When:
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Where: 180 Hagerty Hall
The methylmercury pollution victims’ fight for justice in Minamata and the anti-nuclear movement in Japan, centered around the joint efforts of farmers, fisherfolk and other dedicated citizens, are examples of the struggle to achieve true democracy in Japan.
Aileen Smith will speak about W. Eugene Smith’s commitment to photojournalism, how Gene and Aileen photographed in Minamata, and what she experienced and learned while working there between the ages of 21 and 24.
She will discuss the 10 anti-progressive strategies used by government and industry common to Minamata and Fukushima, and how both of these historical issues are still ongoing. Japan’s nuclear fuel cycle program is intricately tied to the US Department of Energy’s initiatives to advance the use of plutonium for commercial use as an energy source. She will address how civil use of this weapons-capable material will abet nuclear proliferation and how ongoing utilization of nuclear energy is detrimental to the goal of preventing climate change.
