UDiane Wilson uyi-shrimper.
Futhi isilwi.
Iminyaka engu-15, ubelokhu elwa nesikhungo esikhulu se-polyvinyl chloride seFormosa Plastics eTexas Gulf Coast phakathi kweGalveston neCorpus Christi.
Izama ukuqeqesha indlu yangasese isitshalo esikhulukazi esizinze eTaiwan.
Inkampani ukungcola kwayo kusongela iLavaca Bay.
Lapho izizukulwane ngezizukulwane, umndeni wakhe ubulokhu udoba futhi udobe izimfanzi.
Ngokushicilelwa kwabezindaba, ukungalaleli komphakathi - usejele izikhathi eziyi-13 - iziteleka zendlala kanye namacala, uWilson waphazamisa amanzi ezepolitiki eTexas Gulf Coast.
Futhi manje usephumile nencwadi enemininingwane yomkhankaso wakhe - Owesifazane Ongenangqondo: Indaba Yangempela Yezimfanzi, Ipolitiki, Abangcolisi kanye Ne-Fight for Seadrift, Texas (Chelsea Green, 2005).
Le ncwadi ihlelelwe ukuthi iqale ukutholakala ezitolo zezincwadi ngasekupheleni kuka-Agasti.
Engxoxweni, uWilson uthe uthengise amalungelo efilimu endabeni yakhe kumenzi wefilimu uRobert Greenwald.
U-Andie MacDowell ufakwe ngepensela ukuze adlale uWilson.
Nansi into ngoWilson - akayena lutho ushukela.
Wayefuna ukwenza isikhungo esikhulu seFormosa ukuthi siyeke ukungcolisa - singaphumi.
Futhi wayefuna ukulwa ukuze anqobe.
Uqashe ummeli wezemvelo waseHouston - uJames Blackburn - ukuthi amsize empini yakhe.
UBlackburn, kwavela ukuthi, wayengumuntu oyekethisayo.
Ngo-1992, kulandela esinye seziteleka zakhe zokulambela inkampani yaseTaiwan, kanye noBlackburn eceleni kwakhe, uWilson noFormosa bavumelana nalokho ayekholelwa ukuthi kuzoba ukuxazululwa kwengxabano neFormosa - isivumelwano esasizovumela izishoshovu ukuba ziqambe abaqaphi enkampanini. futhi lokho kuzovumela abasebenzi esikhungweni ukuthi bahlele izinyunyana ngaphandle kokusatshiswa yizinkampani.
Kepha ezinsukwini ezimbalwa ngemuva kokuxhawula lesi sivumelwano neFormosa, inkampani yahoxa.
Futhi ngenxa yalokho, uBlackburn noWilson baba nokungaboni ngaso linye.
Kodwa esikhundleni sokusula icala, uBlackburn wanquma ukuxoxisana ngesivumelwano phakathi kwakhe neFormosa.
Futhi wenza.
UWilson uthe isivumelwano sasayinwa e-Austin Texas ngo-1992, phambi kwamakhamera kamabonakude.
Okwakungaziwa ngaleso sikhathi mayelana nempi phakathi kwezazi zemvelo kanye neFormosa ukuthi iBlackburn yayikhokhelwa yiFormosa - $200,000 eminyakeni eyi-10.
Okunye okwakungaziwa ngaleso sikhathi ukuthi uWilson wayekhathazeke kakhulu ngalesi sivumelwano, wazama ukuzibulala ngokuwisa amabhodlela amabili amaphilisi okulala.
Amaphilisi okulala akwenza kube nzima kuye ukuphefumula, kodwa awazange ambulale.
UBlackburn usitshele kuleli sonto ukuthi akakaze akhokhelwe yiFormosa ngesikhathi emele uWilson - ukuthi waxoxisana ngezinkokhelo kuphela ngemuva kokunqamula ubuhlobo bakhe naye kanye namanye amaqembu emvelo.
UBlackburn uthe cishe uhhafu wezinkokhelo zihlungwe ngamaqembu ezemvelo - njengeGalveston Bay Conservation and Preservation Association.
"Esikhundleni sokukhokhisa iFormosa, ngenze iminikelo ye-pro bono kuFormosa," kusho uBlackburn. โNgokushintshana, iFormosa yenze iminikelo emaqenjini emvelo, engangiwenzele umsebenzi we-pro bono. Futhi izinhlangano zezemvelo zizobe sezingikhokhela.โ
Enye ingxenye yezinkokhelo isuke ngqo kuFormosa yaya eBlackburn ngomsebenzi wakhe njengelungu โelithakaselekayo lomphakathiโ lekhomishana yokubuyekezwa kwezobuchwepheshe ye-Formosa - ikhomishini eyaphuma kwesinye sezivumelwano iBlackburn eyaxoxisana ngazo neFormosa.
Lapho ebuzwa ukuthi kungani engazange avele enze wonke umsebenzi we-pro bono, u-Blackburn waphendula - "Ngangiphukile."
"Kunemikhawulo ku-pro bono," kusho uBlackburn. "Leso bekuyisizathu sonke."
U-Blackburn no-Wilson basacabangelana njengabangane, nakuba benemibono ehlukene ngomthelela ophelele wezivumelwano ne-Formosa.
UWilson ngokuvamile ubona impi njengelahlekile, kanti iFormosa isasebenzisa itheku njengendawo yayo yokulahla yangasese.
UBlackburn uthi kuningi inqubekelaphambili eseyenziwe ekuhlanzeni ukusebenza kweFormosa.
Uthi lezi zivumelwano ziphakathi kwezinhle kakhulu aseke wabandakanyeka kuzo futhi ziholele ekwehleni kwamanzi angcolile asuka ku-35 kuya ku-40% kulesi sikhungo.
Unethemba lokuthi izivumelwano zizogcina ziholele ekutheni zingakhishwa ziro kulesi sikhungo.
UWilson uthe izikhulu zeFormosa zithande uBlackburn ngaphezu kokumthanda yena.
"UFormosa wayenobungane ngempela naye," kusho uWilson. โBabemthanda. Ngangivame ukuthukuthela. Bahlala bedlula eBlackburn. Abakaze badlule ngami. Futhi lokhu kungenye yezinkinga zami ezinkulu. Akuyona nje into yemvelo. Akukhona nje mayelana nendlela yokuphila yabantu. Kwakudingeka nje ukuba owesifazane wesigaba sabasebenzi laphaya. UFormosa ubengathandi nhlobo ukudlula ngami.โ
Uhambo lukaWilson lwebhuku lokuwa kungase kudingeke luhlehliswe.
Walahlwa yicala ngonyaka odlule lokungena emthethweni ngokugibela uthango ngaphandle kwesikhungo i-Union Carbide eSeadrift eyobhikishela okwenziwa yinkampani eBhopal, eNdiya.
Uma inkantolo yokudlulisa amacala ingasichithi isinqumo, uhlelelwe ukudonsa izinyanga ezine kuya kweziyisithupha ejele - mhlawumbe aqale ngokushesha nje kule nyanga.
Yileyo ndlela lezi zinto ngokuvamile ezisebenza ngayo.
Inkampani enkulu iya ebhange.
Owesifazane uya ejele.
URussell Mokhiber ungumhleli we-Corporate Crime Reporter eWashington, DC,