\n\n<\/a>\nFrom: Russ Anderson\n
\nDate: Wed, 19 Jan 2011 10:18:02 -0500\n
\nSubject: Russell Anderson responses to article about Fiery Roots and\nCommissioner Paulk Accusations\n\nDear L.A.K.E.,\n
\nMy name is Russell Anderson. Thank you for taking an interest in the\nWiregrass LLC Biomass incinerator issue and my affiliated organization\n\nCollectiveprogression.org<\/a>.\nI am writing today with hopes of clarifying a few things.\n
\nFirst, I’m glad to see there is such an effort as L.A.K.E. in the Lowndes\narea. L.A.K.E appears to use strategies that could be modeled by other\ncommunities seeking a more informed population. Information sharing is\ncritical to achieving a more just and equitable world. The objective of our\norganization is simply to share the narratives of community struggles,\nsolutions, and efforts in hopes of creating better channels of communication\nand resource sharing between communities dealing with justice issues. Any\nsimilarities to LAKE’s efforts to\n\n“Cover the planners to connect the dots”<\/a>\nare nothing more than pleasant coincidence.\n
\nHopefully, as our website develops from its infancy, our mission will become\nmore apparent in the content. We have interviewed people across the country\nto uncover ways that people working for justice can be more connected and,\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n
\nthus, more effective. Ideally collectiveprogression.org will be an effort\nthat helps facilitate dialogue across a myriad of issues that are symptoms\nof larger systemic problems within our society. We seek to expose people to\nwebsites, organizations, media, and tools that will put the power into their\nhands to make positive impacts within their community.\n\nWe are neither politically affiliated, nor politically motivated. We are\ngrassroots funded, and run by my partner, a couple volunteers, and myself.\nDespite apparent similarities between our “Firing up the Grassroots”\nslogan\nand Obama’s presidential campaign slogans, we are not in any way affiliated\nwith, or spinning off of, the Obama campaign.<\/em> The similarity is\ncoincidental and unintended.\n
\n
\nMany passionate people spend a lot of time and energy fighting immediate\nlocal threats because, well… that is what you have to do when dealing with\nthings that will potentially impact your community or well-being. You will\nfind tens of dozens of communities at any given time with very similar\nproblems. This creates activist “burnout” and very long grassroots and\nlegal battles. With the right networks and formulas many of these efforts could\npotentially be supported in more efficient and effective ways. As an\norganization, we want to try to help work out some of those pathways to\nprogress.\n
\nNow, as for the email I sent to the commissioners that started Ashely\nPaulk’s claims of “veiled threats.” Foremost, I apologize for any perceived\nthreats, as that was not my intent. The tone of that email stemmed from my\nheadstrong mentality and frustrations towards the paternalistic attitudes of\nMr. Lofton and Mr. Paulk’s public statements regarding this Incineration\nplant. So far as Mr. Paulk going on record to say “its done, move on” to the\nreaders of the Valdosta Daily Times, as if there were absolutely no other\noptions. When there are still many legitimate concerns about health impacts\nof this project, I believe that the onus should fall on them to ensure that\nindustry brought into Lowndes County is safe and uses the best possible\ntechnology to keep toxins out of the air and water. Thousands of people in\nhundreds of communities share my concerns across this country and\ninternationally.\n
\nAdmittedly I am a 25 year old, idealistic, ambitious, quick to respond,\nwhite male. Like many of my breed I am still learning finesse and diplomacy.\nMy comments are my own and are not affiliated with anyone or any entity but\nmyself.\n
\nIt was presumptuous to include the Langdales in that email. However, I stand\nby the decision, as they could be easily be one of the primary providers of\ntimber for the plant. As proclaimed stewards and professionals, it is\nimportant for all potential parties to know what they are (potentially)\ngetting into early on. This plant is projected to use 750,000 gallons of\nwater a day and 640,000 tons of wood a year, (over a ton a minute). It is\nimportant to share that information for accurate industrial projections of\ncumulative resource needs and impacts as this decision will affect Lowndes\nCo. for decades to come.\n
\nMy motives are to simply attempt to help support the health of Lowndes\nCounty residents and our environment. To compare me to the person that\ncommitted this atrocious crime [edit: see “we got off on the wrong foot.”<\/a> for context]\nis slanderous and a defamation of my\ncharacter. Such words and perceptions are what started the long legal battle\nand subsequent lawsuit against Dr. Zaccari that resulted from the improper\nexpulsion of Mr. Hayden Barnes from VSU. Mr Paulk may think I have a hidden\nagenda, but I personally don’t have anything to gain or lose from the\nbuilding of this plant.\n
\nI was rather surprised that Mr. Paulk has such a poor opinion of me even\nafter hearing me speak at County Commissioners meeting on {12\/14\/10} where\nI told him and the rest of the commissioners about the basis of my concerns.\n\nTo refresh you on my comments I have\n\nattached a typed copy of my testimony<\/a> from\nthat evening<\/i>.\nI was more surprised when he apparently attempted to deny\nDr. Michael Noll of the Wiregrass Activist for Clean Energy his first amendment\nrights allegedly due to my email, though we share similar concerns. I do\nnot, nor have I ever, claimed to speak on behalf of Dr. Noll and my comments\nhave no affiliation with him or W.A.C.E.\n
\nLastly, I would like to share my surprise and dismay when Brad Lofton of the\nIndustrial Authority told me on January 13th after the W.A.C.E sponsored\neducational meeting that the hour and fifteen minutes of testimony by\nexperts on the human health, environmental, economic, and toxicological\nimpacts of this plant did nothing to influence his opinion and that he did\nnot believe any of the information that was presented, despite the\ncredentials of the panelists, was true. Such blatant disregard for science\nand apparent disdain for real debate is alarming and cause for major\nconcern. Anyone who is so set in his or her opinion is not able to make the\nmost informed decision and motive does come into question.\n
\nBiomass plants, from all the valid reference material I have seen (EPA,\nAmerican Lung Association, Energy Justice Network, and many other sources),\nare not healthy for communities. They appear to be yet another ploy to\nexploit tax loopholes and make fast money, without actually in practice\nbenefitting the local community. The limited jobs, documented negative\nhealth impacts, and levels of water and timber consumption in our\ndrought-plagued region all present immediate flags. With all of our concern\nover our health and environment, are we expected to simply accept dioxin\nexposure as our future? If these plants are so wonderful, then why are they\nbattled so heavily in so many communities?\n
\nI hope you all will look to our website\n\n<collectiveprogression.org><\/a> and\nyoutube\n\n<youtube.com\/collectprogress><\/a>\nfor the video from the community\neducation meeting this past Thursday night. It should be posted by Friday,\nJanuary 21st.\n
\nIn closing, I recognize that my email to the commissioners was a poor\nreflection on my organization collectiveprogression.org. In the future, I\nwill strive to maintain a more journalistic and tactful approach. This issue\nis so close to home, and really just got me riled up. I graduated from VSU\nand have built a strong community of allies and friends in Valdosta. I know\nhow these industrial “dog and pony” shows go. They stick to their talking\npoints and the bottom line always comes down to money. We have to re-think\nthe “bottom line” to better incorporate the very tangible health and\necological impacts that are often considered “externalities” if we are\nto move into a cleaner, more just future.\n
\nMany thanks,\n
\nRussell Anderson\n
\n* I hope you all will post this reply to your webspace to clarify the\nmisinformation and assumptions made about me and my affiliated organization.\n
\n—\n
\nC:229-269-1986\n