When I informed a handful of people I would be penning a post on Dorothy Green who founded "Heal the Bay" - some undoubtedly wondered why since this year's blog action topic is on "poverty".
As I pointed out in my "introduction" at the top of the blog today, there are many forms of "poverty".
For the most part, when we use the term, we tend to conjure of images of the homeless and children begging in the streets for food in third-world countries.
While I have addressed the issues in 3 separate posts - "World Hunger", "Alms for the Poor", and by virtue of a quote from "Mahatma Gandhi" - I thought it was also important to note that some suffer from "spiritual poverty" as well.
As Gandhi noted, it is due to prevailing greed, that many remain begging in respect to the basic necessities of life.
The post on "World Hungry" points an accusing finger at a handful of wealthy men - who rape the earth of her bounty - as they likewise - greedily control the assets of the world.
Meanwhile, the masses struggle in obscurity and go hungry daily around the globe.
In sum, society is plagued by the morally bankrupt.
In essence, the lot of them are spiritually poor.
Yes - food and shelter is important - but as a race it is of the utmost importance, too, to strive for lasting peace among all nations and a harmonious co-existence with Mother Earth.
In that respect, one woman - Dorothy Green - was not "poor".
In fact, she was quite rich in spirit, and a generous "giver", as she worked tirelessly to turn back the clock on pollution, and global warming, and a consciousness that was upsetting the equilibrium.
At a time when activism in the environment arena was not popular, for instance, Ms. Green had the vision to recognize the urgency of tackling a growing problem in respect to waste in the bay off the Santa Monica Coast.
Instead of sitting back and complaining, and turning a blind eye, the feisty gal took action.
It all started when her brother was splattered with poorly treated sewage water in 1985 from an open drain at Ballona Creek in Marina Del Rey.
When there were no answers forthcoming from City Hall to account for the outrage, Ms. Green invited a handful of other concerned residents in the area to her home, and they summarily formed the "green" movement - "Heal the Bay".
At that time, the challenges were mind-boggling, but the spirited do-gooder was not deterred.
"We had a dead zone in the middle of Santa Monica Bay, we had bottom fish with tumors and 10-million-gallon sewage spills in the middle of a bright summer day. None of that occurs today," noted marine biologist - Mark Gold - triumphantly.
No, Sir!
Today, "Heal the Bay" is one of the largest non-profit organizations in Los Angeles (consisting at last count of fifteen thousand members strong).
"Heal" launched constructive ongoing "pollution" watches which continue to this day.
An annual "Beach Report Card" on water quality at California Beaches is published each year, for instance.
In addition, Dorothy Green founded and headed up sister projects such as the Los Angeles and San Gabriel River Watershed Councils dedicated to restoring and preserving the watershed in the lower mainland.
In tandem with this non-profit project, Ms. Green instituted the California Impact Network which focuses on the equitable use of public water.
The Chairman of the Board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California was emphatic about one thing.
"Ms. Green was quite unique in her generation," he beamed.
She took a step forward where no woman (or man) had gone before and effected real change.
Some say - when residents and tourists gaze out over the oceanfront beaches - and take in the glorious vistas which are healing to the eyes - that it is mainly due to Green's dedication to the cause that affords us the pleasure.
It is with sadness that I report that Ms. Green passed away into "spirit" earlier this week.
But her legacy remains with us.
And, we are much richer, for it!
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