I attended this lecture by Dr. Helen Caldicott at the McPherson Playhouse. She is an excellent speaker and tireless researcher on issues related to nuclear power. She told of her role in trying to stop France from doing air-borne testing of nuclear weapons over Tahiti in the 1970s. She challenged President Mitterand as to why he did not do this testing in the Mediterranean - only to be told that there is too high a population there! Clearly he valued the lives of people in Tahiti and Austrialia far less than Europeans! I was also struck by the high levels of radiation that still exist in areas of Europe as a result of the Chernobyl accident. Farmers in Britain are asked not to raise lambs, as they would be unhealthy to eat. All men on the planet have plutonium in their testicles as a result of Chernobyl. She also raised concern about the health effects of uranium mining in Australia - direct impacts of increased rates of cancer - raising it to a national issue in that country.r new blog post. | About me
I retired from the British Columbia public service in 2005, following a 28 year career. During this time I was a Senior Policy Analyst and at various times held responsibility for employment and labour relations policy, women's programs, child care policy, prepared reports to the International Labour Office, and managed domestic and international human rights, including preparing status reports on UN Conventions. I managed a $124 million child care subsidy program, and was the lead for British Columbia during Canada's ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. I also provided input to draft UN conventions on persons with disabilities, and the Declaration on the Rights of Aboriginal Persons. One of my favorite roles was representing British Columbia on the Provincial/Federal/Territorial Committee of Officials on Human Rights. From 1987 to 1990 Iheld the position of Alderman (as it was then) Victoria's City Council, with primarily responsibility for Parks and Heritage. Currently I hold the position of Chair of the World Community Service Committee of Victoria's Harbourside Rotary Club, and am busy drafting an application for funding for a clean water project in Honduras. I volunteer with seniors at Beacon Hill Villa, taking residents on outings, and have a blast volunteering in the soup kitchen at Our Place. I enjoy sewing, and have been an avid dragonboater. I have not paddled regularly the past couple of years, but I did sit in with the MS Warriors for a race in Nanaimo this summer. This is a team made up of people who have multiple sclerosis, and they are a very fun, inspiring group of people. ArchivesMarch 2011 Categories |
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