Our world is o n e place

(1) The world is interconnected. One country's activities influence others and transgressions against nature affect us all. One country's practices not only influence itself but also impact upon every other country.

(2) One example comes from the highly dangerous and unclean energy source, nuclear

power. The risk factor in this industry, despite attempts by its proponents to minimise it,

is beyond belief. For example, regarding the 1986 disaster when the Chernobyl nuclear

power plant in what is now the Ukraine experienced an explosion and a fire, Gordon

and Suzuki (1990, p57) report that radioactive particles travelled as far as Sweden within

days and eventually as far as Canada's Arctic. Radioactive dust poisoned the city and

surrounding rural areas and caused problems such as miscarriages in pregnant women,

and cancer to other unborn as well as living children and adults.

(3) In this major wheat-growing area, crops within a huge radius were contaminated,

bringing financial ruin to farmers and food shortages for the Ukrainian people.

Children who were poisoned and who now have cancers as a direct result are

called the children of Chernobyl. Since this accident occurred in 1986, more than

one generation is affected. Some of the children of Chernobyl visit the US and

Australia each year under sponsorship programmes so they can enjoy sunshine and holidays before they die of the cancers transmitted from the Chernobyl nuclear power accident. Estimates concerning how long the soil will remain contaminated range from 100 years to 250 000 years.

(4) Another example of one country's activities seriously impacting upon another's is the notorious Ok Tedi mine, a uranium mine in Papua New Guinea which previously belonged to BHP Billiton of Australia. This mine was of extreme importance to the country's economy, providing over 25% of Papua New Guinea's export earnings.

However, careless management of hazardous waste (known as tailings) resulted in the destruction of an entire river and subsequently all the communities that relied upon that river for fishing. Almost every plant, fish and living organism died as a result of the tailings leaking out of ponds. Soil could no longer grow anything, people could no longer eat any of the fish and soon there was no fish left to eat. The ponds (which leaked in heavy rain and ruined the water and plant life) were simply dug out of the earth with no linings on the walls; this was the management system of highly radioactive and poisonous waste by a multi-billion dollar company. While the mine employed a large number of people, 50 000 had their livelihood destroyed by the mine. A total of 1300 square metres of land was destroyed. Eventually, the company was forced, by courts of law, to compensate

and relocate villagers who were affected by the problems.

(5) Meteorology provides another example of world interconnectedness. A question has been posed - Might a butterfly flapping its wings affect the weather in another part of the world? Some scientists answer a definite 'yes' to this researchquestion. This is an example of how some scientists believe that all parts of the globe are linked together.

(6) The earth is a sphere and all parts are connected; we inhabit it together. Regardless of culture, class, race or religion, humankind remains a biological organism co-existing with and dependent upon nature in order to survive. Oxygen and water are as essential to humans as they are to fish, dogs and cats.

(7) Our interdependence as a species with other living organisms is unquestionable, yet both elected and non-elected governments around the world continue to allow and indeed pursue courses of action which are ruining the balance between us and the earth. This balance is a matter of survival for the human race.

(8) In conclusion, in the past 200 years a new technological age has begun, led by Western

consumerist, capitalist countries and followed by all developing nations. This model

sets out to enslave nature - not work with nature in harmony but to control nature. It is

this writer's opinion that nature will not be controlled; nature refuses to be the slave of

humankind and will retaliate by simply eliminating the species from the planet.

(9) A major nuclear accident or war would cause worldwide damage to our environment,

from which no person would survive. Continued irresponsible mining of uranium and

no facilities for safe waste disposal will contaminate the earth to the extent that all water

is poisonous and land unproductive and unfit for food production. Arid wastelands and

more desertification will occur as a result of global warming along with rising sea levels

which will take whole countries out.

(10) People need to unite and fight for their planet. Governments that continue to pollute the earth with no regard to the future should be removed from office. Scientists need to gain the respect of decision makers and be listened to, so that the planet and its peoples have a chance for a future where we are not wearing gas masks to breathe nor protective suits to shield us from the polluted air and rain. Will we end up underground or in domed cities

like stories of science fiction? Is this what you want?

Date: 2016-03-03; view: 1729