Jim Hurley, Sen Russ Feingold, Evansville Kids, Parents Kickoff 2006 International Mercury Conference at Monona Terrace--69 Nations Present

(Ed.note. Thanks to Steve Carlson for the photos. Also to Gina Duwe of the Janesville Gazette for the background article--click on the post--on the art project Evansville students participated in for this conference.)



In an impressive and dramatic opening ceremony Sunday afternoon at 5PM at Monona Terrace, dozens of Evanville students and parents kicked off the week of scientific and political discussions about Mercury as a global pollutant.

If you click on the audioblogger, you will hear the opening brass music as Evansville students carried the 69 flags representing the 69 nations that were present. In addition, the Leech Lake Indian nation was present and their chief spoke and they shared a tribal prayer for the success of the conference.

If you click on the post, you can read the story in the Janesville Gazette by Gina Duwe about the art project that Evansville Students participated in. Of all the art that was produced by the seven nations participating, 7 T-shirts were selected and each of the studens marching with a flag had on one of the distinctive T-shirts. They were also for sale.

In his opening remarks, as co-chair of this international event, Mr. Jim Hurley noted that it was fitting that the kickoff to this event was marked by the involvement of children around the globe since the impact of mercury as a pollutant was directly on our children and their children to come. It is important that we and they understand what is at stake.

Dr. Komyo Eto, of the National Institute for Minamata Disease spoke about the terrible impact of mercury poisoning on the people of Minamata, Japan. For the past 50 years the people of Minamata have been dying and been seriously ill due to corporate dumping of mercury in the Minamata bay. This type of poisoning has been called "Minamata disease" because this was the first time it was identified as being caused by mercury.

George Goggleye, Chair of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe spoke about the terrible impact of mercury poisoning on the Indian nation in northern Minnesota. Because of the "spot" pollution of mercury which is more intense than the average. The impact on IQ loss for children born in the areas affected is 7 points on average. The rough estimate of damages of loss per person was $87,000 per person.

Then Sen. Russ Feingold spoke about why the current administration and the EPA rules on mercury pollution were undermining the Clean Air Act. He deplored the Republican Party stance on this issue which would accept the damage to children which was estimated at 8 billion per year, rather than embrace the technology that was available and indeed affordable for roughly the same amount of money.