Hazard Hot Sheet

Green Knight is a one-man brain trust that can be used as an informational resource for anyone with questions, amateur or professional, on environmental policy, laws, practices, or regulations.  An old adage has it that “the only stupid question is the one you don’t ask,” so ask away, and if i don’t know it, i can likely find out quicker than you can, and we both end up smarter.  Win-win, eh?

I am here for the do-it-yourselfer, the government drone, the contractor, the concerned civic group, and the friendly alien.

The avatar that I use with my posts in this blog is that of the Green Man. The particular image is from a pendant created by former St. Louis artist Tim   Zell, whose designs may be seen at http://mythicimages.com/catalog.cgi?flag=about_us.  He goes by other names these days, as artists tend to do.  Odd that he started in St. Louis and ended up in NoCal, and i went the opposite way, eh?  I used to know him at the Renaissance Faire out there.  My plan is to eventually move back, though, so look out!  Dust those redwoods off for me. and pour me a Ravenswood Zin.

According to Wikipedia, “The Green Man motif has many variations. Found in many cultures around the world, the Green Man is often related to natural vegetative deities springing up in different cultures throughout the ages. Primarily it is interpreted as a symbol of rebirth, or “renaissance,” representing the cycle of growth each spring. Some speculate that the mythology of the Green Man developed independently in the traditions of separate ancient cultures and evolved into the wide variety of examples found throughout history.”  His face is traditionally made of acanthus leaves, same as what capitalizes Corinthian columns in Greek architecture, and that’s what Tim/Oberon used here.  Even in winter, the Green Man is sleeping and keeping the roots alive for spring; he’s the protector of forests and wildlife, and represents the growth that nature is capable of.

I should mention that I worked for Greenpeace from 1980-83 at the San Francisco office, studied chemistry at UCLA, archaeology/anthropology and astronomy at West Valley College in Saratoga, CA, and got my B.S. in Earth Sciences with a minor in secondary education at Southeast Missouri State University.  I was a state hazardous and solid waste inspector for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources after that, and have been teaching hazardous waste cleanup, asbestos, mold, lead-based paint, radiation, mine safety, and DOT hazardous materials transportation for 20 years.  While a state guy, I handled RCRA, CERCLA, infectious waste, and leaking underground storage tanks. I’m back doing things for Greenpeace here in St. Louis, and I’m now an associate member of the Society of Environmental Journalists.

Hazard Hot Sheet © 2012 Bob Carlson
St. Louis, Missouri, USA

The views expressed here are mine, and those of my readers and contributors, and do not necessarily reflect those of any organization with which I am or was once affiliated, or stores at which I shop, etc.