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Dear Supporter,
As seen by the recent victories in India, the community-based environmental monitoring that you are supporting is working: it is making a difference in the environment and the lives of people.
This past month, our partners in India won two important victories to protect the health of the community. Meanwhile, new Bucket Brigades have been launched and are taking samples in California's Central Valley, Colorado and New Mexico.
We also blog on the issue of pipeline safety in the wake of the explosion in the SF Bay Area.
Meanwhile, the stakes continue to rise over the battle for clean energy and dirty tar sands crude oil.
Thanks for your support for our work - whether it is through a tax-deductible donation or signing a petition to create change.
Sincerely,
Denny Larson
Executive Director
Global Community Monitor
Victories in India: Industrial moratorium extended and effluent plant shut down
Our partners in India continue to build off their environmental monitoring training to directly address pollution sources that are threatening the health of communities. In October , a government agency, responding to continued community advocacy, extended until March 2011 a moratorium on the construction of new factories in 3 critically polluted clusters in Tamil Nadu. Hard work is paying off with strong government action.
And, in Cuddalore, community activists finally won a government order to shut down an industrial effluent treatment plant that did not have its proper permits and was releasing discharges exceeding permitted levels into the ocean. Read more »
Frazier mountain region, Ca: Community fighting back against particulate matter
In October, GCM launched a Bucket Brigade in California's Central Valley to fight particulate matter which is threatening this pristine mountain community. Partnering with the TriCounty Watchdogs, community members are implementing a program to address pollution from cement plants as well as from diesel trucks which idle for hours. Read more »
Colorado and New Mexico: "FRacking" SAMPLES Reveal Toxics in Air
 GCM has recently launched Bucket Brigades in the Four Corners Area of the US Southwest to tackle the growing national problem of natural gas "fracking." Already bucket samples that these communities are taking are revealing a toxic soup of harmful chemicals near schools and homes.
Watch the video that will change your mind about "clean" natural gas »
tar sands oil: Stakes rise in pivotal battle for clean energy
 GCM continues to fight with a forward-looking coalition of refinery neighbors, Midwestern farmers, First Nation peoples from Canada and environmental organization to shift away from dirty energy sources like Canadian tar sands crude.
In South Dakota, the building of a tar sands refinery became a key issue in the gubernatorial debate. In Canada, famous film director James Cameron publicly took a stand on the tar sands issue committing to help First Nations take legal action against the oil pollution. Read more about the problems of tar sands »
Beyond the headlines: oil and gas pipeline safety
Digging deeper into the issues that led to the massive San Bruno natural gas pipeline disaster in Nothern California, GCM examined in a recent blog post the issues of oil and gas pipeline safety in the US.
And we advocate a solution that calls for a buffer zone to separate homes from the pipelines, the same kinds fo buffer zones that should be in place to protect families from the pollution at industrial facilities nationwide. Tell us what you think about buffer zones »
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