Yesterday I had the pleasure of some personal time with Assembly Speaker Emeritus Karen Bass.
The devastation due to the Gulf oil spill puts us on notice about the catastrophic consequences densely populated urban oil field areas can suffer from oil and gas exploration, especially if they are located on active fault lines.
I asked the Speaker, when she is elected to Congress in November, to initiate proceedings with FEMA and Interior Secretary Salazar to mandate a moratorium on oil and gas exploration and production in oil fields near densely populated areas until the producers can prove that their processes do no harm to health, safety or property.
In other words to invoke the Precautionary Principle.
Speaker Bass was very open to my suggestion. In fact, after the Primary election one week from today, June 8, trusting that she will be elected, Bass would like to come to my home again (as well as to others’) to hear from us regarding what we need her to do on our behalf in Congress.
I am emailing each of our elected local leaders, as well as my Culver Crest Neighborhood Assn. board members and friends to invite you, too, to come speak to her about this issue vital to our health, safety and property values. Karen Bass will be at my home this Saturday, from 5 to 7 p.m.
Come enjoy some good food and help me move this conversation to the action level.
Our city, as also the CCNA and CCSC, have good lawyers well versed in this area.
Perhaps these legal eagles can help me hone the proposal for the Congresswoman to hit the floor running in D.C. Let me know.
Sad to say, when I told her I planned to invite Albert Vera to the party, the Speaker informed me that he died yesterday morning. I am saddened at his loss.
Dr. De Benedittis may be contacted at mindfulness@DrSuzanneJoy.com
