FEMA: Make It Right
Current TV just sucks me in. I keep watching pod after pod after pod. I was watching it tonight and on came a pod about New Orleans called “2 Yrs. in a FEMA Trailer.” I knew from the opening scene that it was going to be depressing…and I was right…not only depressing, but really just kinda pisses you off. Then I was thinking about how I wish this was more of a green story so I could put it on SCREAM. I remembered that I could maybe tie it to Make It Right. Finally there was a segment in the middle on off-gassing of formaldehyde in these trailers.
These cheap trailers which weren’t meant for people to live in long-term are made with so much toxic glue. Some of them are starting to off-gas even more the older they get. People have died from poisoning from the formaldehyde. Did I mention that it can cause cancer…or the burning feeling in your throat…or migranes? It’s a lovely chemical that is in pretty much every house in America in some fashion. Most people know about it from embalming, but its very common in construction materials. For some odd reason, interior grade plywood – like sub-flooring – has more formaldehyde than exterior-grade. So remember that next time you do a little project – use exterior-grade even inside. Buy low or no VOC paint and glues. You may not live in a FEMA trailer – a hot-box designed to sleep six somehow – filled with all kinds of toxic, fake materials, but you can make a choice in your own home to live freer of these toxins.
Back to Make It Right. This is an initiative by Brad Pitt to fight the fight in the Lower 9th Ward in NOLA. They’ve assembled a core team of experts and want to rebuild NOLA and not just rebuild it – but to rebuilt it using green, sustainable practices. Go to any large green blog or website and you’ll find loads of info on the Make It Right project – donate, buy some merch, whatever.
The Mission of Make It Right is clear: It is to be a catalyst for redevelopment of the Lower 9th Ward, by building a neighborhood comprised of safe and healthy homes that are inspired by Cradle to Cradle thinking, with an emphasis on a high quality of design, while preserving the spirit of the community’s culture. The goal is to accomplish this quickly, so that the first residents can begin returning to their homes as soon as possible.
Now – watch the video and get pissed off at our government (or just embarrassed) on these people who have basically been forgotten.
[...] Original post by SCREAM to be GREEN .::. join the ecolution [...]
I´m so glad that I live in the small country, Sweden.. We don´t get that many storms that you do in the U.S. and our livingstandards are waaaay better.. I hope that Bush gets kicked out of the White House and that someone that can think for himself can take over.. Preferrably someone that cares about the people.
Have a nice life, I´m praying for you all…
[...] Last month we wrote about the Current TV pod called 2 Years in a FEMA Trailer. Yes, it’s been over two years since Hurricane Katrina (and Rita) and there are 35,000 FEMA trailers still in use. Families of six people even in a tiny trailer. As the video shows, many of the trailers are built so poorly and have a very high concentration of formaldehyde. Many trailers are 5 times the levels of a normal home, but there are some that tested as much as 50 times the normal amount. Your eyes will start burning, get headaches, shortness of breath and you can get nose bleeds just from being in the enclosed trailer. [...]