How Lois Gibbs, a Regular Mother and Housewife Became a Hero and Global Environmental Activist
Love Canal: A Battle for Justice
It was the summer of 1980, a season of simmering discontent in the quiet, working-class neighbourhood of Love Canal. Nestled in Niagara Falls, New York, this small community was facing an invisible enemy — one that had seeped into the very soil beneath their homes and the water they drank.
For years, toxic chemicals dumped by the Hooker Chemical Company had been silently wreaking havoc, but now, the truth could no longer be ignored.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had just released a damning study. High levels of chemical exposure had been linked to a host of health issues among residents, from cancer to birth defects.
This news was the final spark that ignited a long-smouldering fire of anger and fear. The people of Love Canal were ready to take action, and their leader in this fight was a determined woman named Lois Gibbs.
Lois, a mother and housewife, had been transformed into an activist by the horrors she saw around her.
Her own children had fallen ill, and she could no longer stand by as her neighbours suffered.
