Jim Scanlon Part 1. Citizen Scientist
James R. Slusser, Ph.D.
Program Director
USDA UVB Radiation Monitoring Program
Colorado State University
Jim
Scanlon epitomized to me the concept of citizen
scientist. He was a passionate advocate for environmental
science, yet he lacked the academic credentials often
thought necessary to be an effective proponent.
What follows is a small fraction of
Jim’s correspondence to me from 1997 until just
before his death in 2005. These excerpts from a few
of his many letters reveal the scope of his knowledge,
the potency of his voice and his courage to speak his
truth amidst the accepted world view of the media. The
first message is out of order but reveals how Jim saw
himself. My manager in Washington, DC, wanted to know
a little bit about who this journalist/advocate in Marin
County, California. The remaining letters are in chronological
order and were written from Southern Chile and Marin
County.
Jim Scanlon to Dr. James Slusser (17
October 2004)
From j.scanlon@comcast.net
Sun Oct 17 15:45:54 2004
Dear Jim:
I am unable to find the summary I sent
you some time ago regarding the existential question,
"Who is this guy?" so I'll skip the non essentials
and keep it short and to the point:
The most important aspect of my recent
life is that I worked for 28 years in California doing
court investigations of one sort or another. From 1976
until the present I contributed articles, many of them
on scientific subjects, to the Marin County Coastal
Post. My articles reflected my interests in Biology
and Environmentalism.
In 1990 I made the first of many trips
to Patagonia because of my special concern for the environmental
effects of ozone depletion. I later traveled through
the mountains of Peru and the Altiplano of Bolivia.
In 1992 I wrote a proposal and sent it to several dozen
agencies of the US, Canadian and a number of other countries,
to set up a network of ultraviolet radiation monitoring
instruments along the Andes from Venezuela to the Strait
of Magellan.
In my attempts to purchase inexpensive
instruments to measure UVB for my personal use I became
familiar with Dan Berger of the Solar Light Company
and Forrest Mims. I field tested the first hand held
Microtops I instrument. One thing led to another and
I became familiar with the USDA's network.
I would like to think I have played
a small part in the creation of a public health educational
program on ultraviolet radiation in Region XII of Chile,
(Magallanes and Tierra del Fuego) an area affected by
the Antarctic Ozone Hole for the last 20 years. I supported
Dr Jaime Abarca a dermatologist who lives and works
in Punta Arenas on the Strait of Magellan, in publishing
two research papers on human health effects of UV radiation
associated with ozone depletion. I also provided editorial
assistance to the scientists studying ozone depletion
and ultraviolet radiation at the University of Magellan.
Jim Slusser thinks I was helpful in
providing some assistance to the USDA program during
two of its budget crisis and, if that is true, I am
a happy guy, but not too happy since I think his program
needs to be greatly expanded.
Who is this guy?
Is this acceptable?
Jim Scanlon to Dr. James Slusser (31 October 2001)
From jscanlon@linex.com
Wed Oct 31 15:08 MST 2001
Hi, it's me Jim, far, far away in Punta
Arenas on the tip of South America:
The weather down here has been cloudy
but nice, really nice springtime weather. The little
flower stands are starting to spring up around the cemetery
in preparation for November 1, All Saints Day and, although
it is new, and still regarded with suspicion, Halloween
costumes fill the windows of many stores.
The ozone hole hasn't really caused
problems this year. My measurements, with my Microtops,
a highly accurate, small hand held instrument, show
fairly high levels of ozone, around 340 Dobson Units
(therefore, all things being equal, low ultraviolet.
Street light symbol for UV alerts are always on the
back page of the local newspaper, La Prensa Austral
on "yellow" at "riesgo moderado",
moderate risk. They can go to orange or red or in winter,
to green. There are sun blocks displayed in the windows
of every store that sells drugs and such, but they don't
take up nearly as much space as they used to. It's as
if everyone has gotten use to the danger---not as bad
as it once seemed --- of sudden exposure to ultraviolet
radiation.
An article appeared in yesterday's
newspaper: "Punta Arenas will not remain under
the "hole" in the ozone layer"--estimation
for the rest of the spring"---"The phenomenon
has centered itself on the Antarctic continent".
It states that due to climatic conditions, the ozone
hole is centered over Antarctica, and is now smaller
than in September, and smaller than last year, and that
it probably won't pass over the tip of South America
for the rest of the spring.
We shall see. In 1998, or maybe it
was 1997, the ozone hole passed over on the 31st and
the 1st of November, on a weekend, when everyone was
out visiting graves, or out in the country The official
announcements were that the ozone hole was over Cape
Horn, but my measurements showed very low ozone. The
thick clouds, however, prevented an unpleasant surprise.
In the ten years since the dictatorship
went out, everyone here seems to have relaxed and prospered
and it is now easy to get into the port. I've gone on
to the municipal pier several times in the last few
years to visit the National Science Foundation's Ice
Breakers, when it has been in port. Recently I had a
nice chat with the chief scientist who is from UCSB,
and the captain from New Orleans and I wrote a little
article about the ship's being stuck in the ice for
21 days off Antarctica. I sent the article to the newspaper
of the American Geophysical Union, but I'm not at all
sure if it will be published. I wrote a long article
for them in 1994 about the destruction of an astronomical
observatory in the mountains of Peru above Lima by Sendero
Luminoso (alias the communist party of Peru) and they
published it three years later after I had forgotten
I wrote it. Anyway, I have fun doing this sort of thing.
The local people are alert to opportunities:
as an example of how they attend to things, I spoke
to the editor of La Prensa Austral about the ship being
stuck in the ice and two days later they printed the
story with a huge photo of the ship on the front page.
I am always impressed with what this little newspaper
does.
The local university is similar. It
was basically an engineering school when I came here
11 years ago and now it has grown and expanded into
another, much larger campus with new schools of nursing,
medicine and this year, a school of law. Next week there
will be a conference on Computer Science drawing people
from all over South America. It's nice to see this sort
of positive activity.
With a population of about 120,000,
in and about the city, and 150,000 in the entire region,
they have a university; I don't know how many orchestras
and chamber music groups, poetry groups, theater groups,
a local public radio station and a TV station. I have
read reviews of novels, history and poetry books written
by local people. Because their educational system is
so good, they are over represented in positions in the
national government.
Not to make it sound too idyllic, they
have their problems with alcoholism, crime, fights,
stabbings, and murders. But for me, it is hard to connect
these activities with the young people I see crowding
the streets every day after school in their uniforms--they
are so good looking and look so well cared for and are
so polite and considerate--- so, it is obvious I am
missing something.
In the cafes I go to I see mature women
talking and laughing together, glad to see one another,
kissing everyone affectionately. The young school girls
and sometimes school boys do this too. But---this is
the strange part---you see men doing practically the
same thing with men! They don't kiss much, at least
I haven't seen it., but they do congregate among themselves
and talk and laugh. I don't know what they are talking
about---maybe business or politics--- because they speak
too fast for me to understand. It is usually clear when
men and women are talking business, they usually have
plans or notes on the table. The men don't ogle women
who pass by or make comments when they have passed.
I go around town on foot or by "colectivo",
that is, in taxi like cars, usually compact cars, which
follow a bus route but charge more than a bus. The fee
is 200 pesos, about .30=A2 US, and this method of transportation
is very efficient and easy. In comparison to California,
I walk a lot and it surprises me how tired I get from
the exercise.
The food is great. I eat breakfast
in my hotel, the Monte Carlo, and old, somewhat run
down hotel in the middle of town, where I pay $21 per
day for a large room with private bath, shower and TV.
Newer hotels nearby charge $150 and up. Almost all the
guests here are Chilean and most don't' take rooms with
baths---very practical people. I could eat in the hotel,
but I prefer to go to local restaurants where I pay
more, but I can control better what I eat and don't
eat so much. Everything is good but the fish is particularly
good. I tend to eat one big meal at mid day and pay
about $10.00 for, say, a nice piece of sautéed
fish, French fries beautifully done, a salad of tomatoes
and avocado bread and mineral water.
I missed a traveling Cuban Circus
that was here, because I had too much to do, but I hope
to take that sort of thing in the weeks ahead, maybe
a movie or two,
It is now 2 PM and writing about food
has made me hungry. I'm going up the hill to a nice
Chinese restaurant for vegetable Chop Suey. This letter
will "sleep" until I get it to the University
tonight or tomorrow when I go to my friend's office,
connect to his network with my lap top and then, through
the marvel of the Internet, send and receive my mail.
Bye for now
Jimmy
Jim Scanlon to Dr. James Slusser (23 August 2002)
From j.scanlon@attbi.com
Fri Aug 23 17:39 MDT 2002
Whoopie! The funding sure looks better,
but don't settle for too little Jim! The vitamin D aspect
is important and has "touched a nerve" with
the public. It relates to breast cancer, a condition
of great concern NOT overshadowed by terrorism and Iraq
or the effect on soybeans. There is even an aspect for
the congressional black caucus --decreased bone development
in black children because of a lack of vitamin D from
pollution blocked UVB.
Please give my best to the ladies (I'd
rather say "girls" if they would forgive that
term of endearment).
Jim Scanlon
Jim Scanlon to Dr. James Slusser (29
March 2005)
From j.scanlon@comcast.net
Tue Mar 29 22:42:31 2005
Dear Professor Jim:
Steve Martin sure used to be funny!
Too bad he got to be a leading man and grew up!
Yes I got the package and was a little
surprised that there really wasn't much change in ozone
although the UVB did go up. I guess there is some part
of me that WANTS UVB to go up as ozone goes down. Kind
of like the reaction to the Scotto 1988 RB, but....
you got to take what you get.
Do you think it would be a good idea
to write to Forrest Mims, who is from Texas, to see
if he knows Bonilla? Forrest is, as you know, a great
guy, and ...wait a minute ... didn't you give him a
YES to test out?
Things are going pretty well with me,
except that I am trapped in my own web of responsibility
and can't seem to get out of criticizing our local Superior
Court.
It is nice to hear you making progress
at work, giving your program political immunization
shots, and having laughs after work. Sounds like a nice
balance.
Best wishes,
Jim
Jim Scanlon to Dr. James Slusser (6
April 2004)
From j.scanlon@comcast.net
Wed Apr 6 17:05:59 2005
Jim
Lot of luck!
Please remember that whatever the merits
of the UVB program's relationship with agriculture,
everyone knows someone who has died from melanoma and
many old white men who have had squamous or basal cell
carcinomas removed.
That's an unspoken plus for our program
and you might want to rub your nose, pull your ears
and wipe your forehead while you are talking.
Best regards as always.
Jim Scanlon
Forrest M. Mims III to Dr. James Slusser on Jim Scanlon’s
Passing (18 April 2005)
Jim,
Jim Scanlon was one of a kind. His passing is a great
loss to the citizen science community.
I am writing various tributes to Jim for THE CITIZEN
SCIENTIST. He graduated from reporting anecdotal reports
about UV in Puntas Arenas to making Microtops ozone
and direct UV-B measurements there.
His last project was digitizing the weather records
from Puntas Arenas. Gordon Labow has a CD of the scans,
which I hope to get a copy of. Jory was working with
Jim on this project. A few days before Jim died one
of Jim's friends, was watching Jim in his apartment
trying to digitize scanned images of records. These
data deserve to be archived and published.
The Puntas Arenas data include several years of very
old ground-level ozone observations from the early 1900s.
Jim wrote about this in an e-mail.
It would be wonderful to receive letters from you …
and others in the scientific community about your impressions
of the remarkable Jim Scanlon. Especially interesting
might be remembrances of the questions he asked at scientific
meetings--where he was always welcome and treated with
respect.
If you agree with this idea, I will publish these letters
in a special dedication to Jim in THE CITIZEN SCIENTIST
(WWW.SAS.ORG/TCS).
Best regards,
Forrest
Forrest M. Mims III
www.forrestmims.org
Geronimo Creek Observatory
Chairman, Environmental Science Section
Texas Academy of Science
Editor, The Citizen Scientist
In Part 2, Dr. Slusser will present
Jim Scanlon’s correspondence that led to the appointment
of Andres Hernandez from the Laboratory for Monitoring
Ozone and Ultraviolet Radiation at the University of
Magellan in Punta Arenas, Chile, for a two-month internship
summer at his lab at Colorado State University. Editor.
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