The truth is out there, but unveiling it is a meticulous and tiresome process that few choose to undertake.
With his new documentary,Half-Life of Memory, Jeff Gipe has taken on a historical act of environmental injustice that, according to notable activists, is perpetuated to this day.
Rocky Flats nuclear manufacturing plant operated from 1952 until 1989, when it was raided by the FBI. This was the first time a Federal warrant was served to another branch of the Federal government. The plant produced atomic "triggers", which are the explosive cores of nuclear warheads. In 1992, the plant was officially closed, marking the beginning of the remediation period.
Rocky Flats Wildlife Refuge is now open for recreation, and plans are underway to build a recreation path that connects the refuge with Rocky Mountain National Park in the West to Rocky Mountain Arsenal in the East. This all comes at a time when Los Alamos has reopened to produce nuclear “pits”, and the US is on its way to produce 80 nuclear warheads per year by 2030.
Has the Rocky Flats site truly been “remediated”, or is this bureaucratic sleight of hand?
This is a story about the fallout that occurs before the global catastrophe. About the plant workers, the unwavering FBI agent who led the raid, the health officials, scientists, politicians, and those who unwittingly moved downwind of a nuclear plant and now suffer irreversible consequences.
This is a story about the Half-Life of Memory, a film that tells difficult truths about the local consequences of global conflict. If you take nothing else from today's episode, please take this to heart -you need to see this remarkable film.
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Colorado Environmental Film Festival: 2/23 @ 3:30 pm
https://www.halflifeofmemory.com (Rent or Own)
The Struggle to Remember the Nuclear West by Hannah Nordhaus
Full Body Burden - by Kristen Iversen
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If you enjoyed today’s episode and found it insightful, please share it with your friends and family. A special thank-you to the Denver Film Festival and Sie Film Center for screening Half-Life of Memory and spreading awareness on this important topic.
The music for this podcast is Siesta by Ikson, part of the “Tell Your Story” project—a library of free music for content creators. Visit ikson.com to explore the full catalog.
