcaucus.org
Note: Progressivism refers to a school of intercontinental social and political beliefs. It arose in the 19th century in ‘response to the vast changes brought by industrialization and as an alternative both to the traditional conservative response to social and economic issues and to the various more or less radical streams of socialism and anarchism [that] opposed them.’ ‘Progressivism historically advocates the advancement of workers’ rights and social justice.’ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressivism
http://www.bleedingheartland.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=60
http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2008/obama/obamaorgia.html
http://environment.about.com/od/renewableenergy/a/oilfreesweden.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yucca_Mountain
http://www.fairfieldiowaradio.com/news.cfm
