Fight or Flight: A Story of Survival and Justice in Cancer Alley
zoefrieseGiven the vastness of Formosa Plastics' influence, there are many ways to tell its story to the world. As environmental justice activists and researchers, how do we describe a company and its negative impact when there is so much to say? Limited by time, word count, and the audience's attention span, we must decide what goes unsaid. As a result, we could write countless answers to the same question, "What is Formosa Plastics?"
In this published academic case study, I introduce Formosa Plastics through a local lens--specifically, through the eyes of a grandmother-turned-activist in the small town of Welcome, Louisiana. Her family's history with social justice activism, as well as the area's connection to centuries of slavery, make the environmental racism of Formosa Plastics' Sunshine Project especially salient. Although Formosa Plastics is a global force, telling its story on the microscale is an equally important perspective. After all, in Sharon Lavigne's eyes, her small town is her world. How many of these little worlds have Formosa Plastics destroyed as they wreak havoc across international borders?
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Hamyetun.NaharThis image shows that as the number of family members increase, so does the annual income needed to provide the essential necessities for the whole family. This may be a problem for those working a less-paying job or a job paying the minimum wage. So, although everyone plans to have a family one day, if they want to save money in today`s working society, they either have to have less children or find a good-paying job or petition/request for a raise in their wages.