Sandra Steingraber on Contamination Without Consent

Sandra Steingraber is a biologist, professor, writer and environmental health expert. In the tradition of Rachel Carson she is a leading voice alerting the public to toxic trespassing and the dangers posed by fracking. She is the author of Living Downstream: An Ecologist Looks at Cancer and the Environment and Raising Elijah.

When faced with injustice what options are open to people? Turn away and ignore it or confront it? The destruction of the environment is an injustice. We are turning parts of the Earth into a toxic waste dump. What comforts are we willing to give up to protect Mother Nature? Will we make real sacrifices or simply kick the ball down the road and be content with placebos like shopping differently? The planet is facing a medical emergency. In response, activists are sitting in, chaining themselves to fences and blocking roads. Some, like Sandra Steingraber go to jail in upstate New York in protest of fracking. "My small, non-violent act" she says, "is set against a larger, more violent one: the trespass of hazardous chemicals into water and air and thereby into our bodies. This is a form of toxic trespass.“