The Boy Who Cried Wolf or Toxic Truth?

We all know the parable of the Boy Who Cried Wolf. He wanted attention and amusement while watching his sheep, so he would cry wolf just to watch the villagers rush to his aid. When they arrived and saw there was no wolf, they became upset. This only worked a few times and they stopped responding when he cried wolf. Unfortunately, the last time he cried wolf, it was for real and he lost his sheep. One of the wise old villagers told him, nobody believes a liar.

Have you ever heard the story of Dr. Claire Patterson though? He discovered the true age of the Earth in 1953, which is pretty impressive in and of itself. While he was researching, he discovered the harmful effects of lead contamination. At the time, lead was found in all sorts of everyday items, including pipes, paints, glass, household utensils, cans, toys, and gasoline. Lead's presence in gasoline was an issue because it was also present in the exhaust.

He worked relentlessly to convince the world that lead was harmful, but faced a formidable opponent in the gasoline industry. They worked hard to ensure he was ridiculed, slandered and vilified for years. In 1976 the EPA mandated a reduction in gasoline lead levels, but this was only because lead coats the new catalytic converters that were designed to lower emissions and ruins them. Regardless, it was a start. It wasn't until the 1980s that Dr. Patterson's work became widely accepted and people realized the harmful impact of lead on their bodies and the environment.

Something for all of us to think about is how do we know when someone is crying wolf and when someone's concerns are valid? How much damage will we do to ourselves, our families and our communities before we stop, take a moment before passing judgment, and just listen?

Thank you for reading through my quasi-parable for the day!

See Board Meeting Notes Below. Sorry they are ridiculously long and so late! I will make sure to get my notes from tonight's meeting posted much sooner. Remember that these are my notes based on my observations and opinions. We all view things through a different lens and we all have valuable insights and input.

June Board Meeting Notes.pdf

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