Last night, some friends and I watched Life and Debt. It's such a great film, an excellent critique of how the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are destroying Jamaica's economy in ways that simultaneously support, stabilize and encourage economic growth in countries like the US. Unfortunately, the economic situation in Jamaica is similar to that of many other countries, so Life and Debt serves as an modern economic biography not only of Jamaica, but of many of the countries in the global South and elsewhere.
I posted about this documentary once before, but at the time, I'd only seen the first third of the film and was frustrated because I didn't know how to resist or subvert these world financial organizations that only seem to exaggerate economic disparities and counteract efforts at social justice. I did not have an answer to the question this blog poses, "So what can I do?" But, thankfully, in the months since, I've come up with lots of ideas. Here are just a few:
* Buy local food and goods. Not only do you support your local economy, but you get fresher and better food.
* Volunteer your time and skills with an organization that works toward economic and social justice.
* Engage the media and hold them accountable for the stories they choose to present and the ways in which they present them.
* Pay off your debts so you'll have more money to support the causes that really matter and the organizations that make a difference.
* Shop with a purpose for the things you need and support your favorite non-profit organization at the same time.
* Invest responsibly so that your money is not used to increase economic disparities but instead is used to acheive economic justice.
* Buy fair trade food and goods from companies that pay their workers a living wage and do not rely on sweatshops.
* Live ethically and do the right thing even when it's unpopular, uncommon, unexpected or inconvenient; make sure your lifestyle reflects your values.
In the coming weeks, I will discuss some of the many organizations that are listed as resources in the Life and Debt DVD liner notes. These groups work for social justice and will give us numerous ways to get involved and make a difference. Learn more about free trade and fair trade, debt and development, globalization and democratization, and more. Sign up for free electronic newsletters and action alerts that will periodically remind you of the work that needs to be done and tell you how to do it. Engage in letter-writing, boycotts, and other campaigns to change economic policy in the US and elsewhere. Most importantly, take the small steps that everyone can do to decrease economic disparities and work for social and economic justice in your community and in your world.
Many thanks to Nana, Eron, Mawunyo and Kwadjo for an excellent discussion (and a fantastic dinner!). Y'all keep me on my toes, and I am grateful for your friendship.
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The Life and Debt website lists these links that allow you to "contact key decision-makers over some of the issues that we raise, or get involved with some campaigns that are working to make a difference."
Hey Wine Cat! Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed your visit and will read "So what can I do?" again soon.
I agree: these economic and social issues are interrelated. We'll never understand the full story of what's happening locally (e.g. layoffs, immigration law) until we understand what's happening globally (e.g. free trade, environmental damage).
PS: Next time we'll have to include a Georgia muscadine wine. The ones I've had have been pretty tasty. Arkansas even has a little wine country. Thanks for cooking!
Check out this link which talks bit about this post.
Here's the original version. I'm glad you like "So what can I do," Natalie! Thanks for spreading the word about this kind of work
Mesothelioma
• Mesothelioma Causes
• Mesothelioma Symptoms
• Mesothelioma Latency Period
• Mesothelioma Prognosis
• Mesothelioma Survivors
• Pleural Mesothelioma
• Peritoneal Mesothelioma
• Pericardial Mesothelioma
• Malignant Mesothelioma
• Mesothelioma Diagnosis
• Epithelial Mesothelioma
• Sarcomatoid Mesothelioma
• Mesothelioma Staging Systems
Treatment Options
• Mesothelioma Surgery
• Mesothelioma Radiation
• Mesothelioma Chemotherapy
• Mesothelioma Doctors
• Mesothelioma Cure
• Mesothelioma Clinical Trials
• Mesothelioma Cancer Centers
• Alternative Medicine
• Mesothelioma Support
Asbestos Cancer
• Cancer Facts
• Asbestos Cancer
• Lung Cancer
• Cancer Nutrition
Asbestos Info
• Asbestos Exposure
• Asbestos Types
• Asbestosis
• Asbestos Abatement
Exposure Areas
• Shipyards
• Metal Works
• Power Plants
• Chemical Plants
• Other Jobsites
• Occupations
• Asbestos Products
• State Index
• California
• Florida
• Illinois
• New York
• Virginia
Navy Veterans
• VA Claims
• Navy Ships
• Battleships
• Aircraft Carriers
• Cruisers
• Submarines
• Other Ships
Legal Options
• Mesothelioma Lawyer
• Mesothelioma Attorney
• Mesothelioma Compensation
• Mesothelioma Cases
• Mesothelioma Lawsuits
• Mesothelioma Settlements
• Mesothelioma Verdicts
• Mesothelioma Fund
• Trial Process
Symptoms of mesothelioma
may not appear until 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos. Shortness of breath, cough, and pain in the chest due to an accumulation of fluid in the pleural space are often symptoms of pleural mesothelioma.
Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma include weight loss and cachexia, abdominal swelling and pain due to ascites (a buildup of fluid in the abdominal cavity). Other symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma may include bowel obstruction, blood clotting abnormalities, anemia, and fever. If the cancer has spread beyond the mesothelium to other parts of the body, symptoms may include pain, trouble swallowing, or swelling of the neck or face.
These symptoms may be caused by mesothelioma or by other, less serious conditions.
Mesothelioma that affects the pleura can cause these signs and symptoms:
chest wall pain
pleural effusion, or fluid surrounding the lung
shortness of breath
fatigue or anemia
wheezing, hoarseness, or cough
blood in the sputum (fluid) coughed up (hemoptysis)
In severe cases, the person may have many tumor masses. The individual may develop a pneumothorax, or collapse of the lung. The disease may metastasize, or spread, to other parts of the body.
Tumors that affect the abdominal cavity often do not cause symptoms until they are at a late stage. Symptoms include:
abdominal pain
ascites, or an abnormal buildup of fluid in the abdomen
a mass in the abdomen
problems with bowel function
weight loss
In severe cases of the disease, the following signs and symptoms may be present:
blood clots in the veins, which may cause thrombophlebitis
disseminated intravascular coagulation, a disorder causing severe bleeding in many body organs
jaundice, or yellowing of the eyes and skin
low blood sugar level
pleural effusion
pulmonary emboli, or blood clots in the arteries of the lungs
severe ascites
A mesothelioma does not usually spread to the bone, brain, or adrenal glands. Pleural tumors are usually found only on one side of the lungs.
Asbestos is made up of microscopic fibers that may become airborne
when asbestos containing materials and products are damaged or
disturbed.
Most asbestos fibers are invisible to the unaided human eye because
their size. When asbestos fibers get into the air they may be inhaled
into the lungs or swallowed into he digestive system where they can
cause significant health problems. The word "asbestos" is derived from
a Greek adjective meaning inextinguishable.
There are three most commonly used types of asbestos: white, brown,
and blue. Brown and blue asbestos are most commonly associated with
mesothelioma.
Six minerals are defined as "asbestos" including: chrysotile, amosite,
crocidolite, tremolite, anthophyllite and actinolite.
Asbestos was used in many products that were made for protection from
heat and flame. This included clothing, such as gloves, to stuffing
asbestos insulation into electrical conduit, to using asbestos to make
fire proof cloth for use in power plants or petroleum refineries.
Asbestos also has excellent insulation and noise deadening qualities.
Asbestos was used in many construction products, including floor and
ceiling tiles and wall board. Any home built before 1978 probably
contains asbestos somewhere.
New Asbestos Cases
It has been well documented for many years that asbestos exposure can
result in the development of deadly cancers, particularly
Mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma has a latency period of 20 to 50 years after the first
exposure to asbestos. It is estimated that there will be about 250,000
cases of Mesothelioma before 2020.
There are currently about 3000 new cases of Mesothelioma diagnosed per
year, mostly in men over the age of 40. About 4,000 People die from
Mesothelioma every year, the rare cancer caused by asbestos exposure.
During the 20th century, some 30 million tons of asbestos were used in
industrial sites, homes, schools, shipyards and commercial buildings
in the U. S.
Through 2003, more than 700,000 People have filed claims against more
than 6,000 Asbestos companies. These same companies knew of the
dangers for many years before ever warning the public of those risks.
It is thought that around eight million people in the United States
have been exposed to asbestos over the past half a century, and many
more cases - are expected to be reported in the next 25 years.
The National Institute of Health in 1978 estimated that eight to
eleven million U.S. workers had been exposed to asbestos by that date.
In fact, by 1970, it is estimated that some 25 million tons of
asbestos were used in the U.S.
Asbestos And Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that is caused by exposure to
asbestos. Mesothelioma cancer comes from inhaling or digesting
asbestos dust particles. Mesothelioma is a life-threatening disease
and should not be left untreated. Most cases of mesothelioma begin in
the pleura or peritoneum.
Mesothelioma cancer occurs in the thin layer of tissue that covers
your internal organs (mesothelium). The mesothelium is a membrane that
covers and protects most of the internal organs of the body. It is
composed of two layers of cells: One layer immediately surrounds the
organ; the other forms a sac around it.
The mesothelium produces a lubricating fluid that is released between
these layers, allowing moving organs (such as the beating heart and
the expanding and contracting lungs) to glide easily against adjacent
structures.
Mesothelioma is most common in the pleura (outer lining of the lungs
and chest cavity), but it may also occur in the peritoneum (the lining
of the abdominal cavity) or the pericardium (a sac that surrounds the
heart).
Most people who develop mesothelioma have worked on jobs where they
inhaled asbestos particles, or they have been exposed to asbestos dust
and fibre in other ways, such as by washing the clothes of a family
member who worked with asbestos.
There are funds available for asbestos victims.
Asbestos Exposure
Millions of Americans and people all over the world have been poisoned
by toxic levels of asbestos, putting them at risk for mesothelioma,
asbestosis, lung cancer, and other deadly diseases that are directly
caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers.
Before the grave dangers of asbestos were known, and even for years
after the dangers were known, asbestos was used in literally thousands
of products that humans and animals encounter every day — particularly
in building components such as ceiling and floor tiles, walls, bricks
and stucco, and in automotive parts such as brakes and clutches.
People who worked in the asbestos industry or in fields in which
asbestos is used as a component of a product are most at risk for
mesothelioma.
Many individuals who have mesothelioma labored for years or even
decades in jobs that required frequent contact with asbestos. When
this mineral is mined, processed, woven, sprayed or otherwise
manipulated, its microscopic fibers can be released into the air,
where they may be inhaled, initiating the development of mesothelioma.
Asbestos exposure occurs when the asbestos that is in the products
becomes damaged. Once damaged, the asbestos fibers are released into
the air. The fibers are microscopic, smaller even than a grain of
pollen, and invisible to the naked eye. The asbestos fibers, if
inhaled or ingested, can become lodged into the body where it can
create severe medical problems.
Approximately 100,000 people in the United States have died, or will
die, from asbestos exposure related to ship building.
There were approximately 4.3 million shipyard workers in the United
States during WWII; for every thousand workers about 14 died of
mesothelioma and an unknown number died from asbestosis.
Occupations that have high rates of asbestos exposure include ship
builders, oil refinery workers, steel workers, power plant workers,
Navy shipyards, pipe fitters, auto workers, railroad workers and
construction workers.
Asbestos Symptoms
Asbestos symptoms include shortness of breath due to pleural effusion
(fluid between the lung and the chest wall) or chest wall pain, and
general symptoms such as weight loss.
Asbestos Signs and Symptoms:
abdominal pain
bowel function problems
chest wall pain
weight loss
pleural effusion, or fluid surrounding the lung
shortness of breath
fatigue or anemia
wheezing, hoarseness, or cough
blood in the sputum (fluid) coughed up (hemoptysis)
Asbestos Signs and Symptoms in Severe Cases:
blood clots in the veins, which may cause thrombophlebitis
disseminated intravascular coagulation, a disorder causing severe
bleeding in many body organs
jaundice, or yellowing of the eyes and skin
low blood sugar level
pleural effusion
pulmonary emboli, or blood clots in the arteries of the lungs
severe ascites
Asbestos and Asbestosis
Asbestosis is a scarring of lung tissue caused by the inhalation of
asbestos fibers. A portion of the fibers reach the alveoli (air sacs)
where oxygen is transferred into the blood. Asbestos activates the
lung's immune system and starts a reaction best described as an
inflammatory process.
Scavenger white blood cells (macrophages) try to break down the
asbestos (phagocytosis) but are not successful, causing other cells
(fibroblasts) to grow and form connective-tissue-based scars.
The formation of scar tissue or collagen in the lungs is known as
fibrosis. The scar tissue slowly builds up, often reducing the lung's
ability to deliver oxygen to the blood and remove carbon dioxide
(reduced diffusion capacity). The total lung capacity or TLC may also
be reduced. In severe cases, the impairment of lung function can
strain the heart, or even result in heart disease, such as right-sided
heart failure or "cor pulmonale."
The inflammatory process starts within hours or days after inhalation
of asbestos and injury at the cellular level begins shortly
thereafter. In people who develop asbestosis, the inflammatory process
continues to progress, fueled by indestructible asbestos fibers, even
after exposure to asbestos ceases.
This asbestosis inflammatory process may continue undetected for
decades causing no pain or respiratory symptoms. In many people, the
process eventually produces symptoms-breathing abnormalities and
radiographic changes. Usually, the first symptoms are shortness of
breath and a dry cough. These symptoms often precede abnormalities on
chest x-ray or pulmonary function tests. The period between exposure
and diagnosis is called "latency" and may range from 10 to 50 years.
Asbestosis is a chronic inflammation of the lungs. The inflammation is
a direct result of exposure to asbestos. Asbestosis is a progressive
disease with no cure. The inflammation causes shortness of breath,
which will get progressively worse as the disease progresses.
Physicians can treat some of the symptoms of asbestosis with auxiliary
oxygen, but it will not cure the disease. Death due to asbestosis
occurs by respiratory failure.
Asbestos and Smoking
Unlike lung cancer, there is no association between mesothelioma and
asbestos cancer and smoking.
Smoking does not appear to increase the risk of mesothelioma and
asbestos. However, the combination of smoking and asbestos exposure
significantly increases a person’s risk of developing cancer of the
lungs.
The Kent brand of cigarettes used asbestos in its filters for the
first few years of production in the 1950s and some cases of
mesothelioma and asbestos have resulted. Smoking modern cigarettes
does not appear to increase the risk of mesothelioma and asbestos.
The combination of smoking and asbestos exposure significantly
increases a person's risk of developing cancer of the airways (lung
cancer, bronchial carcinoma).
If you do smoke, stop. In addition to mesothelioma and asbestosis,
there is research that indicates that those who suffer from asbestos
exposure and smoke are at a greatly increased risk of developing
mesothelioma and asbestos lung cancer.
Asbestos Historical Usage
The name Asbestos was given to this mineral by the Ancient Greeks. The
word “Asbestos” literally means inextinguishable.
The Greeks termed asbestos the "miracle mineral" because of its soft
and pliant properties, as well as its ability to withstand heat.
The Greek geographer Strabo and the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder
noted that the material damaged lungs of slaves who wove it into
cloth.
Asbestos became increasingly popular among manufacturers and builders
in the late 19th century due to its resistance to heat, electricity
and chemical damage, its ability to absorb sound.
By the mid 20th century asbestos use included fire retardant coatings,
concrete, bricks, pipes and fireplace cement, heat, fire, and acid
resistant gaskets, pipe insulation, ceiling insulation, fireproof
drywall, flooring, roofing, lawn furniture, and drywall joint
compound.
Asbestos has been mined and used commercially since the late 1800s. It
was used widely used during World War II.
Asbestos Facts:
By 1970, it is estimated that some 25 million tons of asbestos were
used in the U.S.
A history of asbestos exposure in the workplace is reported in about
80 percent of all mesothelioma cases.
Eight million people in the United States have been exposed to
asbestos over the past half a century.
Studies estimate that approximately 3,000 different types of
commercial products include asbestos.
The National Institute of Health in 1978 estimated that eight to
eleven million U.S. workers had been exposed to asbestos by that date.
Through 2003, more than 700,000 People had filed claims against more
than 6,000 Asbestos companies.
Many building materials used in both public and domestic premises
prior to the banning of asbestos may still contain asbestos.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) set
limits for acceptable levels of asbestos exposure in the workplace.
In 2005, 2.2 million tons of asbestos were mined worldwide. Russia was
the largest producer with about 40% world share followed by China and
Kazakhstan.
The first documented death related to asbestos was in 1906. In the
early 1900s researchers began to notice a large number of early deaths
and lung problems in asbestos mining towns.
The term Mesothelioma was not used in medical literature until 1931,
and was not associated with asbestos until sometime in the 1940s.
Asbestos exposure becomes a health concern when high concentrations of
asbestos fibers are inhaled over a long time period.
Asbestos was used in the first 40 floors of the World Trade Center
towers causing an airborne contamination among lower Manhattan after
the towers collapsed in the attacks on September 11th, 2001
Inhaled asbestos fibers remain in the body and cannot be expelled.
Because of this, the fibers can easily penetrate body tissues and may
deposit themselves in airways and in the lung tissue.
It is estimated that 27.5 million Americans were exposed to asbestos
between 1940 and 1979.
Mesothelioma has a latency period of 20 to 50 years after the first
exposure to asbestos.
Many asbestos-containing products remain in buildings, ships,
industrial facilities and other environments where the fibers can
become airborne.
Mesothelioma from asbestos occurs more often in men than in women and
risk increases with age, but this disease can appear in either men or
women at any age.
Family members and others living with asbestos workers have an
increased risk of developing mesothelioma, and possibly other asbestos
related diseases.
If you are a grieving family member or executor of the will of a
person who has died from asbestos-related disease or mesothelioma, you
may be eligible to file a claim as well.
It is inhalation of asbestos fibers which can cause mesothelioma or
asbestos lung cancer. Even low exposure levels of the tiny fibers or
asbestos dust are very dangerous. After the 1980's workplace exposure
to asbestos became more rare, but it can take up to 40 years for signs
of mesothelioma asbestos lung cancer are noticed.
Most patients were exposed to asbestos fibers on the job or in the
workplace in what is known as occupational exposure. Another form of
exposure is called paraoccupational exposure. This form of asbestos
exposure can be harder to determine the source, but it is usually
contracted by a family member of someone who has been exposed in the
workplace.
Typically the family member is exposed to asbestos dust or fibers from
the worker's clothing, and when the clothing is handled the dust is
released and inhaled. Family members that are exposed in this way, may
be exposed to smaller amounts, but are still very much at risk.
In the same way, those that have homes or work work near facilities
that have asbestos may also be at risk even though there is not
obvious direct contact. The fine asbestos dust can easily be carried
by the wind over long distances.
In the past, some of the industries that could have been a source of
asbestos were factories, shipyards, power plants, oil refineries,
steel manufacturing plants, and any company or job site involved with
construction or the removal of old building materials. Often the
demolition of buildings that contain asbestos can release the dust
into the environment, and trucks hauling the materials can further
spread the fine asbestos fibers.
Likewise, people who live near these types of sites likely to have
asbestos around the facility are also at risk: refineries, power
plants, factories, shipyards, steel mills and building demolition are
types of work sites that can release asbestos fibers into the
environment and contaminate nearby residential neighborhoods.
Trades:
Manufacturing of asbestos products insulation, roofing, building, materials
Vehicle repair (brakes & clutches)
Construction workers and contractors
Maritime workers
Miners and drillmen
Offshore rust removals
Oil refinery workers
Power plants
Railway workers
Sand or abrasive manufacturers
Shipyards / ships / ship builders
Steel mills
Tile cutters
Occupations:
Auto Mechanics
Boiler makers
Bricklayers
Building Inspectors
Carpenters
Drywallers
Electricians
Floor Coverings
Furnace Workers
Glazers
Grinders
Hod carriers
Insulators
Iron workers
Laborers
Longshoremen
Maintenance workers
Merchant marines
Millwrights
Operating Engineers
Painters
Plasterers
Plumbers
Roofers
Sand blasters
Sheet metal workers
Steam fitters
Tile setters
Welders
United States Navy veterans
Welders
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