Author: owner

The Purpose of Rules, Environmental Deregulation and What It Means For All of Us
We learn about rules early on in life. We learn the things we can and cannot do. We learn never to touch a hot stove so we don’t get burned. We learn to hold the railing on stairs to be safe, to keep us from falling. We continue to learn life’s rules as we grow because that is how we survive, literally, and stay away from danger. Societies have rules that create order so we can live in harmony with one another. And within our societies, we have regulations that enforce our rules and protect people and our shared home.
In the past decade, rules and regulations have been set in place to protect our health from exposure to chemicals that are carcinogens, for example. Other rules and regulations were created to govern emissions of pollutants into the air.. Anyone who has seen the movie “Erin Brockovitch”, which documented the uncovering of information regarding the release of harmful chemicals into the environment and the resulting illnesses, including cancers, among workers and families who lived near the chemical facilities knows how important these rules and regulations are for protecting each and all of us.
However, in the past two years we have seen the undoing of many rules and regulations in the US. We have also seen appointments to regulatory bodies of individuals who have worked against these agencies responsible for enforcing these rules in their previous careers. Currently there are more than 500 deregulatory rulemakings underway, and at least 78 major environmental rules have been effectively stalled or reversed. So if rules and regulations protect us and keep us and our world safe, why are we getting rid of so many of them? Who benefits from this?
A few examples of the people making our decisions and the protections removed:
● Chlorpyrifos, originally developed by Nazi Germany as a nerve gas, is a Dow Chemical insecticide that we now know gets into our food, drinking water and air. It causes learning disabilities and memory damage. A plan to ban its use has been rejected and currently there is still spraying of our food crops with this toxic chemical. Do our children benefit from the continued use? Or does Dow Chemical benefit?
● The NOAA is the country’s foremost scientific agency for oceanic and climate research. However Barry Myers, who is not a scientist, was appointed head of the NOAA in 2017, Barry Myers, formerly the CEO of AccuWeather, authorized Seismic Airgun Blasting on the ocean floor to search for oil and gas. This is certain to cause interference with whale and dolphin sonar communication, feeding and mating and also kill smaller fish and other members of the food chain resulting negative human consequences. Meanwhile, big oil and gas companies reap the immediate benefits from this.
● David Bernhardt, former energy and agribusiness lobbyist , is the current Secretary of the Interior. His staff is presently working on weakening the Endangered Species Act, which will open up more area for oil and gas drilling and decimate various habitats and species. Again: Big business will profit.
● Former coal lobbyist and current EPA head, Andrew Wheeler met 50 times with industry officials and just 3 times with environmental groups between April and August last year. Why are only certain groups allowed to have a voice in what should be our national conversation on important environmental issues that affect all of us?
The UN Global Assessment Study Report, released in May 2019, states that “1 million species are threatened with extinction with grave impacts on people around the world… We are eroding the very foundations of our economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality of life worldwide”. Despite these credible and dire warnings, the US officially no longer regards climate change as a national security threat.
Many among us want to take immediate action to repair what damage we still can. Instead, by deregulating so many of our “rules” we are opening up protected lands for oil and gas drilling, perpetuating coal mining and associated diseases, removing protections from endangered species, allowing continued use of hazardous chemicals, known to harm our children, and ourselves? The actual list of cancelled rules and regulations is long. Why are we ignoring the evidence and taking away the rules that keep us safe? Why are we treating our planet as if we have another one to go to? Is the answer really so that some people can get richer? When we know better, aren’t we supposed to do better? We all need to start questioning what is being done and why. There is only one earth. We are all in this together. There is no place to run.

CREA: Center for Reflection, Education and Action
Hartford, CT

2019, Issue #2

WHY WORK? The Purpose of Work, Having a Job, a Minimum Wage and Other Stuff
In the last issue of Starting Points, we explored the different ways in which what is presented as fact can merely be someone’s opinions or simply something someone said (whether valid/true or not). This becomes incredibly important when we hear about low unemployment rates (which seem to imply that everyone is working) or that the economy is doing well (even though so many are struggling to survive from week to week). When we add in the on-going discussions regarding minimum wage levels and how/why to raise them, it can be hard to sort out the reality in which we live and work amid the word clutter. The following article is designed to help us sort out what is being said and decide for ourselves how the economy is doing.
Having a job is how we support ourselves… at least that has been the expectation in the past. Over the years, especially in the past decade, meeting that expectation has become progressively harder as what is meant by work and/or “having a job” has changed. And yes, these changes have included, and continue to include, changes in “benefits”. Right now, job variations can include the following:
● Is the job is full-time or part time?
● Does the job have a set weekly schedule so the worker/employee can plan other work, education, etc.?
● Does the job provide a set number of hours of work per week so the worker can plan based on projected income?
● Does the job require “on demand“ scheduling, with the worker on call at any time with less than an hour’s notice?
The answers to each of these questions clearly demonstrate that work is often required to be done according to what is beneficial for the employer and does not necessarily mean that work/having a job enable's the worker to support him/herself. In reality, the employee often has little or no control over scheduling, number of hours worked, etc.
What should be obvious from this is that the security and structure that we associated with many jobs in the past, are often no longer there. The words are the same: job, work, etc. but the meanings have changed. The recent “bring to market” of Uber, the ride on demand company, is an excellent example. Uber was released on the stock market in May 2019. Owners of shares in the company made millions, while Uber drivers were told that they were not employees but rather contractors, which drastically reduces the company’s responsibility to pay benefits, costs of business, etc. .In addition, drivers must own their own cars, are responsible for gas, repairs, etc. Essentially, the drivers do the work, pay for the vehicles, etc. and receive a portion of what the rider pays the company. The investors get the rest.
Minimum wage vs Living Wage: In order to truly understand the on-going struggle for a decent standard of living , we need to add the idea of purchasing power to the discussion of wages. Most people know that in different cities, states, countries, the cost of most items varies. In cities where there are many stores selling the same items, we can clearly see the same cost variation. What we need to be examining is the “purchasing power” that a worker has based on the actual costs of common items in the location where they live. More on this in the future.
Right now, here in Connecticut, one of the major discussions is for a $15/hour minimum wage. Let’s look at this minimum wage amount and what it really means. If someone earns $15/hour times 40 hours of work each week, their pay would be $600/week before taxes or $31,200 .f the person works all 52 weeks.
Now we need to look at the cost of housing: rent + heat + electricity + gas + water, etc. Then there is transportation: a car and its associated costs of taxes and fuel, or public transportation if it is available, It does not take long for what seems like a lot of money to get used up/spent with little left for food, clothing, and/or basic medical expenses, etc. Expenses we all have.
So here is the take-away question for you: Could you live on $15 per hour for your work? What standard of living do you think anyone is able to achieve on $15 per hour wage level? Would you be satisfied with that income level?

“Believing that the earth is home to all, CREA facilitates analysis of human, social and economic policies
from the perspective of their effects on human lives, beginning with the lives of those who are poor.”
~CREA Mission Statement

CREA, Inc.
PO Box 2507
Hartford, CT
06146-2507

CREA: Center for Reflection, Education and Action, Inc.
is an independent 501(c)3 organization.
Executive Director: Ruth Rosenbaum, TC, PhD.

PHONE: 860-527-0455
EMAIL: crea@crea.org
WEBSITE: www.crea.org

We still have a few months until the peak of our fair trade sales, but here’s an early look at the schedule so far. We’ve had a lot of feedback to help us order popular items, as well as some new crafts! Hope to see you at the sales. (HINT: Volunteers to help with setup, selling and/or packing are always welcome and appreciated! )▼

date	location	city, state	time
9/28-29	Our Lady of Mercy	Plainville, CT	Sat after 4pm mass & Sun after morning mass
10/5	UCC Super Saturday Conference	Framingham, MA	8 AM – 4 PM
10/5	Boston Archdiocese Justice Conference		8 AM – 3 PM
10/12	UCC Conference	Quincy, MA	On hold
10/19-20	St Mary, Star of the Sea	Unionville, CT	Sat afternoon and Sun morning after masses
11/1-2	UCC Tri-State Conference	Worcester, MA	Fri and Sat all day
11/2-3	St. Brigid	Lexington, MA	After all masses during weekend
11/9-10	UCC Conference	Quincy, MA	All day-to be confirmed
11/10	Sacred Heart	Lexington, MA	After all masses
11/16-17	Sacred Heart Parish	Bloomfield, MA	After all masses
11/16-17	St Peter Claver Church (Medical Aid to Haiti)	West Hartford, CT	All day Sat and Sun
11/23-24	Holy Family Church	Concord, MA	After all masses
11/23-24	St Ann Parish	Avon, CT	All day Sat and Sun morning
12/7-8	Our Lady of Fatima Church	Sudbury, MA	After all masses Sat and Sun
12/14-15	St. Mary Parish	Portland, CT	After all masses Sat and Sun

Protecting and Enhancing Worker Rights...Anywhere in the World...Even here in the US
Going back to the mid 1990’s when we were first growing the idea that was to become CREA,, we were already working on the spectrum of issues known as worker rights. These included legal wages, safe working conditions, right to organize and engage in collective bargaining, no excessive overtime, etc.. These issues were addressed both at factories that were directly owned by brands here in the US and also the factories in many countries which supply clothes, shoes, medicines, home goods, etc., the products were produced for brands who sold the products in the US. Although the brands did not then, and still usually do not, own the foreign factories, investors and consumers, working together, have held the brands responsible for the conditions in the factories.
Over the years, systems were created which had the following: Code of Conduct/Standards for the factory (often by another name but the same thing), no excessive overtime, no forced labor, no harmful chemicals allowed in the factories, bathroom and meal breaks, etc. We looked to the Brands to enforce the codes in the factories where their products were made (sourced). Brands conducted social and environmental audits of the factories or contracted with other knowledgeable groups to conduct these inspections. The better brands worked with advisors from various NGO (not for profit) groups in the US, and /or where the factories are located to create systems thru which workers could safely report problems. Periodic reports (usually done annually) provided data for investors, investment advisors, members of the NGO communities, and other interested groups who reviewed the reports regularly for accuracy and truthfulness.
Here in the US, because we have national and state laws, rules and regulations that provide standards for these issues, those of us working on these issues relied on the state and national legal systems as well as the unions to ensure the rights and safety of U.S. workers.
Then in recent months things started to change here in the US. ..and those changes are continuing today
The administration in Washington has tightened the qualifications for who must be paid minimum wage and overtime.
The administration is asking the US Supreme Court to rule that companies can fire workers based on sexual orientation
The number of workplace safety inspectors has fallen to the lowest level of inspectors since the Agency was formed approximately 50 years ago
The administration is seeking to establish rules that prevent workers from protecting their own interest through collective bargaining.
The present federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. There is no place in the US where that can even begin to be thought of as a living wage. Instead of seeking to raise the minimum wage as was discussed during the presidential campaign, the administration is trying to limit worker pay by asking the US Department of Labor to rule that various types of workers are contractors and not hourly workers. This would mean that the workers are not entitled to overtime level wages, do not have to be paid a minimum wage and that the employer does not have to pay part of the social security taxes.
Continued on page 3

Fast Fashion and Its Consequences
Fast fashion is defined by retailers as inexpensive clothing produced rapidly in response to the latest trends. Most of us remember buying new clothes with the changing seasons, but now retailers introduce about 52 “micro-seasons” a year. When the latest fashions go out of style so quickly, retailers hope that means we can’t wear our “old’ clothes as long as we used to...Not to mention the cheaper quality of these clothes means they don’t last as long, regardless of changing styles. Then where do these old, cheaply made clothes go… and what do they leave behind?
The immediate human impact is felt directly by poor women. “Fast fashion traps a generation of young women into poverty. It takes a garment worker 18 months to earn what a fashion brand CEO makes on their lunch break.” (Source: Quora) 75 million people are making clothes today and 80% of them are young women. In 2018 the US Department of Labor found evidence of forced labor and child labor in the fashion industry in Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Turkey, Vietnam and other countries.
As for the environmental impact, one garbage truck of clothes is burned or sent to landfills every second, according to the World Economic forum. The average consumer bought 60% more clothes in 2014 than in 2000, but kept each garment for half as long. This means more pressure throughout supply chains to produce more clothes, and more quickly, than competitors. It takes 2700 liters of water to make one cotton t-shirt, which is enough water for one person to drink for 2½ years. And discarded clothing can sit in a landfill for up to 200 years, leaving toxic chemicals and dyes to contaminate soil and groundwater. The fashion industry’s CO2 emissions are set to increase by 60% to nearly 2.8 billion tons per year by 2030.
When we try to recycle or donate our “old” clothing, it’s now harder to do that as well. Because the quality has diminished, many donation sites cannot take the clothing. There are some groups such as TransAmerica that will take old clothing and send it to other countries or recycle it to textile companies or use them in things like carpet padding. That industry is saturated because in the US we have so much discarded clothing. Meanwhile other countries no longer want many of our garments because of the diminished quality.
It’s still better to donate clothes to a Goodwill or Salvation Army than to simply throw them away. But even better, as consumers, will be to buy less and better quality clothing, and wear it for a longer period of time. “Keeping clothing just 9 extra months can reduce the related carbon footprints by 20-30%.” (WRAP 2012). Our money makes the fashion industry work, so our choices can bring about the changes that are needed to reverse this fast fashion trend.

While we were not fast enough to take photos of the butterflies (to be honest, we did not want to move and scare them away) we did take photos of the bees to share with you.

Protecting and Enhancing Worker Rights (continued)
In the past, workers have united in unions which means their individual power was now collective power to negotiate with employers. Internationally, the right to organize and engage in collective bargaining has been one of the core issues brands have been pressured to address in the factories producing for them. Now here in the US, this administration, working through the National Labor Relations Board, has decided that it does not have jurisdiction to decide labor complaints with companies such as Uber or those who have franchises, such as McDonald's, where workers coming together have filed complaints against their employers. We will see this expand as more and more businesses are not hiring full time workers but rather are depending on a network of part time workers. Last, the decrease in the number of OSHA inspectors has resulted in workers being injured on the job with little or no recourse. These injuries have included the loss of fingers on the assembly line.
If we ask the Cui Bono (who benefits) question, the answer is clear: the companies benefit. Who loses out? The workers. It seems like we have gone back in time here in the US. Perhaps we need t bring our supply chain work and learnings from other countries back to the US. More to follow in coming issues of Starting Points.

Some Good News to Share
After a winter of ever changing weather , with lots of rain, some snow, winds, etc., we are amazed to see our gardens in front and back of CREA House bursting with color. Starting with the daffodils, tulips, rhododendron, peonies and not the irises and daisies, the burst into spring was happily received. As the flowers bloomed, the bees came back. We still do not know where their hive is located but we are happy to have them back.
Then about a week ago, the bees were joined by monarch butterflies visiting the flowers. It was a breath-holding moment to watch them move around the garden. With all that has been written about the negative effects of pesticides on monarch butterflies and necessary insects, it was a huge moment of joy to see the monarchs.
Our garden continues to be pesticide free. We use no chemicals at all...just newspaper as a weed block and natural mulch as a garden cover.

(This section is a preview of part 2 discussing the effects of the clothing industry & home improvement products - for the next newsletter)
Cosmetics/Talcum Powder
Paint & Paint Stripper
Clothing Production & Waste
Teflon
Home Improvement?
Chemicals in paint, paint strippers…
Toxins-Human Health
Talcum powder
Cosmetics