Tuesday, January 29, 2008

You're Invited . . . .

On Thursday, Feb. 7, the Evergreen Arts & Humanities Series at Washington State Community College will present a lecture by Callie Lyons, a journalist in the Mid-Ohio Valley. The lecture will be at 7:30 p.m. in the Graham Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.

Lyons book, “Stain-resistant, Nonstick, Waterproof and Lethal: the Hidden Dangers of C8,” provides an evenhanded examination of the scientific evidence on all sides of the issue in language that is straightforward and easy to understand.

Her lecture includes old footage from the classic game show "To Tell the Truth" featuring Teflon inventor and native Ohioan, Roy Plunkett. Lyons intends to involve the audience in a kitchen experiment or two. These experiments will help even small children understand how C8 works in the manufacturing process and how difficult it could be to find a replacement substance.

According to Lyons, most consumers at large don't identify themselves as being contaminated. Items like Post-it notes, McDonald’s French fries, or the delicious and distinctive aroma of a bag of microwave popcorn all possess traces of C8. According to Lyons, most people don't realize that Ohioans have shaped the discussion and the controversy over Teflon and C8 from the beginning.

Lyons considers herself a historian, not necessarily an environmentalist, telling the story of how C8 has impacted on our lives. Her journalism career includes television, newspaper, and radio journalism, and she is currently the news director for WMOA/WJAW radio in Marietta, Ohio. Lyons work concerning C8 has earned her a reputation as a fair-minded writer concerned with the environment and equally concerned with the potential impact of negative journalism on the economy of the area she calls home. Recently, Lyons received the Uncovering the Truth Award from Ohio Citizen Action and the Associated Press of Ohio First Place distinction for Best Business Writer 2006.

(Source: WSCC Press Release)

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