210 American Anthropologist Vol 112, No. 2. June 2010 Community(MIMIC. MIMIC is an emergent nonprofit sight of the agency by the EPA, other federal agencies, and founded by a group of ex-offenders in Philadelphia that fo- Congress. A step in this direction was his successful 2009 cuses on mentoring young people and recently released for tition drive to have the a for Toxic Substances and mer offenders. McKinney also headed up a special task force Disease Registry(ATSDR), a federal agency in the division for the Philadelphia School Reform Commission(Board of of CDC and under the Department of Health and Human Education)to address the black and Latino male dropout Services, conduct a long-term assessment on the impact of rate. At the national level, McKinney continued work with the spill the Howard Samuels Center at the City University of New In November of 2009, Marty Otanez pre York,'s Graduate Center to increase access to higher educa public anthropology visual project about Australian-based tion for underrepresented populations Paladin and its uranium mining activities in Malawi, Africa Yellowcake Rising was shown at the Tanzania Uranium Aware- HUMAN RIGHTS, ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE ness Conference. "Uranium Mining and Nuclear Power AND DISPLACEMENT Tanzanian Future?" in Dar es salaam. Tanzania. The video In a time of resource scarcity, global warming, and the ever- explores the health and socioecological costs of uranium ncreasing power of transnational corporations to control with a focus on water contamination the absence of the natural world, the profound need for anthropologists living wages, and other exploitative social and environmental to document the effects on marginalized peoples continued conditions associated with Paladins mining activities. Sub to grow in 2009. Several sessions at the Society for Al tantively, this work raises questions about nuclear energy plied Anthropology(SfAA)and AAA annual meetings were In?"energy source, showing how this toxic com- focused on"development disasters, "issues also considered modity is far from clean. Otanez's work was highlighted in Anthony Oliver-Smith's edited volume Development and in the Tanzanian local press as a caution and challenge to Dispossession: The Crisis of Forced Displacement and Resettlement the Tanzanian government to prepare guidelines on extrac- tion transportation and revenues collections from uranium Examples of public engagement on these issues can be mining to prevent potential dangers to the local populati seen in Gregory Button and his Ph D. students'research (Mgwabati 2009). Yellowcake Rising releases in June of 2010 on the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) December 2008 (see Yellowcake Rising 2009 for the film trailer) ash spill disaster in Kingston, Tennessee, and environmental Resurgent critiques of the linkages among resource injustice in Perry County, Alabama. In 2009, Button wrote scarcity, global warming, ecocide, and ethnocide were sug- two national op-ed pieces on the effects of the collapse. But- gested in several venues. The "Pulse of the Planet"op-ed tons July Counterpunch article covers the EPA approval to column on Counter Punch that was begun in 2008 contin- ship the toxic ash coal waste to Perry County, a primarily ued in 2009, with columns questioning the human rights frican American low-income community. The decision re- dimensions of proposed carbon-credit schemes( Checker flects a clear case of environmental injustice: the EPa did not 2009c), exploring environmental justice and the TVa ash conduct a complete and meaningful justice review, which spill ( Button 2009a, 2009b), and addressing water, culture would have considered a host of factors including public wars, and nuclear militarism (ohnston 2009a, 2009b) health, social costs, and welfare impacts(Button 2009a) Barbara rose Johnstons"Water/Culture Wars"Coun Button's December Counterpunch article describes how the terpunch column, for example, shows how although water is TVA underreported the magnitude of the spill, declaring central to cultural and environmental sustainability, water the situation "safe"despite the hazardous nature of ash and development projects frequently violate human rights, lead- without any scientific studies conducted to assess the immi- ing to displacement and resettlement, particularly among nent harm to public health or the environment. The TVa ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples. Johnston and oth- also failed to implement a National Incident Management ers have drawn international attention to these issues through System in accordance with Homeland Security Presidential the Water and Cultural Diversity project, established by Directive 5, which would have eased emergency-response the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Or- communications. Button(2009b) points out that the remedy ganization International Hydrological Programme in 2008 TVAs mishandling of the disaster requires careful atten- Staffed by anthropologist Lisa Hiwasaki and led by an inter- tion to the infrastructural policies and practices and overall national and interdisciplinary expert-advisory panel (with Johnston serving as the U. S. representative), this grou corporate culture that prevent a full and effective respons launched a water and cultural-diversity policy brief and) to disasters Over the course of 2009, Button advised several non- ticipated in a full day of special events and scientific sessions profit organizations, delivered numerous guest lectures on at the Fifth World Water Forum in Istanbul, Turkey,in and was interviewed and quoted on ngs and conferences, March of 2009. Other participating anthropologists included college campuses and at national meet the disaster over 34 Marcus Barber, Ameyali Ramos Castillo, Kelly Alley, Ro times by international, national, and regional public radio Hassoun and Suzanne hanchett TV, and print media. By uncovering the TVA's(in)actions Revised versions of the world water forum Button demonstrates the pressing need for greater over- were presented at a three-day international symposium on210 American Anthropologist • Vol. 112, No. 2 • June 2010 Community (MIMIC). MIMIC is an emergent nonprofit founded by a group of ex-offenders in Philadelphia that fo￾cuses on mentoring young people and recently released for￾mer offenders. McKinney also headed up a special task force for the Philadelphia School Reform Commission (Board of Education) to address the black and Latino male dropout rate. At the national level, McKinney continued work with the Howard Samuels Center at the City University of New York’s Graduate Center to increase access to higher educa￾tion for underrepresented populations. HUMAN RIGHTS, ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE, AND DISPLACEMENT In a time of resource scarcity, global warming, and the ever￾increasing power of transnational corporations to control the natural world, the profound need for anthropologists to document the effects on marginalized peoples continued to grow in 2009. Several sessions at the Society for Ap￾plied Anthropology (SfAA) and AAA annual meetings were focused on “development disasters,” issues also considered in Anthony Oliver-Smith’s edited volume Development and Dispossession: The Crisis of Forced Displacement and Resettlement (2009). Examples of public engagement on these issues can be seen in Gregory Button and his Ph.D. students’ research on the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) December 2008 ash spill disaster in Kingston, Tennessee, and environmental injustice in Perry County, Alabama. In 2009, Button wrote two national op-ed pieces on the effects of the collapse. But￾ton’s July Counterpunch article covers the EPA approval to ship the toxic ash coal waste to Perry County, a primarily African American low-income community. The decision re- flects a clear case of environmental injustice: the EPA did not conduct a complete and meaningful justice review, which would have considered a host of factors including public health, social costs, and welfare impacts (Button 2009a). Button’s December Counterpunch article describes how the TVA underreported the magnitude of the spill, declaring the situation “safe” despite the hazardous nature of ash and without any scientific studies conducted to assess the immi￾nent harm to public health or the environment. The TVA also failed to implement a National Incident Management System in accordance with Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5, which would have eased emergency-response communications. Button (2009b) points out that the remedy to TVA’s mishandling of the disaster requires careful atten￾tion to the infrastructural policies and practices and overall corporate culture that prevent a full and effective response to disasters. Over the course of 2009, Button advised several non￾profit organizations, delivered numerous guest lectures on college campuses and at national meetings and conferences, and was interviewed and quoted on the disaster over 34 times by international, national, and regional public radio, TV, and print media. By uncovering the TVA’s (in)actions, Button demonstrates the pressing need for greater over￾sight of the agency by the EPA, other federal agencies, and Congress. A step in this direction was his successful 2009 petition drive to have the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a federal agency in the division of CDC and under the Department of Health and Human Services, conduct a long-term assessment on the impact of the spill. In November of 2009, Marty Otanez previewed his ˜ public anthropology visual project about Australian-based Paladin and its uranium mining activities in Malawi, Africa. Yellowcake Risingwas shown at the Tanzania Uranium Aware￾ness Conference, “Uranium Mining and Nuclear Power: Tanzanian Future?” in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The video explores the health and socioecological costs of uranium mining, with a focus on water contamination, the absence of living wages, and other exploitative social and environmental conditions associated with Paladin’s mining activities. Sub￾stantively, this work raises questions about nuclear energy as a “clean” energy source, showing how this toxic com￾modity is far from clean. Otanez’s work was highlighted ˜ in the Tanzanian local press as a caution and challenge to the Tanzanian government to prepare guidelines on extrac￾tion transportation and revenues collections from uranium mining to prevent potential dangers to the local populations (Mgwabati 2009). Yellowcake Rising releases in June of 2010 (see Yellowcake Rising 2009 for the film trailer). Resurgent critiques of the linkages among resource scarcity, global warming, ecocide, and ethnocide were sug￾gested in several venues. The “Pulse of the Planet” op-ed column on CounterPunch that was begun in 2008 contin￾ued in 2009, with columns questioning the human rights dimensions of proposed carbon-credit schemes (Checker 2009c), exploring environmental justice and the TVA ash spill (Button 2009a, 2009b), and addressing water, culture wars, and nuclear militarism (Johnston 2009a, 2009b). Barbara Rose Johnston’s “Water/Culture Wars” Coun￾terpunch column, for example, shows how although water is central to cultural and environmental sustainability, water￾development projects frequently violate human rights, lead￾ing to displacement and resettlement, particularly among ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples. Johnston and oth￾ers have drawn international attentiontothese issuesthrough the Water and Cultural Diversity project, established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Or￾ganization International Hydrological Programme in 2008. Staffed by anthropologist Lisa Hiwasaki and led by an inter￾national and interdisciplinary expert-advisory panel (with Johnston serving as the U.S. representative), this group launched a water and cultural-diversity policy brief and par￾ticipated in a full day of special events and scientific sessions at the Fifth World Water Forum in Istanbul, Turkey, in March of 2009. Other participating anthropologists included Marcus Barber, Ameyali Ramos Castillo, Kelly Alley, Rosina Hassoun, and Suzanne Hanchett. Revised versions of the world water forum papers were presented at a three-day international symposium on