by Kathleen Logan Smith
Executive Director; Missouri Coalition
For The Environment
www.moenviron.org
Welcome to November, my digest edition. Soon the pandering and political mudslinging will be over. Your job this month: Choose. Decisions are made by those who show up, so show up.
In the elections, illuminate your choices about potential candidates by tracking who gives them money at http://www.opensecrets.org/. A democracy kept in the dark about election funders makes democracy sick and weak. Follow the money. Vote for the health of the planet and its people.
You also have more pleasant choices to make this month. The Missouri Coalition for the Environment invites you to soothe your soul at eARThworks: Art for an Endangered Planet, a month long show and sale which opens at the Regional Arts Commission Gallery November 2nd.
Sixty amazing regional artists have contributed their art for sale. You can purchase your favorite pieces in November or wait to enjoy the auction and party December 1st. In either case, proceeds benefit our work for clean water, ecological restoration, clean air, safe food and energy, and public health. You’ll be amused, amazed, and inspired by the works contributed for the show. The pieces range from whimsical to stunning and embrace many forms including sculpture, multimedia, photography, painting, and textiles. Contributing artists include Larry Frederick, creator of fabulous “Steampunk” lamps; Michael Bauermeister, the sculptor who took First Place in Wood in the St. Louis Art Fair this September; Todd Reigle, the widely collected sculptural artist; the eternally delightful Bugnitz clan; and the estate of esteemed colorist Bill Kohn. To view or purchase art or auction tickets online, go to www.moenviron.org or check us out on Twitter @Moearthworks and on Facebook at Earthworks Missouri.
When you attend our public meeting on St. Louis radioactive waste sites, November 13th, you can join us in advocating for removal of radioactive wastes from the Missouri River floodplain in St. Louis County. Details are being finalized at press time so visitwww.moenviron.org or call (314) 727-0600 for more information.
You can help the City of St. Louis make good choices by reviewing and commenting on the City’s Sustainability Plan at http://goo.gl/CxlPR. The plan is available for public comment through November 14th. You can comment online if you miss one of the public presentations. See the link for schedules.
You have very little choice when it comes to what is in your food, unless you grow your own. The fight in California over labeling food ingredients that contain Genetically Modified Organisms is focused on Prop 37, the GMO labeling law. For a technology that has scarcely been tested for its effects on human gastrointestinal health, reproductive health, and endocrine health, a label is not much to ask. Voters in California will make their choice November 6th. Missourians do not yet have that choice.
When you make your menu choices for your Thanksgiving feast, consider the planet and its inhabitants. Support no-chemical agriculture if your budget allows it. Follow your conscience when it comes to the meat you eat. Check out the new documentary American Meat (http://www.americanmeatfilm.com/) for an overview of meat production in the U.S. today.
Lastly, I am thankful for all of you who strive to be healthy and bring health to each other and to our planet. May you enjoy the season’s abundance.