I had hoped with this third post to end this particular series documenting my attempt to have the City of Pasadena clean two areas in the Central Arroyo Seco of plastic pollution. I have been prepared each time I interacted with the City to praise their responsiveness and their thoughtful consideration of the issues which I had brought to their attention. Unfortunately, with regard to this post, that's still not the case.
Today, as I made my way to the natural area below Devil's Gate Dam, which was reported to me by Parks and Natural Resources Administrator Charles Peretz to have been cleaned by city work crews, this is what I found:
Whether it's the City's claims that they adequately clean the Central Arroyo after events, or during a day to day basis, this is the poor caliber of work that we are left with every time. They dispose of all of the big stuff, and pay no attention to the micro-trash which accumulates. They cover the trash with fresh mulch, which is often contaminated with shredded plastic itself. The City of Pasadena, therefore, not only neglects the sensitive environment of the Arroyo Seco, but contributes to it's degradation.
We have in the Arroyo a great natural and cultural resource for the City of Pasadena, for the nation and for the rest of the world. I will continue to demand from the City that these areas of the Arroyo be cleaned, until their full potential as such is met.
After documenting my unsuccessful attempt to report two sites of plastic pollution to the City of Pasadena in my last post, I emailed City Manager Michael Beck and the two Assistant City Managers, as well as my city councilman Steve Madison. My message to them all included a link to the Arroyo Sage blog post which details my experience.
I received email responses from Assistant City Managers Julie Gutierrez and Steve Mermell, apologizing, and saying they'd forward my concerns to someone who could assist me. I received a voicemail Wednesday afternoon from Charles Peretz, the Administrator of Natural Resources, in which he appologiged for my experience. He promised that the next day (Thursday) someone would be out there to clean the "litter" that I reported. He left me his phone number and said it shouldn't have been handled this way and that the city needs to work on handling citizen involvement better.
Thursday, I recieved a call from Ted Latta, the Public Works crew supervisor. He said that his crew would be there that day and clean up the mess. I was encouraged that this was going to get done.
On Friday I went for a run down the same trail, and inspected the area below Devil's Gate Dam that I had reported. Nothing had changed. These pics detail the scene:
I ran some more over to Washington Blvd, and surveyed the scene again. Still covered in plastic. This time I took a video documentation of what I found:
After my run, I called Charles Peretz and expressed my frustration that both he and Ted Latta had promised me that the sites would be cleaned the day before, and had not been. He was very polite and told me that he had just gotten off the phone with Mr. Latta, and that they couldn't get to it until today. Mr. Peretz said that unless something came up, that the pollution would be cleaned that day, and that he'd let me know when the job was complete.
I thanked him for being so responsive, though I let him know that such neglect and pollution is a constant issue in the Central Arroyo. I described how Brookside Park is overrun with plastic straw wrappers from juice drinks and how it's riddled with plastic water bottle caps on the ground. People stuff plastic chip bags into the native ground squirrel dens and into bushes. I suggested that, given the current state of neglect and degradation of the Central Arroyo, perhaps he and others responsible for maintaining these areas should make it known to the City that their resources are stretched too thin to accommodate additional uses and facilities such as the NFL or the Soccer in Hahamongna.
I received an email from Mr. Peretz that evening notifying me that the plastic pollution below Devil's Gate had been cleaned. He attached the below picture:
Mr. Peretz said that the crew were having trouble finding the second site along Washington Blvd, and that Ted Latta would contact me soon to find out exactly where to go. I have not heard back from him yet. He also mentioned, in regard to my comments to him about pollution being the norm in Brookside:
"I chatted with Ted about your observations in the area of the high use athletic fields at Brookside and Area H. He did confirm my understanding that this is a core service performed on a daily basis. Unfortunately, based on the high use of this area, the amount of trash produced by users of this area is great. Ted will assess whether relocating (or adding additional) trash cans might mitigate this issue."
During a Facebook conversation below my post on the Save Hahamongna Facebook page, my friend Barbara Ellis related a similarly difficult interaction with the City recently:
"That''s exactly what I found when I tried to tell them about pollution (bleach) in Berkshire Creek. I got NOWHERE. No-one called back. Voicemail boxes full, and so on. The trash down by that spring, and the cutting down of the tule there, shocked me as well. I reported the graffiti under the freeway bridge - Is it still there?
The graffiti was indeed still there. My friend Petrea Burchard said:
"Funding has been cut so seriously that some city departments are down to one person. Individual workers are not to blame in most cases. But it's true, they will respond to the squeaky wheel, so we have to squeak and keep on squeaking." We both agreed that this ultimately begs the question, how does the City of Pasadena expect to properly maintain an additional soccer field and parking lot in Hahamongna, or clean up after NFL fans in the Rose Bowl if they cannot even properly maintain the facilities and uses of the Arroyo we already have? Once I have received word that the Washington Blvd. pollution has also been removed, I will post the (hopefully) final update in this series and describe the adequacy of the city's cleanup. Until the Arroyo and the City of Pasadena are adequately maintained as the pristine, natural and healthy places that they should be, I'm just going to continue to be a squeaky wheel, and keep on squeaking! Trash-a Dena: There's Still a Problem
Early yesterday morning while on a trail run with my dog Washoe in the Arroyo Seco, I discovered two spots that were heavily polluted with plastic and styrofoam waste.
The first spot is located directly below Devil's Gate Dam in a small wetland area filled with tules and flowing water, which my dog loves to play in and drink from. I tried to pick up what I could, yet there was too much pollution to clean on my own. The styrofoam pollution was especially bad, as it was breaking up into smaller pieces and contaminating the water and soil. In my experience leading cleanups for the Arroyo Seco Foundation, often times such severely degraded soil must be removed entirely to clean the area of every last bit of styrofoam.
After discovering this disheartening scene, I checked up on a second area which was severely polluted with styrofoam peanut packaging a few weeks earlier. I had been out of town since I first came across this massive quantity of petrochemical pollution on the bank of the Arroyo along Washington Blvd, and with much sadness I discovered that it remained just as polluted as before.
I took pictures, and decided that I would do as the City encourages citizens to do and report this pollution, and hope for a happy resolution. Unfortunately, my experience with the City of Pasadena today on the phone was anything but a happy one.
I called the Park Maintenance number on the Citizen Service Center page of the City website, told them the problem, and was transferred to Parks and Natural Resources. They told me that I had reached the tree department, and transferred me to someone named Manny Macias. He didn't answer the phone, and his voicemail box was full.
Frustrated, I called Parks and Natural Resources back, told them what I was trying to report, and was transferred to a supervisor. This supervisor, Ted Latta, didn't answer his phone, and his mailbox was also full! Unbelievable!
I called back, now having lost track of everyone I had talked to, and began saying again why I was calling and what I wanted to report. The woman on the phone cut me off, saying I had already talked to her and that she'd transfer me over to a supervisor. "Wait!" No! I didn't want that! The supervisors aren't answering, their mailboxes are full and I haven't spoken to anyone in the City who can take care of this problem! She became defensive and complained that I hadn't given her an address… It's parkland! There is no address! I did, however describe exactly where it was, and volunteered to meet City workers and show them exactly where to go.
I am now waiting for Mr. Latta to call me back, and I look forward to speaking to him personally. There need to be some serious changes in the City of Pasadena if this is how they deal with citizens who are trying to improve our environment and quality of life.
If this is the level of incompetence and neglect we face right now in regard to Arroyo issues, how much worse will it be if there is even more pollution generated in our watershed from a soccer field in Hahamongna, or a "temporary" NFL team in the Rose Bowl?
The City says that their cleanup measures are adequate. Judging from the above, would you agree?
Obesidad, diabetes, cáncer… Éstas son algunas de las enfermedades más crecientes que afligen a las actuales comunidades de indígenas americanos, mexicanos y latinos en los Estados Unidos. Sin embargo, los pueblos indígenas en el pasado eran más saludables y no sufrían de la misma epidemia de problemas de salud que prevalece en estas comunidades hoy. Ellos subsistían de una dieta macrobiótica basada en el consumo del grano entero de las Américas – Maíz.
La solución para estas epidemias de enfermedades degenerativas y del sufrimiento trágico e innecesario de la comunidad indígena y latina reside en volver a nuestras formas tradicionales de vivencia y alimentación. En esta época moderna, sin embargo, nuestra capacidad de recuperar nuestro patrimonio y salud a través del consumo de maíz está profundamente amenazada por las modernas corporaciones agrícolas y por las políticas del gobierno de los E.E.U.U.
Los mexicanos tienen una relación muy antigua y íntima con maíz. Por más de 10, 000 años, los agricultores mexicanos han cultivado y domesticado selectivamente al maíz de su antepasado el teocintle que es una hierba silvestre. Teocintle, del Náhuatl "teocintli" o "Maíz Santo" es muy diferente del maíz moderno. A través de los siglos, los antiguos mexicanos escogían selectivamente los granos más grandes del teocintle y como resultado creyeron las primeras formas antiguas del maíz. Este grano entero domesticado extendió por toda América del Norte y del Sur. El maíz desempeñó un papel muy importante en el establecimiento de las civilizaciones. Como los granos enteros en otras partes del mundo, el maíz tomó su lugar como el alimento básico y biológicamente correcto de la humanidad.
El maíz era considerado sagrado por todos los que lo cultivaban. El pueblo Azteca o Mexica contaba la historia de Quetzalcóatl, quien dio un grano de maíz a la gente para plantar. También los aztecas y celebraban a Centeotl, el dios del maíz como una fuente de vida. Las leyendas Mayas hablan de los Creadores exitosamente moldeando los primeros humanos de la masa de maíz. El maíz blanco y gigante de los Andes era sagrado para los Incas. Para los Hopi, Cherokee, Iroquois y numerosos otros pueblos nativos, el maíz queda en el centro de su identidad espiritual.
El maíz frecuentemente se cultivada con frijoles y calabazas, en un sistema conocido por el título las Tres Hermanas (Milpa). Los pueblos indígenas que seguían una dieta tradicional compuesta principalmente de maíz, frijoles, calabaza, verduras, frutas, plantas silvestres, pescado y caza silvestre, disfrutaban de salud abundante y longevidad, ausente de la epidemia de las enfermedades degenerativas que afectan con tanta frecuencia a sus descendientes de hoy en día en los EE.UU.
Cuando Cortés y los conquistadores españoles llegaron a México, se sorprendieron al descubrir que la expectativa de vida Azteca era por los menos 10 años más larga que la suya. Los beneficios de una dieta y estilo de vida tradicional todavía se pueden ver en unos pueblos tradicionales como la Tarahumara o Rarámuri de México. Los Rarámuri son, posiblemente, los mejores corredores de resistencia que jamás han existido, y hay mucha información que siguiere que los que siguen una dieta tradicional son casi completamente libre de muchas enfermedades degenerativas comunes. La hipertensión arterial y la obesidad eran desconocidas para los Tarahumara, y sus índices de cáncer son bastante bajos. De hecho, es sólo por la introducción de los modernos alimentos procesados como, por ejemplo, pasta deshidratada, papas fritas y refrescos, que los tarahumaras han tenido que inventar nombres para enfermedades como la "presión arterial alta”.
A lo largo de historia cuando la gente se enfermaba, los curanderos nativos americanos recomendaban que el paciente "vuelva a los brazos de la Madre Maíz" para curarse a sí mismos. Al igual que Hipócrates prescribía una dieta simple de potaje de cebada a los enfermos, los indígenas consumían una papilla simple de maíz para revertir la enfermedad. La dieta tradicional nativa americana fue basada en el maíz y sus productos derivados como tortillas, tamales, pupusas, atole y pan de maíz siguen siendo la base para gran parte de la cocina moderna de las comunidades mexicanas y latinoamericanas. La mejor manera de sanarnos a nosotros mismos y a nuestras comunidades aquí en los Estados Unidos es volver a nuestras formas tradicionales de comer comidas diversas y de alta calidad con una base de plantas y de grano entero.
Nuestra capacidad de "volver a la Madre Maíz," el grano sagrado de las Américas, ha sido profundamente amenazada por una amenaza moderna que ha cambiado la estructura misma de maíz al nivel físico y espiritual: la modificación genética.
"Un alimento modificado genéticamente es una planta, animal que su ADN ha sido alterada artificialmente en un laboratorio por genes de otras plantas, animales, virus, o bacterias con el fin de producir compuestos extraños en ese alimento. Este tipo de alteración genética no es encontrado en la naturaleza y es un proceso experimental.”
Ejemplo: el maíz genéticamente modificado ha sido diseñado en un laboratorio para producir pesticida en su propio tejido. El maíz transgénico está regulado por la Agencia de Protección Ambiental como un insecticida, pero no tiene la etiqueta.
Como podemos ver en la información anterior, hay muchas preocupaciones significativas con respecto al proceso de modificación genética que se encuentran actualmente alterando irreversiblemente nuestro alimento básico ancestral del maíz. Esta modificación genética permanente del maíz tiene profundas implicaciones para el futuro de la soberanía alimentaria de la salud y la espiritualidad de los pueblos americanos. El maíz que ha sido durante siglos una fuente vivificante de sustento se está convirtiendo rápidamente en una fuente de alimentación con efectos inciertos en cuanto a la salud. De hecho hasta un 85% del maíz de EE.UU. está genéticamente modificada.
A pesar de la moratoria de 1998 sobre los cultivos genéticamente modificados de México, muchas variedades tradicionales y antiguas de maíz en México han sido encontradas contaminadas por los transgénicos. El documental The Future of Food muestra que la increíble riqueza y diversidad del maíz en México está amenazada por esta contaminación.
La pérdida de maíz natural no es sólo una pérdida de los recursos genéticos y la herencia cultural, sino también la pérdida de una conexión espiritual con la tierra y con el alimento que nos sostiene. Esto no solo es un problema que enfrentan los indígenas, sino un problema universal que afecta a todo el mundo.
Pero hay esperanza.
Hay más y más personas que quieren saber más acerca de cómo se produce la comida. Mientras tanto, para aquellas personas que desean evitar el maíz genéticamente modificada y regresar a la dieta saludable de nuestros antepasados, aquí hay algunas otras opciones:
Nopaltilla es una empresa excelente que vende tortillas de maíz libre de transgénicos y de cactus de Nopal orgánico. Adicionalmente, todos los productos de marca propia Trader Joe's se producen sin transgénicos. En Trader Joes, se vende una variedad de tortillas de maíz, incluso el maíz azul que todavía no es transgénico. En Whole Foods, la marca 365 Everyday Value Tortillas de maíz orgánico no tienen transgénicos.
Otras opciones incluyen los productos con la etiqueta de comida orgánico, o la etiqueta del Proyecto No-GMO verificación. También Gold Mine Natural Food Company vende una gran variedad de masa de maíz orgánico en internet, y recientemente, Bob’s Red Mill anunció que su masa será certificado no-OGM.
Si es posible, existe la opción que cultivemos nuestro propio maíz en nuestro patio trasero o en una huerta comunitario. Asegúrese de plantar semillas orgánicas o de granos que no sean genéticamente modificados. Seed Savers Exchange y Native Seeds/SEARCH son organizaciones excelentes dedicadas a guardar y compartir una gran variedad de semillas nativas.
Tengo la sincera esperanza de que si más gente abrazan las dietas tradicionales de todos nuestros antepasados, vamos a superar esta crisis ambiental y de salud que enfrenta nuestro mundo, y trabajar juntos para crear un ambiente mejor y más justo para todos. Mientras avanzamos en buena salud y en buen espíritu, vamos a restablecer el equilibrio en el mundo como lo hacían nuestros abuelos.
