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Diane Wilson Environmentalist, Activist and Holy Roller

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Environmental Activist Diane Wilson

Diane Wilson is one of my heroes! A PBS documentary called TEXAS GOLD profiled the brave actions that have earned Diane Wilson the title of "unreasonable woman". Diane managed to wage multiple hunger strikes; she started up a business bottling toxic water taken from a Superfund site and she chained herself to a DOW chemical tower in protest. Diane believes that "putting your life at risk is where change happens." This was an award winning documentary. Get a copy and view this PBS documentary.

Diane's background is that she grew up in Seadrift, Texas. She was raised in the Penticostal Church. Her father was a shrimp boat operator and later she was a shrimp boat operator. Diane has published two books. The most recent book is Holy Rollers - Growing Up in the Church of Knock Down, Drag Out; or, How I Quit Loving a Blue-Eyed Jesus about her childhood. The other book is on her activism and is titled An Unreasonable Woman. Diane is also the co-founder of Code Pink: Women for Peace (www.codepink4peace.org). Keep reading to learn more about this ballsy fearless woman.

Some Background on Diane Wilson

What lead up to Diane's activism?. First and foremost she was trained as a Shrimper by her father. She had a deep connection and a love of nature. At some point Diane learned of an EPA Report that identified Calhoun County, Texas - her home- as the most toxic in the nation. She had noticed that both dolphins and alligators were dying off in mass on Lavaca Bay. This was impacting commercial fishing as well. This concerned Diane greatly. She began asking questions and holding meetings.

Even though Diane had only a high school education and a dislike for Chemistry she taught herself to file legal briefs and to understand tons of scientific and technical EPA records. In 1997 Diane spoke at the annual Bioneers Conference on water with the goal to clean up, conserve and protect the world's waters. She came across as authentic and sincere. She introduced herself as a mother of five and former head of the PTA and described how she came to challenge powerful chemical corporations. She described the Bay as one of her grandmothers and said she took the destruction of the Bay very personally. As soon as people in Seadrift found out that she was challenging their employers a lot of resistance arose. Diane refused to back off and decided Once she realized how corrupt the system was she decided that sometimes upholding the law would require breaking the law. Thus her journey began.

A Shrimp Boat Silhouetted against an Orange Sky






An Unreasonable Woman: A True Story of Shrimpers, Politicos, Polluters

An Unreasonable Woman: A True Story of Shrimpers, Politicos, Polluters, And the Fight for Seadrift, Texas

An Unreasonable Woman: A True Story of Shrimpers, Politicos, Polluters, And the Fight for Seadrift, Texas

by: Diane Wilson

Amazon Price: $1.59 (as of 02/17/2012)Buy Now

5.0 out of 5 stars Suprising Gem of a Book, August 12, 2005
By Sarah Williams (Middlebury, VT)

This review is from: An Unreasonable Woman: A True Story of Shrimpers, Politicos, Polluters, and the Fight for Seadrift, Texas

I opened ths book unenthusiastically, expecting an excess of legal details, numbers, dates, and names which would confuse me. While what I had heard about Diane Wilson certainly sounded like a great story - that of a small-town woman who turns into a national activism - I was doubtful that the book would really draw me in.

Boy was I mistaken! Wilson's writing is colloquial, almost chit-chatty. While sometimes this tone can produce poor writing, in Wilson's case it simply draws us into her personality, sharing details completely relavant to her transformation from a shrimp-farmer to an anti-corporation environmental activist.

This book inspires interest not only in Wilson's personal story, but in the broader context of industrial pollution, corporate whistle-blowers, and how activism can really make a difference.

Wilson had me rooting for her side from page one of this book, and her writing had me enthralled by the end. I highly recommend this book to anyone, even if you are not interested at first glance.

Shrimp Boat Hat

F/V CAPE FALCON Oregon Pink Shrimp Boat Art hat
F/V CAPE FALCON Oregon Pink Shrimp Boat Art by CathyPeekChartArt
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Climate Justice with Diane Wilson

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Holy Roller

Holy Roller: Growing Up in the Church of Knock Down, Drag Out; or, How I Quit Loving a Blue-Eyed Jesus

Holy Roller: Growing Up in the Church of Knock Down, Drag Out; or, How I Quit Loving a Blue-Eyed Jesus

by: Diane Wilson

Amazon Price: $3.94 (as of 02/17/2012)Buy Now

Wow, I'm still dizzy from the ride. What a story, I couldn't put it down. I found Holy Roller to be a vivid tale that is insanely entertaining. I did not grow up on the coast but I can now taste the oyster shell dust and smell the shrimp slop.

Read Diane's Book on Your New Kindle Fire

Kindle Fire, Full Color 7

Kindle Fire, Full Color 7" Multi-touch Display, Wi-Fi

Amazon Price: $199.00 (as of 02/17/2012)Buy Now

Just half the price of an iPad

Environmental Awareness Art Postage

Environmental Awareness Art by Mark Thaler stamp
Environmental Awareness Art by Mark Thaler by markthaler
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Here's one of my favorite quotes from Holy Rollers


"Grandma knew everything Jesus said was true. And the Bible don't lie. Regular Folks can't do nothing on their own, but they can if they believe Jesus is working behind the scenes. Miracles weren't hard. Everybody knew that miracles came straight from heaven and there was probably a whole warehouse up there with little slots holding the different miracles. Here's a miracle to straighten out your legs. And there's a miracle to make that eye see. Why, there's Delbert's miracle lying right there in that slot. It was the belief in miracles that was hard 'cause that came from us, natural-born sinners all the way from Eve who was the Mother of All Sinners. So if somebody doubted a miracle, a split second later she just made God a liar and God didn't like being called a liar. That would rain down hate and strife."

Diane Wilson Discusses her Pentacostal Upbringing

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Code Pink Photos

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Code Pink 4 Peace
This was co-founded by Diane Wilson, please join us.

1. End the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
2. Stop new wars
3. Stand up for human rights
4. Non-violence
5. Redirect our resources into healthcare, education, green jobs and other life-affirming activities

Go to Texas or Any Other Pristine Location - Think Green

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Go to a Green Sanctuary next time you travel. Choose wisely and put your money where your mouth is. Find resorts who incorporate green architecture and focus on conservation. Make your next one an Earth Friendly Vacation.

Clean Water Creek Flowing Through Forest Greenery

Clean Water Creek Flowing Through Forest Greenery, Alaska




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Let's keep our planet pristine so that future generations can enjoy it's beauty.

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