PIRGspectives PIRGspectives
OPIRG Newsletter Spring/Summer 2015
CHANGING THE WORLD
— ONE CUP AT A TIME
Michelle Usdenski
As university students, the majority of us consume quite an extensive amount of coffee and chocolate, but how many of us think about where they come from and the implications of our purchases? It’s quite mind boggling to think that such a small action, like buying coffee, can have such a huge impact on another person thousands of miles away. However, this is exactly what the Guatemalan Solidarity Working Group of OPIRG has taught me.
Worker wages can barely support basic needs like food and shelter let alone education which could help break the cycle of poverty for many families. Today, coffee alone accounts for roughly 90% of Guatemala’s exports and so, the country’s economy is heavily reliant on these sales. Yet, people working on plantations do not receive a proper wage because of cheaper competitors. Worker wages can barely support basic needs like food and shelter let alone education which could help break the cycle of poverty for many families. This is why it is important to be a mindful consumer. A first step in helping improve the lives of others is to buy Fair Trade products. This means that the consumer pays a little more money for the specific good that they are buying, knowing that more money will go to the worker. With Fair Trade, prices are negotiated between producers and traders based on factors like quality, and the price set will ensures that farmers can afford their average cost of production. In the case of workers, Fair Trade products ensure that they are paid at least the national minimum wage. This improvement in worker wages means that more people can more easily afford their daily living expenses such as food and shelter, and potentially save money for things like education. In addition, organisations receive a “Fair Trade pre-
mium” in which a certain sum of money will be put aside for use in community development. Farmers and other workers can use this money to invest in initiatives surrounding education, health, environment, and other issues affecting the community. With all of that, Fair Trade products are still affordable. Many different products are sold in the OPIRG office in MUSC 226. Through arrangements with organizations like Cocoa Camino and ChocoSol, products are sold at a fundraiser price, allowing students a discount, with the current best seller being the 100g chocolate bar for $3. The Guatemalan Solidarity Working Group is working to get Fair Trade more widely known on campus. Events are held for the purpose of spreading awareness of injustices and severe human rights violations that face Guatemalans today. If interested, the OPIRG Guatemala at McMaster Facebook group will keep you updated with upcoming events. Guatemala is just one of many places worldwide that have issues we can help solve through little changes in our own habits. With the effort of the Guatemalan Solidarity Working Group and conscious consumers, Guatemala will hopefully begin to experience incredible prosperity and fewer human rights violations. In this way, Guatemala can serve as an example of what could happen if more people were made aware of how their smallest actions can contribute to shaping the world. So next time you feel like you need coffee or chocolate, consider trying out something Fair Trade.
Photo by: Sadiyah Jamal
THE MISSING WINDOW:
TRACKING POLLUTION FROM THE OIL SANDS
WITH DR. JOHN SMOL
Ben Westerterp
The environment has been influenced by humans more so in the past few centuries than ever before. In an era where more soil is being moved through human processes rather than through natural processes, environmental concerns must be prioritized to prevent catastrophe. Dr. John Smol of Queen’s University visited Hamilton to discuss some of his fascinating contributions to the environmental community regarding the status of our fresh water lakes surrounding the oil sands development in Alberta. Dr. Smol explained how measuring pollution from the oil sands has been a controversial issue for scientists and the petroleum industry, partly because of the natural occurrence of bitumen-rich deposits in much of the subsurface sediment. This makes assessing a change in the level of industry associated compounds difficult over time. “The industry lacks baseline data,” said Dr. Smol, “without baseline data we cannot determine the pre-disturbance conditions.” In the case of the oil sands, monitoring programs in the past had not been accurately recording data, resulting in a “missing window” for environmental scientists to work off of.
Dr. Smol presented his research on the concentrations of PAHs – an isolated hydrocarbon that can be “fingerprinted” directly to the oil sands development – in the subsurface sediments of lakes within 50km proximity from the epicentre of the largest section of oil sands development. His study reconstructed the past few hundreds of years of a lake’s strata and found an exponential increase in the PAH levels since 1969 – the year
after the first development began. PAH levels in some of what were once isolated lakes, have reached similar levels to those of Lake Ontario. Similar trends were occurring, to a lesser extent, at proximity of 90km. After discussing his findings, Dr. Smol gave us a glimpse of how the political environment surrounding his analysis also presented challenges to his work. Utilizing the Access Act, a journalist was able to recover a government portrayal of Dr. Smol as having a “lack of neutrality”.
The environment has been influenced by humans more so in the past few centuries than ever before. What Dr. Smol teaches us is that current environmental assessments and reports from the oil sands can be arbitrary, due to the lack of baseline data to go off of and what are sometimes relatively short windows of environmental monitoring. Sometimes, the media can be used to inaccurately represent environmental consequences and may miss out on particular studies, as well as scientists that may end up going unheard. We are left to question our commitments to the economy over well-intentioned and innovative scientists such as Dr. Smol.
“We have released so much carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that our planet's atmosphere is now like a thick, heat-trapping blanket.� ~ David Suzuki
McMaster
The goal of our “Go Fossil Free” event was to raise awareness within the McMaster community about social justice and environmental issues surrounding 200 of the most pollutant fossil fuel companies. Such issues are typically seen as the “elephant in the room”, an idea brought to life with a 3D model. Accompanying Fossil Free McMaster was Hamilton 350 and the McMaster Indigenous Student Community Alliance. Students showed support by contributing to a fossil free community banner. Activists signed a divestment petition to have McMaster retract its $48 million investment in unsustainable fossil fuel companies. Natalie Plociennik
HEALTH CONCERNS ABOUT
INDOOR AIR POLLUTION! Julie Gordon
As a grandparent I am concerned about the health of all students. Indoor pollution is a problem that people are becoming more aware of due to allergies and sensitivities. But immediate reactions to indoor pollutants are only the tip of the iceberg. Long term health problems like cancer and learning disabilities and emotional problems from endocrine disruptors are on the increase. What can we do to prevent sickness? Artificial perfumes such as air fresheners and cleaning products and paints and art supplies may be causing more damage than we are aware of.
PVCs (polyvinyl chloride): One of the most versatile plastics has shown to be one of the most hazardous. PVCs are commonly used in building materials and tarps and shower curtains. People breathe in plastic fibers! Exposure to PVCs occurs through inhalation of workplace air when there are renovations. Low levels of the additive lead in workplace air can cause personality and behaviour changes, learning disabilities and lowered sperm count. Toxins collect in the fatty tissues, organs or bones, which may cause reproductive dysfunction and cancer.
VOCs (volatile organic compounds): VOCs are the vapours in Oil paints, and Solvents and contribute to indoor air pollution. VOC vapours occur from off gassing of cleaning products, disinfectants, paint, paint strippers, varnish, adhesives, glues and even art supplies. Breathing in dust and vapours can reduce brain function and impair the nervous system. It is recommended not to paint in the winter when opening windows is difficult or find other means of decorating e.g. wall paper.
PBDEs (poly brominated diphenyl ethers): Foams and plastics, clothes and bedding may contain flame-retardants which cause cancer, thyroid and neurodevelopmental problems and disrupt endocrine function.
If we cannot prevent the use of poisons in the school environment, plants can be grown in the school to improve the air quality.
Cleaning products: Poison control centers are aware of the problems caused by household and industrial cleansers. They can cause organ damage, respiratory, circulatory and reproductive problems because they are made of petrochemicals. Oxygen from plants! If we cannot prevent the use of poisons in the school environment, plants can be grown in the school to improve the air quality. Large oxygen producing plants improve the air of many government institutions and students could also benefits and try to offset the negative effects of indoor pollution. If an activity could threaten human health take precautions even if longterm harm is only suspected. Sources of information: 1) Hidden Exposures Reproduction and Pregnancy, produced by South Riverdale in collaboration with Toronto Public Health 2) Working Health and Safety Center • The Way It Works, Hazard Bulletins for Health Safety And Environmental Representatives, Resource Lines
During the Indigenous Women’s Campaign in February, MISCA and the MSU’s Women and Gender Equity Network partnered to present a Faceless Doll Workshop to raise awareness about missing and murdered Indigenous women throughout Canada. Members of the McMaster community were able to participate by making a faceless doll in MUSC. These dolls remain faceless to show that these women could be any female you may know. There were also images displayed that included details about a few of the hundreds of women who have been victims to these crimes.
Photos by: Allison Ouellette
RESOURCE REVIEW:
THE NFB’S SHIPBREAKERS Kevin Sulewski
Alang: a place where old ships go to die and the men who break them up for scrap die as well. On the surface, it makes sense. Transport old ocean-going ships to the developing worlds, tear them apart and recycle the steel and useable parts such as mattresses, appliances, furniture. Paradoxically, in the recycling process, an environmental disaster is created and, in the absence of labour laws, the workers are killed or maimed in the process, or die a lingering death from exposure to asbestos and/or the fumes from cutting torches. Alang is the largest ship breaking yard in the world. 40,000 men from impoverished rural India find work in Alang where the high risk jobs provide an escape from sheer poverty and hunger. A “living wage” is accepted in desperation by those without hope. International law prohibits the disposal of toxic waste across international borders — however, nothing prevents the sale of old and worn out ships to another company and their transportation across borders while still containing asbestos and other toxins used in their manufacturing. Under phantom owners and shell corporations, they end up on the beach in Alang — to be
cut apart by men using only their bare hands, cutting torches, winches and cranes. Many of these men die in the process: over 300 deaths occur annually. Health care and disability pensions are non-existent. The visual imagery of this film is spectacular and its message is clear. This 73 minute, National Film Board of Canada video will be of interest to those concerned about the environment, inequality of income, social justice and labour studies — and also to those with a love of the sea and ships that sail on them.
Under phantom owners and shell corporations, they end up on the beach in Alang... This DVD is available for loan from the OPIRG McMaster Resource Centre Link to NFB site for film: http://onf-nfb.gc.ca/en/our-collection/?idfilm=51361
MAKING CONNECTIONS Robyn Ocean
SOMEWHERE
IN BETWEEN
Sadiyah Jamal
somewhere in between “speak as sweetly as honey,” my mother always says. her skin is the shade of honey, my father’s the colour of cinnamon. i am somewhere in between. my mother’s hair is thick and dark, long curls that once reached her waist. my father’s is thinner, a little lighter, it’s never been past his shoulders. my hair has been both, but now i am somewhere in between. i have my father’s hands and my mother’s feet, my father’s mind and my mother’s heart. i see with his eyes, and i hear with her ears. my flesh has borne the brunt of nineteen winters’ cold, but my skin has also been kissed by the sun and the earth on the other side of the world. i know the world as two distinct places. one earth is where i was born, the other the source of the blood in my veins, but i live in a world that is neither here nor there. i am somewhere in between. “speak as sweetly as honey,” my mother always says. so with her words in mind, i say: try as you may to fit me into a box, to put me on one side of the border or on one end of the spectrum, but i am of neither and both, i am somewhere in between.
How do we create social change? If change is an outcome, an ending point, an accomplishment, we may be in a constant state of not arriving. It sounds exhausting to work towards something as if the process of the work isn't equally important and inspiring. Do we value the process, the journey, the adventure, the struggle? This year's Making Connections: OPIRG's Social Justice and Environment week is focused on enjoying the process of creating social change. The focus is on fun, engaging events that connect your cause with your heart and those of others. The word social comes from the Latin for allies. The term may have roots in war, but this resonates with the struggle towards justice and liberation that many of us have becomes soldiers of. We are allies, working together to support one another with our individual skills and passion. This is the movement for social change. It is hard, rewarding work. If you love what you do you'll never work a day in your life! Let's apply this to the work of inspiring positive social change. When we focus on the personal and professional transformation we experience when we join groups, develop resources, ask questions, plan events, speak out, create solutions, we are likely to enjoy the process more. In our capitalist, neo-liberal society, the outcome is where we put our focus and our energy. If we are so outcome, product focused, we are just reproducing the expectations of a dominant system that creates inequity. This year, we will focus on savouring the moment, building connections with people and causes, and enjoying the process of fighting for social change. Every time we get together and talk about important issues, open our minds to creative solutions, brainstorm, engage, share, collaborate, support, we are weaving a new web of connections. We can change our mental space. We can change our emotions. We can make better choices. We can imagine a better future. We can exist in the world in a better way. Wow. What power we have to create change! This year, check out the Making Connections events to feel inspired, connected and to have fun. A wise woman once said something about if there's no dancing, it's not her revolution. We have to celebrate as we struggle because in joy we find hope and in hope another world is possible. Come and celebrate with us.
BOARD PROFILES Margot Rosenberg
Lina Assi is a first year student at McMaster. Start-
ing next year, she will be double majoring in Political Science and Labour Studies. She wanted to become an OPIRG board member because she supports the issues the organization stands for such as social justice and environmental issues. “I love advocating for human rights, specifically in relation to anti-racism and police brutality. I focus heavily on anti-oppression work in extra-curricular activities,” she says. Lina was born and raised in Mississauga and went to Rick Hansen Secondary school there.
Alejandro Ramos
is in his third year at McMaster in Electrical and Biomedical Engineering, with hopes of continuing in those subjects as a postgraduate student. Ever since early childhood he has been inclined to help others in whatever means possible. He became aware of OPIRG primarily through his involvement with the working group Fossil Free McMaster. His desire to be more involved with the community motivated him to become a board member which has put him in contact with many like minded individuals, all contributing to a more just and socially responsible world. “I look forward to the many opportunities that will come to give back to the community and to develop my character,” he says. “Recent cultural and technological shifts demand that we make systemic societal changes that make PIRGs more relevant than ever. I hope that through my involvement with OPIRG I might be part of the work that will benefit the community at large.”
Zafrin Islam,
a new OPIRG board member, is a second year student in the biochemistry program at McMaster. Her goal is to do research in the biomedical field. She wanted to become a board member because she had worked with OPIRG for some time on the history archive project and wanted to take on a bigger role within OPIRG. Zafrin was born in Bangladesh, grew up in Vancouver and then moved to Ontario before starting high school. She likes to bake, read, watch TV and enjoys playing ultimate frisbee. Alejandro grew up in Mexico City and came to Canada at the age of 11. The experience of coming into a new culture made him deeply reflect on the origin and meaning of culture, belonging, and nationality. “Everyone I met that came from another nation had a story to tell. The diverse modes of being I was exposed to in a multicultural Toronto expanded my awareness and made history come alive.” He says his views on government, globalization, trade, foreign policy, and economics are still developing, but he knows one principle with regards to these is true, and that is that they are dynamic, subject to either positive or negative change. Emerging technologies are enabling dramatic changes to how we do health care, politics, media, transportation, food and communication. In these changes lie many opportunities to bring about a more positive future. Exploring some of these trends are amongst some of his favorite hobbies. This summer he will be doing a work term in Taiwan and is looking forward to picking up some Mandarin, learning the cuisine and expanding his culinary abilities. He enjoys cycling and hopes to take long cycling trips, sleeping under stars. He currently is reading Haruki Murakami. Some of his regular activities are swimming, guitar, chess and gardening.
BOARD PROFILES (CONTINUED)
Jonathon Patterson
farms). On the distribution side, he leads a local food hub on campus called Mac Farmstand where they sell produce on campus and raise awareness of why people should make the switch to local.
is a second year full time student in social geography at McMaster. His focus is on the geographies and sociology of people, where we live, why we live there, and how communities can work together to improve our lives.
“I am insatiably interested in how people tick, ways that we can collaborate, cluster, and find ways to combine our individual wants into solutions that benefit a larger community.” To that end he co-hosts a weekly radio show (This Is #HamOnt) which connects with leaders After attending Georgian College for business adminis- of local community organizations to raise awareness of tration, he spent about a decade working with a number the amazing work they are doing to improve people’s of organizations in the service sector in project manage- lives and make our city better. ment, travel, telecommunications, and sales. He realized that he no longer connected with the vision of organi- “Though I have come across OPIRG from afar many zations that were focused on little other than money. times, my first hands on experience with OPIRG was in He was motivated to head back to school to learn more September when Randy and a number of working group about our world, discover how communities can con- leaders came on my radio show for a conversation about nect, and how he can contribute to making them better what they are doing. Since then, I have become more interested in the organization through conversations and places to live. attending the consensus decision-making workshop. He is particularly interested in food systems, especially ways that those of us concentrated in large urban areas can feed ourselves more sustainably. He loves gardening and growing food so in addition to keeping a small balcony garden, he also volunteers as a site coordinator for the Hamilton Victory Gardens (a community organization that converts unused plots of land into urban
“The OPIRG method of supporting community volunteers and research is one that I really connect with so when this opportunity came up to join the board and contribute to the team that makes this support happen, I felt like it was a strong fit with my personal values and mission.”
STIGMATISING
don’t have access to it, these are questions that were not asked.
STIGMA
Sadiyah Jamal
I spent a couple hours with Food Not Bombs at the Weekly Serve this past Sunday, helping serve food and later cleaning up. After nearly two years of inactivity at McMaster, I had finally decided to get out there, and the experience was cold but enlightening. I went to the Right House with an open mind, only to return home that evening with opened eyes. When I told my parents where I was going to volunteer, they immediately jumped to conclusions about the people I was going to be serving. Assumptions were made about where these people lived (or where they didn’t), their substance-related habits, and their mental health. Why they may need food and why they
Food is a basic necessity, so why is it that so many have little to no access to food regularly? Why do we blame them rather than the systems that have failed them? Is this simply a reflection of what we are taught to think? Maybe if we blame individuals for their own unfortunate circumstances, we can ignore the large-scale failures of our institutions that allow these circumstances to exist. The stigma not only exists but flourishes because we fail to see past the lies we are presented with. Like many others, I didn’t have a very positive perspective of downtown Hamilton, not until this Sunday at least. I felt a strong sense of community amongst these people who were complete strangers to me, and I look forward to attending another Food Not Bombs Weekly Serve so I can return at least a little of the warmth and welcoming that I received that evening.
ABOUT OPIRG
A dynamic resource centre supporting student and community volunteers educating and taking action on important issues in the public interest, OPIRG empowers students and community with an emphasis on consensus decision making and anti-oppression as they engage in positive action for social justice and environmental issues. Get involved with one of our many volunteer working groups, attend free events on social justice and environmental issues, sign out material from our Resource Library in our office in the McMaster University Student Centre room 229, or become a member of the OPIRG Board of Directors.
CONTRIBUTORS
Writers: Michelle Usdenski, Ben Westerterp, Natalie Plociennik, Julie Gordon, Kevin Sulewski, Sadiyah Jamal, Margot Rosenberg Photographers: Allison Ouellette, Sadiyah Jamal, Randy Kay Editors: Randy Kay, Sadiyah Jamal Layout: Sadiyah Jamal
CONNECT WITH US! Visit our website at OPIRG.ca or find us on:
/OPIRG.McMaster @OPIRGMCMASTER /OPIRGmcmaster
OPIRG McMaster