The Brown Agenda: My Mission to Clean Up the World's Most Life-Threatening Pollution

by Richard Fuller, Damon DiMarco, Bryan Walsh (Foreword by)

Overview

Pollution is the single largest cause of death in the developing world. One in seven people in low- and middle-income countries die as a result of it. Simply put, pollution is now the world’s most prevalent health risk.

And yet, while most everyone has heard about “going green,” few are aware of the more dire and sinister “brown” pollution—places where man-made toxic pollutants have taken root and spread. Brown sites poison millions of people every year, causing needless suffering and death.

After witnessing several brown sites firsthand and meeting families trapped by poverty in these toxic hot spots, environmentalist Richard Fuller founded the Blacksmith Institute, now renamed Pure Earth, a global nonprofit that initiates large-scale cleanups of some of the most polluted places on earth.

The Brown Agenda details Fuller’s inspirational journey—from his dangerous yet ultimately successful fight to save hundreds of thousands of acres in the Amazon rain forest to his creation of Pure Earth.

In this vivid account of his perilous travels to the earth’s most toxic locations, Fuller introduces readers to the plight of the “poisoned poor,” and suggests specific ways people everywhere can help combat pollution all over the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781595808202
Publisher:	Santa Monica Press
Publication date:	08/04/2015
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	1,024,580
File size:	15 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Richard Fuller is the founder and president of Pure Earth (formerly the Blacksmith Institute). Considered the world’s leading expert on toxic issues, Pure Earth works closely with governments, local stakeholders, and international organizations around the world to combat the proliferation of toxic pollution in forty-five countries. In 2012, Fuller also led the formation of the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution, a collaborative body tasked with coordinating resources and activities to clean up chemicals, waste, and toxic pollution in low-and middle-income countries. The GAHP currently has thirty-two members, including many affected countries, UN agencies, and bilateral and multilateral donors such as the World Bank.

Damon DiMarco is an author, actor, playwright, and historian who wrote Tower Stories: An Oral History of 9/11, a book telling the story of the September 11 attacks from the perspective of those who were directly affected by the event. Publisher's Weekly called Tower Stories a "monumental work"; MSNBC said it was "arguably the most successful attempt at capturing the enormity of the events of 9/11." DiMarco has also authored Heart of War: Soldiers’ Voices from the Front Lines in Iraq, and My Two Chinas: The Memoir of a Chinese Counter-Revolutionary (with Baiqiao Tang), as well as The Actor’s Art&Craft and The Actor’s Guide to Creating a Character (both with William Esper).  

Bryan Walsh is the Foreign Editor and Senior Writer on energy and the environment for Time magazine. He lives in New York City.

Table of Contents

Foreword: Foreign Editor and Senior Writer on Energy and the Environment for Time Magazine Bryan Walsh 11

Introduction 15

Part 1 A Very Unlikely Blacksmith

Chapter 1 Two Roads Diverged in a Wood 31

Chapter 2 Up the River to Find Its Source 47

Chapter 3 HOW to Plant a Great Forest 69

Chapter 4 Brown Is Just as Important as Green 87

Part 2 The Top 10 Pollutants Threatening Planet Earth

Chapter 5 Cities of the Damned 107

Chapter 6 Cold War Killers 141

Chapter 7 Miners Big and Small 157

Chapter 8 Coffins Filled with Pesticides 173

Chapter 9 A Tale of Two Huaxis 189

Chapter 10 Dark Clouds on the Horizon 203

Chapter 11 The Silent Killer in Household Kitchens 215

Chapter 12 The Shackle of Sewage 231

Chapter 13 Atomic Toxins 245

Chapter 14 The Scourge of Hexavalent Chromium 259

Part 3 The Blacksmith in You

Chapter 15 Spread a Message, Change the World 275

For More Information 283

Acknowledgments 284

Photo Credits 287

About the Authors 288

Editorial Reviews

“There are few more important stories than how we humans foul the planet and ourselves, often heedlessly. And there are few better placed to tell that tale than Richard Fuller, who has been working for years to show how we can—and, more importantly, should—clean up the earth. The Brown Agenda is the story of an important humanitarian cause revealed in clear and concise prose that is at once deeply necessary and deeply satisfying.”—David Biello, Editor, Environment & Energy, Scientific American

“Richard Fuller has been the driving force behind two huge environmental agendas: corporate sustainability and pollution in the developing world. He’s the Elon Musk of the environment. An extraordinary man, tackling pollution – one of the world’s biggest problems — head on.”—Hon Nereus Acosta, Presidential Advisor for the Environment, Office of the President, Government of the Philippines.

“The Brown Agenda changes the framework—always the way to have the biggest impact. All of us, but especially those living beyond the significantly cleaned-up West, are daily being environmentally poisoned (not too strong a word). This biggest of all the world’s health threats, however, can be readily fixed. Rich Fuller has shown how to do so—from abandoned wastes in Ukraine to old battery factories in Indonesia. This is the rare book that gives the reader the power to act.”—Bill Drayton, Former Assistant Administrator, U.S. EPA; CEO, Ashoka: Innovators for the Public

“Turning ‘brown’ into ‘green’ has become a necessary journey for all of us as resource pressures are compounded by the ultimate threat intensifier—climate change. This story, a life’s work, shows the difference we can make if we all make it our business.”—Rachel Kyte, Vice President, World Bank

“Pollution kills three times more people than malaria, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis combined. It’s the single largest health problem we face. Pure Earth/Blacksmith Institute is leading the way toward a better world for all of us.”—Ben Barber journalist, former senior writer for USAID

“It takes a particular kind of environmentalist to make his life's mission 'brown' problems in the global south, rather than green ones in the north. Glamorous work it isn’t, but the impact of the author, and those whom he has inspired, on some of the world's worst pollution problems has been simply incredible. Ideas, energy, passion, stamina, cheek, and brilliant communication skills - Richard Fuller has them all, and his book is an inspiration to us all. This is a captivating story of just how much difference one person can make.”—Gareth Evans, Foreign Minister of Australia 1988-1996, President of the International Crisis Group 2000-2009, Chancellor of the Australian National University

“Richard Fuller has brought evangelical zeal to highlighting the deleterious impacts of environmental pollution and contamination on public health across the world. He has not been satisfied with merely identifying problems but has aggressively sought solutions as well, both through national and international actions. This book is an eloquent testimony to his obsessions for making the world a healthier, safer, and cleaner place, especially for its children. The world needs more Richard Fullers.”—Jairam Ramesh, Minister for Environment, India, 2009–2011

“Starting with a powerful recount of manmade environmental disasters around the world and their consequent grave dangers to humanity, narrated in Richard Fuller’s typical no-nonsense style and without pulling punches, the book also forcefully reflects Richard’s passion and commitment to make the world a better place to live and breathe in. What is refreshing about this book is that it is not a doomsday naysayer. On the contrary, it is about hope and optimism. This is the heroic saga of a heroic man who has devoted his life, his boundless energy and commitment, and most of all, his empathy and his humanity to the cause of ‘cleaning up.’ His is a message of determination, of conviction that ‘creating a pure earth is a problem for realists,’ and evidence that indeed it can be done. A heroic tale indeed!”—Rajat Nag, Managing Director General, Asian Development Bank, 1988–2013

“Rich Fuller’s passion and commitment towards educating people on the under-reported issue of environmental pollution, as well as finding innovative solutions to solve the problems, has helped save the lives of thousands of adults and children around the world. He is a truly inspiring human being and I am honoured to know him."—Dev Patel, Award-winning actor for his performance in Slumdog Millionaire

From the Publisher