One of my new heroes, Diane Wilson, is refusing to go to jail until Warren Andersen, the former CEO of Union Carbide, is extradited to face manslaughter charges in Bhopal, India.

“I’m going to go on the lam,” Wilson told Corporate Crime Reporter today. “I realize I have to go to jail. I’m quite willing to do that. But Warren Andersen – who jumped bail 13 years ago – needs to go to jail too. I’m going to stay out to expose the inequality – corporate executives don’t go to jail for high crimes and little citizens go to jail for misdemeanors.”

In August 2002, Wilson scaled a Dow Chemical facility in Seadrift, Texas and unfurled a banner that read – “Dow Responsible for Bhopal.”

When she came down, she was arrested and charged with criminal trespass.

In January 2003, Wilson was convicted of that charge and sentenced to four months in prison and fined $2,000.

An appellate court affirmed her conviction earlier this month.

I had been looking forward to meeting Diane (who I had interviewed by phone when she was in Crawford; when I was asked to recommend three books at BuyAFriendABook.com, her amazing book was one of the first to spring to mind) on my trip to DC; she was scheduled to speak at the Green Festival, and I was disappointed she wasn't there. I thought that perhaps Hurricane Rita had kept her home--Seadrift, Texas was right in its path--but maybe this is the reason she couldn't make it. I am sending her lots of energy and strength as she continues to stand her ground (which is the ground we all stand on, the ground she is working so hard to protect.)