Erin Brockovich, the brash legal clerk turned environmental powerhouse, kicked off the 31st annual Featured Speakers Series at 麻豆精选 at Stark in September.
Brockovich met with students in the campus鈥� Environmental Studies program and spoke about her experiences building a case against Pacific Gas & Electric Co. involving groundwater contamination in the small town of Hinkley, California, back in the 1990s. She also talked to students about the present-day water quality issues that span the world 鈥� from Flint, Michigan, to Camp Lejeune to Australia and beyond.
鈥淚 thought this was a one-time thing with Hinkley,鈥� Brockovich said. 鈥淚 had no idea how big this really is. Contamination of our water supply is still a major issue and it鈥檚 up to us to educate ourselves and stand up for our communities.鈥�
Brockovich and her team have established the website, Community Healthbook at , to enable everyday people to report and share information about water, air and land issues happening in their backyards.
Brockovich, president of Brockovich Research & Consulting, is currently involved in numerous environmental projects worldwide. She also assists with groundwater contamination complaints in every state, as well as overseas. A bestselling author, her most recent book is 鈥淪uperman鈥檚 Not Coming: Our National Water Crisis and What We the People Can Do About It.鈥�
And while it鈥檚 been over 20 years since Julia Roberts starred in the Oscar-winning film, 鈥淓rin Brockovich鈥�, it turned this unknown legal researcher into a 20th century icon by showcasing how her dogged persistence was the impelling force behind the largest medical settlement lawsuit in history.
