In a super strong patriarchal society of one clan in southern California 130,000 years ago, a girl twin is born before her brother twin, and as a stroke of luck, she is not left to die, as would have been the case for a second-born girl. The girl, Elka, grows to be strong, fearless, and spiritual, things that didn't fit well in the culture into which she meets life, a culture where each man rules over his family without limits on his authority. One man, her grandfather, Geol, rules the clan. The clan's culture sees birth as perfection of person and every infraction of the clan rules as a loss of integrity, a brokenness. Lose a certain, unspecified, amount of integrity, and one is exiled from the clan forever, as there is no remedy for loss of too much integrity. s her father sinks deeper into power-driven attempts to kill the strong spirit within Elka, a spirit he fears, a possible escape plan opens up for Elka. Will the plan save her? Or, will she be victimized as one member of the clan already is, to become to the extreme of their belief, a slave to every unreasonable whim of her husband for the rest of her life? Elka opts for escape, agonizing at separation from her twin and others she loves in the clan. Will she make it? Will she survive the separation? Will she find a place where she can thrive in the huge land that surrounds her? Read to discover the answers.

In a super strong patriarchal society of one clan in southern California 130,000 years ago, a girl twin is born before her brother twin, and as a stroke of luck, she is not left to die, as would have been the case for a second-born girl. The girl, Elka, grows to be strong, fearless, and spiritual, things that didn't fit well in the culture into which she meets life, a culture where each man rules over his family without limits on his authority. One man, her grandfather, Geol, rules the clan. The clan's culture sees birth as perfection of person and every infraction of the clan rules as a loss of integrity, a brokenness. Lose a certain, unspecified, amount of integrity, and one is exiled from the clan forever, as there is no remedy for loss of too much integrity. s her father sinks deeper into power-driven attempts to kill the strong spirit within Elka, a spirit he fears, a possible escape plan opens up for Elka. Will the plan save her? Or, will she be victimized as one member of the clan already is, to become to the extreme of their belief, a slave to every unreasonable whim of her husband for the rest of her life? Elka opts for escape, agonizing at separation from her twin and others she loves in the clan. Will she make it? Will she survive the separation? Will she find a place where she can thrive in the huge land that surrounds her? Read to discover the answers.

The connection between environment and health has been well studied and documented, particularly by the World Health Organization. It is now being included in some legal instruments, although for the most part caselaw does not explicitly make that connection. Neither the right to life nor the rights to health or to normal development are actually cited in the resolution of cases and in judges' decisions. This volume makes the connection explicit in a broad review of human rights and legal issues associated with public health and the environment. It will be particularly useful as many legal instruments emphasize the right to 'development' without fully discussing the necessary safety and public health aspects, and the respect for the ecology of any area where such 'development' (often unwanted by local or indigenous communities) is to be located. Climate change is another pressing variable that is considered, and several chapters address the interface between human health and ecological conditions. Overall the book integrates perspectives from a wide range of disciplines, including ethics, ecology, public health and epidemiology, and human rights and law.

This book, written from a patient's perspective, first defines chemical sensitivity, then describes its effects, and discusses strategies for dealing with it. A complete resource listing, information on documenting a case, expert opinions on CS and an examination of the issues are included. An appendix provides detoxification data.

The number of people suffering from Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) is greater than the number suffering from AIDS, yet the general public and the medical community know very little about the disease. More and more people are disabled daily, despite the fact that the condition does not have to occur. In Part One of this work, experts review the research into the disease, along with treatment strategies. Part Two examines the legal recourses available to MCS sufferers, such as workers' compensation claims and product liability suits. How the medical community has often worked against MCS sufferers is the focus of Part Three, demonstrating that medical opposition to the disease is unfounded. The editor, an MCS sufferer, details her own case in Part Four.