Category Archives: Environment

Pictured above: Dawn Chapman (Left) and Karen Nickel, co-founders of Just Moms STL.

By Don Corrigan

St. Louis residents have joined the rest of the nation in flocking to see the blockbuster, “Oppenheimer,” a movie about the making of the atomic bomb. Radioactive fallout from the new bomb descended over an area 250 miles by 200 miles in New Mexico.

The movie about the first atomic bomb brought renewed attention to Southwest U.S. residents downwind from the blast. Many are members of the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium, a group that feels they were poisoned by the explosion.

You don’t have to have seen the bright light, and felt the incredible rumble, however, to feel you have been affected by the bomb and the program for America’s nuclear arsenal. Just ask members of St. Louis County’s “Just Moms St. Louis.”

The Moms group has been fighting for the cleanup of radioactive waste in streams, creek beds, dumps and landfills near their homes. The huge amounts of waste are from the uranium processing that was necessary for making the bomb – and which was processed in St. Louis.

Instead of disposing of the waste in a responsible manner, chemical companies used careless contractors that dumped tons of radioactive waste throughout St. Louis County. Two radioactive dumping areas, which St. Louisans are familiar with from news coverage, are West Lake landfill and Coldwater Creek.

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Seed St. Louis announced today it received a grant for $60,000 from Bayer Fund, a philanthropic arm of Bayer in the U.S. In line with Bayer’s vision of health for all, hunger for none, this grant will be used towards building a better future by providing community groups in St. Louis City and St. Louis County with the education, resources, and a network to grow their own food. Having access to healthy, safe, and affordable food is crucial; the lack of access to foods that support healthy diets has a direct link to negative health outcomes.

“Seed St. Louis greatly appreciates the support from Bayer Fund through this grant. For years, Bayer has brought volunteers to community gardens and provided financial support for new and expanding community gardens. We look forward to growing this partnership into the future,” said Matt Schindler, CEO.

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Photos curtesy the Humane Society.

by Don Corrigan

Aunt Em and Uncle Henry could have done a much better job protecting Dorothy and her little dog, Toto, when that terrible Kansas tornado hit in 1939. The infamous storm launched the beloved twosome to the Land of Oz.

Your little Toto could fare much better in 2023. That’s because today’s weather experts excel at predicting and tracking tornadic storms. Also, animal care experts now offer plenty of tips for protecting pets when storms hit.

A severe storm in April dropped several tornados in the St. Louis area, including one in Fenton that was briefly headed toward Kirkwood. The recent outbreak prompted the Humane Society of Missouri to issue a tip sheet on storms and pets.

“With the recent tornado warnings across the state, the Humane Society decided to take time to remind pet owners of several essential tips to ensure the safety of their furry friends, and all their pets, said veterinarian Nicole Fulcher, director of the Animal Medical Center of the Missouri Humane Society.

“Weather in Missouri can be frightening, but by taking steps for proper preparation, we can ensure our pets remain protected during tornadoes and extreme weather events,” said Fulcher.

Fulcher said a good first step would be to make sure your pet is microchipped and a visit to AMCMA.org to schedule an appointment can help get that accomplished.

“One thing we learned from the 2011 tornado in Joplin is that many, many pets will run away and be lost for days and even weeks after such a horrific event,” said veterinarian Jennifer Pearl of the Humane Society’s Animal Medical Center.

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Pictured: John Hickey

Tornadic storms, periodic droughts, flash floods, erratic temperature shifts and unprecedented windy conditions have left many Americans wondering whether climate change is to blame.

The scientific consensus is that human beings must cut carbon pollution in order to avoid even worse impacts from climate change.  The good news is that there is broad public support for climate action now and policies to address climate change.

What might those policies look like? Among the possibilities:

– Protecting more forests and prairies to sequester carbon from the air.

– Updating state policies in order to encourage solar panels on commercial rooftops.

– Adopting building codes that require the use of modern energy efficiency standards.

– Building an extensive charging network to support transition to electric vehicles.

– Restoring the tree canopy in urban parks and neighborhoods.

The practical measures required to address climate change are available to be implemented now. According to John Hickey, the missing ingredient is trained activists who can lead these policy efforts.

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