The Power of One

Speaker: 
Erin Brockovich
 
24 Feb 2020
 
7:00 PM
 
Great Hall, Memorial Union
Co-sponsors: 
  • Office of Sustainability
  • Ivy College of Business
  • Pat Miller Fund
  • Green Umbrella
  • George Gund Fund
  • National Affairs
  • Committee on Lectures (funded by Student Government)

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It’s been almost 20 years since Julia Roberts starred in the Oscar-winning biopic Erin Brockovich. The film turned this unknown legal researcher into a 20th century icon by showcasing how her dogged persistence was the impelling force behind the largest medical settlement lawsuit in history. Erin’s exhaustive investigation uncovered that Pacific Gas & Electric had been poisoning the small town of Hinkley, California for over 30 years. It was because of Erin’s unwavering tenacity that PG&E was exposed for leaking toxic Chromium 6 into the ground water. This poison affected the health of the population of Hinkley. In 1996, as a result of the largest direct action lawsuit of its kind, spearheaded by Erin and Ed Masry, the utility giant was forced to pay out the largest toxic tort injury settlement in US history: $333 million in damages to more than 600 Hinkley residents. Today, Erin consults on numerous environmental projects all over the world and encourages people to believe in their personal power to affect change. 2020 Symposium on Sustainability Keynote