Stop the Burn campaign leader Christine Louis Jeune painted a vivid picture today as she described what its like to race around the house closing windows and doors against smoke and ash when the smell from nearby sugarcane burns permeates the air. There are no formal warning measures in place to communicate health risks to residents — despite the experience being a common occurrence in Christine’s hometown of Belle Glade during the sugarcane burn season which can span up to 8 months of the year.

In other words, “after you’ve already been exposed is when you try to protect yourself,” Friends of the Everglades Executive Director Eve Samples put it.

Today’s Friends of the Everglades LIVE featured important voices from citizen-led outreach campaigns and investigative journalism as we examined the scientifically verified health impacts of sugarcane burning to exposed residents and the reluctance to reform this dangerous practice. We are grateful to Patrick Ferguson and Christine Louis Jeune of Sierra Club’s Stop the Burn campaign and The Palm Beach Post’s Antigone Barton for lending their expertise.

Thanks to everyone that tuned in with us today. To RSVP to the Stop the Burn Protest in West Palm Beach next Wednesday, November 1, mentioned during today’s livestream, click here. 

If you missed the livestream, you can watch the full recording here.