[All] Author of Our Stolen Future dies

[John Jackson]

I suspect that most of you have heard by now that Theo Colborn died on
Sunday at the age of 87. The book that she co-authored, Our Stolen Future,
awoke the world to the devastating impacts of endocrine disruptors on
wildlife and humans. Many people have referred to her as the second Rachel
Carson, whose Silent Spring had woken us to the tragic effects of
pesticides. As with Silent Spring, Our Stolen Future drew out the chemical
industry in an unsuccessful effort to destroy her reputation.

Theo¹s successes were numerous. When the 27th International Neurotoxicology
Conference gave Theo an award in 2011, it was ³in gratitude, for legions of
children not yet born, but because of you, shielded from harm.²

We in the Great Lakes were so fortunate to have Theo focus much of her
energy on health issues in the Great Lakes. The research that she drew
together that led to a new understanding of the threats and impacts of
endocrine disruptors came from the work of many scientists studying the
Great Lakes basin. She spent much of her time in the Great Lakes basin
spreading the word, helping set the agenda, and inspiring so many of us. She
served on the IJC¹s Ecosystem Health workgroup of its Science Advisory Board
for 14 years. Through this work she helped set the agenda for the Great
Lakes. And from here her messages spread throughout the world. Recently, she
focussed much of her energy on waking people up to the health problems
associated with fracking. Two years ago she was the main presenter on a
webinar that Great Lakes United held on fracking; over two hundred people
participated.

I was so fortunate to be on the advisory committee as she was developing Our
Stolen Future in the mid-1990s and to be part of the meetings she held after
its publication to strategize on how to confront this problem. Whenever we
at Great Lakes United called upon her, she was sure to appear and bring her
inspiration.

A few of her traits that are such an inspiration were:
she was a scientist with an amazing ability to synthesize the research of
others to come to new understandings of the implications of their findings
for all life; 
she recognized the need to spread her findings and to strategize with
activists to stimulate a movement to solve the problems the scientists were
finding; 
she had an amazing ability to spread the word without over simplifying the
science; 
she had an astonishing strength to stand up against industries efforts to
destroy her; in recognition of this trait, In These Times recently titled an
interview with her ³Nemesis of the Chemical Giants;²
despite her fame, Theo was a humble friend to so many of us. She always saw
us activists as essential co-workers in our shared missions.

I urge you to read the attached interview with Theo that In These Times
published in September. In two short pages, Theo¹s vision and personality
and most importantly inspiration for how we need to continue come out so
clearly.

John

-- 
John Jackson
17 Major Street
Kitchener, Ontario N2H 4R1
519-744-7503



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