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Earth Day documentary film program Apr. 27: Thirsty for Justice: The Struggle for the Human Right to Water
Original post made
by Judy A, Menlo Park: Downtown,
on Apr 19, 2019
All are invited to the program at the Los Altos Public Library, Green Room (13 S. San Antonio Rd., Los Altos) 5-7 pm, free and wheelchair accessible. WHY THIS FILM? This short documentary celebrates the passage in 2012 of what has been called the Human Right to Water Bill 685, signed into law on Sept. 25, 2012 by Gov. Edmond G. Brown, Jr. It is part of the statutes of the State Water Resources Control Board and made California the first state in the nation to legislatively recognize the human right to water. The film tells the stories of the inspiring actions of the low-income Central Valley community members (including the tribe of Winnemem Winto near Shasta Dam who are still protesting the plans to raise the height of the dam to further flood their sacred land/waters under the dam) who became unlikely activists when their water supply was polluted by agricultural runoff with toxic herbicides and insecticides, the effects of climate change (drought). Forced to pay for high-cost bottled water for all their personal water needs, they allied with grassroots environmental groups and Sacramento legislators to pass the Human Rights to Water bill in CA.
There is current legislative action on the Federal level to increase clean water action (see
Web Link Hear their stories and browse tables of information from local peninsula environmental groups on a wide variety of environmental issues, including clean water, climate change and other environmental projects. Door prizes will include a tree planted in a national park by the Arbor Day Foundation.
Organized by the Peninsula/Palo Alto Women’s Intl. League for Peace and Freedom ([email protected]), co-sponsored by the Peninsula Peace and Justice Center, and supported by the many peninsula environmental groups whose brochures and project information will be on display in the room.
Refreshments: You guessed it - chilled water, coffee and tea available in the room, which does not allow us to provide other refreshments, but snacks are available until 5pm at the refreshment kiosk just outside the Garden Room, pay at honor-system cash box or bring your own snacks to eat at the tables in the area before coming into to the event.