Addressing Alaskans: Democracy in Crisis

Thu, January 7, 2010
Posted in Addressing Alaskans

A former Cordova “fisherm’ am”, Riki Ott experienced the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill first hand in 1989. To deal the the long-term impacts of the spill, today she is a public speaker, author, scientist and a citizen activist raising awareness about the “Democracy in Crisis.”

Comparing democracy to the great and powerful Oz, Riki Ott describes the hands behind the curtain pulling the levers in the United States government.

Hosted by BIONEERS in Alaska at the Snow Goose theater in Anchorage, Ott’s talk entitled “Democracy in Crisis: It’s Time to Change the Rules,” was recorded on December 9.

Download Audio (MP3)

RECORDED: Wednesday December 9, 2009

AIRED ON KSKA: Thursday, January 7, 2010 at 2:00 p.m.

REPEATS: Wednesday, January 13, 2010 at 9:00 p.m.

SPEAKER:

Riki Ott, author, marine biologist, public speaker, citizen activist

HOST: BIONEERS in Alaska

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Addressing Alaskans features local talks and conversations recorded at public events taking place in Southcentral, Alaska. A variety of local organizations host speakers addressing topics that matter to Alaskans. To let us know about an upcoming community event that you would like to hear on Addressing Alaskans, please Contact Us with details.

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Comments

One Response to “Addressing Alaskans: Democracy in Crisis”

Merle Savage on February 1, 2010 at 1:48 pm

Dr. Riki Ott has devoted her life to taking control from corporations and giving it back to people. I am only one of many workers whose quality of life was determined in 1989 by Exxon.

My name is Merle Savage; I was a female general foreman on three different barges during the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill (EVOS) beach cleanup in 1989. It was a challenging adventure with hazardous environmental conditions and demanding situations – which turned into 20 years of extensive health deterioration.

In 2007 I learned how toxic the hot water beach spraying was from Dr. Riki Ott. She also informed me that Exxon’s medical records and reports that surfaced in litigation brought by sick workers in 1994 had been sealed from the public, making it impossible to hold Exxon responsible for their actions.

Exxon developed the toxic spraying; OSHA, the Coast Guard, and the state of Alaska authorized the procedure; VECO and other Exxon contractors implemented it. Over 70 percent of the 11,000-plus work force was subjected to breathing in the toxic fumes 12-16 hours a day. Beach crews breathed in crude oil splashed off the rocks and into the air: the exposure turned into chronic breathing conditions and central nervous system problems, along with other massive health issues, which continues.

My website is devoted to searching for EVOS cleanup workers who have been exposed to the toxic spraying and are suffering from the same illnesses as me. Our summer employment turned into a death sentence for many — and a life of unending medical conditions for the rest.

Please view:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5632208859935499100
http://www.silenceinthesound.com/gallery.shtml http://www.silenceinthesound.com/stories.shtml
702-296-4211