About this item
The dramatic story of the signature environmental disaster of our time and an inspiring tale of relentless citizen resistance in the face of corrupt power Flint was already a troubled city in 2014 when the state of Michigan - in the name of austerity - shifted the source of its water supply from Lake Huron to the Flint River. Soon after, citizens began complaining about the water that flowed from their taps - but officials rebuffed them, insisting it was fine. Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, a pediatrician at the city's public hospital, took state officials at their word and encouraged the parents and children in her care to continue drinking the water - after all, it was American tap water, blessed with the state health department's seal of approval. But a conversation at a cookout with an old friend, leaked documents from a rogue inspector, and the activism of a concerned mother raised red flags about lead - a neurotoxin whose irreversible effects fall most heavily on children.
About the Author
Mona Hanna-Attisha, MD, MPH, FAAP, is a physician, scientist, and activist who has been called to testify twice before the United States Congress, awarded the Freedom of Expression Courage Award by PEN America, and named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World.
