The Power of Water
I first learned of the term Lokahi about 2 years ago while on a difficult family trip to Hawaii. It denotes oneness or unity with the earth, with others and with ourself, and with God or Spirit. Ever since learning the word, and being rejuvenated by the awesome beauty of Hawaii's oceans, each day has become my opportunity to be more whole. March 22 was World Water Day, and though it has come and gone, water's unifying and cleansing properties still remain.
Our Blue Planet
A recent LA Times article states that over 2,000 images taken during the 1960's lunar landings were kept in storage containers for decades and are finally, after much painstaking labor, going to be released to the public in stages. Among the pictures are a number of clear, multi-hued images of the earth's surface. From a lunar vantage point, water in the form of blue oceans and wondrous swirling clouds is a daily spectacle.
Styling our Rides
Water is a daily spectacle on earth too. Even our cars get their fair share of water, especially in Los Angeles where the car is a staple in our lives. Similar to a full service hairstyle salon, our machines receive a regular wash and a rinse, a hot waxing, detailing of those sensitive areas, and a variety of special scents that suit our fancy. Imagine the daily amount of water used to wash our cars, just around LA alone, mostly in the name of style.
Unity in Action: CLEAN comes to the Car Wash Industry
Even more appalling are the workplace violations many car wash workers suffer while working in LA's car salons. Enter the CLEAN Car Wash Campaign, which consists of a coalition of organizations committed to improving the lives of working families in Los Angeles. Water and unity. Nice.
The Community Labor Environmental Action Network (CLEAN) strives to secure basic workplace protections for car wash workers. CLEAN was instrumental in the 176 counts of criminal charges recently brought against the owners of a local car wash in Hollywood. These owners are being charged with numerous workplace violations that include failure to pay wages, witness intimidation, and brandishing a deadly weapon. CLEAN also addresses the serious environmental and safety hazards found in the Los Angeles car wash industry. For more information, click here and here.
One of CLEAN's major forces of bringing about change has been the boycott. CLEAN Campaigners frequently stand outside those car washes that are the worst offenders of workers' rights. They boycott the business in hopes that the owners will stop workplace violations and collaborate with CLEAN to revitalize the car wash industry. The boycotts are pivotal in exposing the violations that have remained hidden to the public until now. I'll be heading out to a boycott soon, and will bring back footage of the event.
Earth Photo Courtesy of NASA and found at Cosmos4Kids.com
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