JONESIE: When facts get in the way of a news story
Overheard in the newsroom, (kinda')
Reporter: There’s a protest in West Kelowna again today. All the major provincial media have done stories on it already. Shouldn’t we do something on it?
Editor: Well maybe, but I still have no idea what this protest is all about.
Reporter: Five chiefs from the Nicola Valley don’t want biosolids from the Westside trucked to their valley anymore.
Editor: Biosolids. That’s…
Reporter: Processed crap, yes.
Editor: What’s wrong with Westside crap?
Reporter: (Shrugs)
Editor: What do they do with their own stuff in Merritt. Their biosolids don’t stink?
Reporter: It appears most of the rural area is still on septic systems but Merritt does the same thing many municipalities do.
Editor: Kelowna makes Ogogrow with sewage sludge, don't they? People swear by that stuff. Show me an Okanagan garden that doesn’t have any. It sells like hot cakes around here.
Reporter: Right. Hot cakes of…
Editor: OK, bad analogy. They do that in the Nicola Valley?
Reporter: They call it Sunshine Grow or something.
Editor: Sunshine. That's fitting. So there’s nothing wrong, nothing harmful about this stuff?
Reporter: As far as I can tell, no. The company that treats it says no, the Central Okanagan Regional District says no, there's nothing really unusual about this.
Editor: Do the protesters ALLEGE there’s something wrong with this stuff?
Reporter: Well yes, I suppose. They say animals won’t walk on this stuff.
Editor: Do they have anything beyond anecdotes to back that up?
Reporter: Not that I know of. Anyway, they are calling it an occupation of Christy Clark’s constituency office. Police are there, who knows what may happen.
Editor: Occupation. Everything’s an occupation nowadays. It’s ruined both the words “protest” and “occupation.” What does Christy Clark have to do with this? Other than maybe, contributing to the biosolids. Is that it? They don’t want HER crap out there? (laughs)
Reporter: (Shakes head) They are probably protesting Christy Clark because she’s the Premier and this is her riding.
Editor: So let me get this right. They are pissed off in the Nicola Valley because they have a business there that uses materials from the Westside of Kelowna to produce an essentially natural, useful fertilizer, essentially the same stuff they produce there, but they don’t like it just because it’s ours?
Reporter: Well, I’m sure the symbolism of dumping crap in someone else’s backyard doesn’t help.
Editor: There’s gotta be more to it than that, no? Is this a First Nations issue?
Reporter: Well, probably. It’s got the five Chiefs… but there’s also some non-native people there as well, so I’m not sure. Other stories I read said they don’t want traditional native land poisoned.
Editor: We just got a release from the Okanagan Nation Alliance saying they support the Chiefs. But Westbank First Nation sends their biosolids too, no?
Reporter: As far as I know, yes.
Editor: OK. So really what we have is a bunch of people who are pissed off for no good reason.
Reporter: Well they obviously think it’s a good reason. They think it’s harmful stuff.
Editor: Science appears to suggest otherwise.
Reporter: And how often do people believe in science? Look at the anti-vaccination people.
Editor: Science is facts. Just because people don’t believe four plus four is eight doesn’t mean four plus four stops being eight. We have a responsibility to not pass on misinformation don’t we? Why don’t we cover chemtrail people who protest almost every day?
Reporter: Because I’m sure every reporter everywhere has looked into it and found there was nothing to it but conspiracy theories.
Editor: …
Reporter: Well, there’s reality and facts and then there’s perception of reality and facts. Right now a perception of reality has created the fact that a bunch of pissed off, angry people are outside the Premier’s office with police around.
Editor: Oh brother. Well, you better get going.
— Marshall Jones is the editor of Infonews.ca
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10 responses
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We will not tolerate this destruction to our sacred earth.Thank you Dr. Snyder and everyone else for shedding light and giving the scientific facts on the harmful effects of biosolids to our health and well-being.It is not acceptable to have the media feed the public lies and misinformation.We are standing together and not backing down.
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The paper completed from Caroline Snyder, PHD, that I was given at the occupation in westbank, has scientific facts about the harmful effects of the biosolids, stating that they are extremely dangerous. I have learned from the literature given, that the media is hiding these facts from the public and keeping these deadly effects secret so they can continue with this.I don’t know how we can negotiate with a corrupt government who is controlled by the transnational corporations, who are only out for profit and their bottom line. The so-called government appears to have no regard for our health and well-being.The courts have recently recognized that corporations and companies must not infringe on First Nations lands with Aboriginal title, even if title is not proven. Saik’uk and Stellat’en First Nations had the court of appeal turn over the ruling in their favor and they are suing for damages that the dam has caused to their way of life and well-being.The so called government has not right to allow this destructive practice of dumping of toxic substance on your land and negatively impacting your way of life. This is infringing on your rights and detrimental to your health and well-being.I don’t know what the answer is, but I don’t trust the corrupt government and I feel that they cannot be trusted to make sound decisions. Can you take them to court? It is difficult to trust a non-native system and have faith that justice will be served.I am trying to remain positive and have faith that the good will prevail. I know that this current political system is not working for us a new system needs to be implemented that works for us all. This is very frustrating, being controlled by this corrupt government that is systematically racist and continues to ignore our rights and title to our lands. Thank you for standing up and not backing down. We all need to stand together from the east the west, First Nations unite. One voice. All my heart.
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If this is meant to be a spoof, then it is funny–sort of.If not,you reporters better check the facts before you claim the biosolids concerns are based on perception.FACT:Biosolids (whether Class A or Class B)is not justwhat is flushed down toilets. It is a complex mixture of human and industrial waste superbugs, pharmaceuticals, surfactants, PCBs, dioxins, pesticides, solvents, metals, EDCs, endotoxins, and hazardous industrial waste some of whichis persistent and ends up in the food chain. FACT:No amount of treatment can remove these pollutants;FACT: Hundreds of sludge-exposed neighbors in the US and Canadahave reported identical, in some cases, life-threatening symptoms.FACT: two prize winning GA dairy herds were destroyedwhen animals sickened and died after ingesting forage grown on land that had been treated with biosolids.FACT:The five chiefs are not alone.Their concerns are shared byover a hundred environmental, health, and farm organizations, including internationally renowned soil scientistsat the Cornell Waste Management Institute, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Sierra Club, the National Farmers Union, the Rodale Institute, the Center for Food Safety, the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, and the Organic Consumers Association.Are they all wrong? For more information visit http://www.sludgefacts.org.
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Marshall Jones and his helper need this stuff dumped in their back yards maybe…and again the question, if its not safe for Kelowna,west bank, etc.that’s why its being truckedout of the city, they don’t want it there because its not safe… ignorance reigns in the offices of Inonews…oh we look after our own Biosolids, we don’t ship it to other towns…. maybe some nightly reading, to educate yourselfs mr editor and his little helper…
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Professor Snyder (Harvard University) in The Globe and Mail -“Biosolids applied to land is probably the most pollutant-rich material generated in the 21st century. It contains hazardous industrial waste, pharmaceuticals, carcinogens, neurotoxins, solvents, and a host of other chemicals , metals, and superbugs. Serious life-threatening illnesses, animal deaths, polluted wells, permanently poisoned soil all have been linked to this unsafe practice. Biosolids regulations are full of loopholes. The government agencies that are supposed to protect human health and the environment have been captured by the industries and cities who profit from this convenient method of sludge disposal. No credible science supports the practice of spreading toxics-containing waste on the land where we graze our animals or grow our food. A growing body of credible peer reviewed science indicates that the land cannot clean up biosolids. Instead toxic and persistent industrial pollutants accumulate in the soil, leach into groundwater, or are picked up by plants.”Jim Poushinsky (Ottawa) – “The spreading of toxic and pathogenic sewage biosolids on agricultural lands and hence into the food chain and environment is the best kept secret of our time. It is a secret because the sewage spreading lobby of government and industry knows full well that if this becomes common knowledge the people will not stand for it and insist it be stopped. They don’t want any publicity given to this issue. It is a sign of the extent to which the mainstream media are controlled and dominated by an alliance of big business and government that the masses of city people remain blissfully ignorant while paying to contaminate their food and water with their own sewage. What a sick joke on them, eh? “
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There exists a ton of evidence that bio-solids are, indeed, toxic and a threat to the environment. It is truly surprising to read this article, written by someone whose job it is to inform the readership. Educate yourselves and then get involved.
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Mr. Marshall has a neck which is an interesting shade of scarlet.I’d invite him to come and spend a day at the sewage sludge composting site here in the Nicola Valley. I’m not much on sarcasm as a viable part of journalism anyway.
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and its not just human waste….human and animal feces, industrial chemicals, medical waste, oil products, pesticides, home cleaners — after the water is removed.
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Very amusing article, and one full of misinformation. Sewer sludge is a dangerous toxic end-product of the water-treatment process. Scientists (not ones paid for by the sludge industry, but independent, arms-length, peer-reviewed scientists from Cornell and Harvard (and others from Germany and Sweden) have clearly demonstrated the inherent dangers in these biosolids when they are applied to the land. It is a first Nations issue as they are often hunting and harvesting in the forests where this toxic sewage is spread. It is everyone’s problem because it can seep into the water systems and contaminate soils. Instead of making light of an issue you apparently know little about, I suggest you start investigating the matter more thoroughly. You can start here – http://www.sludgefacts.org/.Just because an industry or a government says a process is safe does not make it so. We are all still paying the price for thalidomide, and asbestos etc. We should act with caution in matters pertaining to the mother earth, and the environment we are leaving to our children.
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