1

August 2008

ECOLOGY ENQUIRER : W O R L D I N F O R M A T I O N T R A N S F E R , I N C

P R O M O T I N G H E A L T H A N D E N V I R O N M E N T A L L I T E R A C Y

Inside This Issue Note from the Editor 1

From Tangshan to Sichuan: 1

Earthquake PTSD Relief in China

―Dominican Chernobyl‖ 6

Arsenic Poisoning in Bangladesh 7

Myanmar‘s Government Response to

Cyclone Nargis 8

Hurricanes of Florida vs. Katrina:

The Main Differences 10

The Pisco Earthquake: Shaking the basis of 12

Disaster-management programs in Peru

Africa‘s Population Dilemna: A Hindrance

To Sustainable Development 14

Europe‘s Garbage 16

Sakhalin: The Energy Projects 18

The Invasion of the Cane Toad 19

Destruction of Olive Groves in Palestine: 21

―The Third Nakba‖

Concluding Remarks 23

Note from the Editor By Gloria Liu

At our current rate of development, a precarious future

awaits us with open arms. As an increasing number of

governments around the world recognize the truth

behind this deadly premonition, efforts have been made

to stymie this rate of decline. That the Economic and

Social Council would meet this year to discuss

sustainable development and a great amount of talk is

now circulating around the expiring Kyoto Protocol is

a testament to this recognition. Yet, the effects of

human negligence are not all tangibly manifested in

crises like the food and oil crisis; rather, this

negligence has been heralded as contributing to the

frequency of natural disasters. This month‘s Ecology

Enquirer examines government responses to both

natural disasters like the Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar

and human-induced disasters like garbage build-up in

Naples. Our examination offers case studies from all

regions of the world in an attempt to offer a global

comparative perspective to facilitate comprehensive

analyses. Human negligence has induced a volatile

threat and governments bear witness to this truth in the

increasing number of disasters and crises arising on

their agendas, therefore, in compiling this edition, we

hope to offer some insight on our contemporary

plagues and the efficacy or inefficacy of certain

approaches.

From Tangshan to Sichuan: Earthquake PTSD Relief in China By Emmy Chow, Greta Liao, Kent To and Lillian Tsang

In 1976, the second most lethal earthquake in

history, with a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter

scale, quietly flattened a sleeping Tangshan on the

night of July 28th. The catastrophe diverted some

officials‘ attention from their political instability in

the ―Year of Curse‖. However, relief work was

criticized as insincere and inadequate. Rescue

efforts were conducted secretly behind the world

curtain when the Chinese government turned its

back against international aid from the United

Nations. The exact death toll, estimated from

242,000 to 650,000 still remains uncertain.

Gloria is a rising senior at Wellesley College and as

an International Relations major she recognizes the

importance of looking at government responses to

sustainable development issues. Hence, she chose to

compile this particular issue to fulfill that purpose.

2

Complete Destruction of the City of

Tangshan by the July 28, 1976 Earthquake

(Photo source: China Earthquake

Administration)

Lu Guilan, rescued by soldiers

after being trapped for 13 days. (Wang Wenlan, 1976).

Thirty-two

years later, on

May 12th,

another deadly

earthquake with

the same

magnitude hit

Wenchuan,

Sichuan.

Hundreds of

thousands of

buildings,

especially

schools, were leveled, claiming more than

69,000 lives. The Chinese government, in

this case, was highly praised by the

international community for its immediate

response. Two months later, the direction of

the aftermath relief gradually cast its light

on reconstruction and psychological

assessment. This article attempts to assess

the progress of government relief in

addressing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

(PTSD) victims from Tangshan to Sichuan.

PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a

psychiatric condition that can arise from any

traumatic and catastrophic life experience,

has been attracting increasing recognition

and concerns in the scope of natural disaster

relief. Normally it does not appear during

the catastrophe; instead, it gradually

emerges as the trauma endures. The most

vulnerable groups to PTSD include victims

and survivors from disasters as well as

rescuers.

The findings on the long-term impact of the

Tangshan Earthquake on human‘s physical

and mental health show that after 32 years,

PTSD has cast a shadow on the rest of the

victims and survivors‘ lives after the

earthquake and contributed to their suffering

from neurosis, anxiety and fear. The chance

of getting such a disorder among the

Tangshan population is approximately 3-5

times higher than normal. Those who have

experienced the trauma are more vulnerable

to high blood pressure and cerebral vascular

diseases. Many of them are suffering from

insomnia, emotional instability, and tension.

For instance, a man witnessed with shock

his wife‘s death from the Sichuan

Earthquake as a building suddenly collapsed

and buried his wife. He could not accept the

fact and kept blaming himself. This man‘s

case indicates what is termed ―survivor

syndrome‖ or survivor guilt.

Overall situation in China

China at that time was still closed under the

Cultural Revolution when the Tangshan

earthquake hit. Infrastructure was

underdeveloped and loose. Therefore, the

government's response was slow, ineffective

and unwilling as reflected in the flow of

information and the reluctance to foreign

help. Furthermore, the flow of information

was almost stagnant at the government level.

It took 12 hours for the central authorities in

Beijing to learn that Tangshan, the epicenter,

was completely leveled. It was discovered

only when a Tangshan coal miner, Li Yulin,

drove an ambulance for six hours along dirt

roads to reach Beijing to reveal the

information.1 The

common people were

almost ignorant about the

situation. Hu Chengxi

from Mianyang in

central China's Sichuan

province talked about his

parents' experience:

―during the Tangshan

earthquake,

telecommunications

weren't as developed as nowadays -- even

television wasn't very popular -- so my

parents could only get news from the radio.

They don't have many relatives or friends in

Tangshan, so at first they did not understand

the severity of the situation there. But they

were naturally shocked by the number of

casualties.‖1 All communications were cut

胡金喜.袁藝.楊洋. ―心理之療 靠好心人持之以恆‖ 6 June, 2008. www.People.com.cn . 5 July, 2008. <http://www.512gov.cn/BIG5/123054/7350350.html>

2Tyler, Patrick E. ―Tangshan Journal: After Eating Bitterness, 100 Flowers Blossom‖, 28 January, 1995. New York Times. 5 July 2008.

<http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE7D91F30F93BA15752C0A963958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all> 3 Björkell, Stina. ―Special report---Earthquake in China--- Hu Chengxi: Overseas Chinese struggle to cope with Sichuan tragedy‖ 23rd May 2008. Radio 86 All

about China. 5 July, 2008. <http://www.radio86.co.uk/node/6530>

4Szczepansk, Kallie. ―The Great Tangshan Earthquake of 1976, the Natural Disaster That Ended China's Cultural Revolution‖ About.com. 5 July, 2008.

<http://asianhistory.about.com/od/china/a/TangshanQuake.htm>. 5Zhang, Hou can; Zhang, Yi zhong. (1991) Psychological consequences of earthquake disaster survivors. International Journal of Psychology Special Issue: The

psychological dimensions of global change, 26: 613-621. 1991.

6 Martinsen, Joel. « Why commemorate the Tangshan earthquake?" 28 July 2006. Danwei. 6 July, 2008.

<http://www.danwei.org/trends_and_buzz/why_commemorate_the_tangshan_e.php>

7史占彪, 王菁华. 四川省抗震救灾―安置安心‖心理援助德阳工作站成立. 23 June 2008. Institute of Psychology, CAS. 6 July, 2008.

<http://www.psych.ac.cn/CN/xwzx.html>

8 Anonymous. ―Company News: All-in-one Outpatient Insurance Introduces Clinical Surgery Coverage‖ Blue Cross (Asia-Pacific) Insurance Limited. 5 July, 2008 <http://www.bluecross.com.hk/eng/aboutus/press.htm>

9 Anonymous. ―Psychologists suggest long-term counseling for China quake victims‖19 May 2008. Xinhua. 6 July 2008. 12 赛迪网. ―第一视频1800万网络视频播放器直播赈灾现场 » 15 May 2008. CCID. 10 July 2008

<http://news.ccidnet.com/art/1032/20080515/1449653_1.html>

3

off from the outside. Foreign journalists

were not allowed into Tangshan until 1983,

after the opening up of China. Information at

the time was so tightly controlled that the

scale of destruction and the number of

casualties were not revealed until 1979,

when Xinhua released the data to the world.2

Rescue efforts

The rescuers encountered tremendous

difficulty in rescuing the victims. It took

another few days before the government

took action regarding the severe conditions

in Tangshan. The first relief operations were

56 medical teams from Shanghai sent to join

the survivors in Tangshan desperately

digging through the rubble of their homes by

hand and stacking the corpses of their loved

ones in the streets. Several days after the

earthquake, the first People's Liberation

Army (PLA) troops reached the devastated

area to aid in rescue and recovery efforts.

Although they finally arrived on scene, the

PLA lacked trucks, cranes, medicines,

masks and other necessary equipment. Many

of the soldiers marched or ran for miles to

the site because of the lack of passable roads

and rail-lines. Once there, they too dug

through the rubble with their bare hands,

lacking even the most basic of tools. 4

Denial of foreign aid to address PTSD

Concerning PTSD, some foreign countries

have started examining mental treatment

since the 1970s. China, however, embarked

in this field of study only in the 1990s. In

dealing with the aftermath of Tangshan,

China's leaders, forbade foreigners from

entering the area and rejected offers of aid

from international relief agencies like the

United Nations aid agencies and the

International Committees of the Red Cross.

Instead, they organized a lean recovery

operation called "Resist the Earthquake and

13 新浪财经. ―五叶神为灾区我要爱心理援助行动资助100万‖ 20 May 2008. Sina. 9 July 2008.

<http://finance.sina.com.cn/chanjing/b/20080520/17484890005.shtml>

<http://www.tcmadvisory.com/2008/5-23/200852383451.html> 15 AFP. ―China: no foreign rescue teams please‖ 13 May 2008. Asiaone News. 9 July 2008.

<http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Asia/Story/A1Story20080513-64978.html>

16 Dasgupta, Saibal. ―China ready to accept foreign aid, not experts‖ 13 May 2008. The Times of India. 10 July 2008.

17 Alexandri, Maya. ―Supporting Caregivers‖ Mercy Corps. 10 July 2008. <http://www.mercycorps.org/topics/emergencies/2251>

Rescue Ourselves." 4 With no water and

only bags of biscuits dropped from airplanes

in the first few days, the people of this city

had little time to mourn the dead, whose

bodies were dumped in mass graves and

psychological relief was seriously

inadequate.

PTSD relief and aftermath

Unable to address PTSD in a timely and

effective manner, the victims of the

Tangshan earthquake showed serious and

long-term mental disorders. "No one cried,"

recalled Mr. Lu, "it was so big and so many

people died that the streets and alleys were

all piled up with corpses. People became

numb and didn't even think to cry." 2 Doctor

Yang Haimen who has been conducting

research on the psychological impact on the

Tangshan people for 30 years said that the

victims were still facing disorders 20 to 30

years after the earthquake. More than 75%

of victims tried to turn their faces away from

their psychological problems. They refused

to watch or hear anything about the

Tangshan earthquake. Although a few

mental health doctors provided medical

service for the victims of the Tangshan

earthquake, the problem was addressed 20

years after the earthquake. Nearly a

generation later, many older city residents

still cannot bear to talk about it.

Zhang & Zhang (1991) examined the long-

term psychological effects of the 1976

Tangshan earthquake in China. They

administered the 16PF, 2 attitude tests, and

individual interviews to 110 paraplegic

(aged 25-70) and 100 non-paraplegic

subjects (aged 20-70). Results suggested the

presence of long-term psychological effects.

They suggested that earthquakes should be

considered not only as physical disasters,

but also in conjunction with psychological

after-effects.3

The government response to the Tangshan

earthquake censored the world‘s knowledge

of this tragedy. Not much was known except

through the famous reportage literature---

4

The parents and relatives are mourning the

killed pupils.(photo source: Getty Images)

Premier Wen Jia-bao talks to the

orphans.(Photo Source: Xinhua)

The Great Tangshan Earthquake by Qian

Gang. There are some that even doubt the

earthquake‘s occurrence6. Throughout these

past 32 years however, the world witnessed

many changes and development in the

Chinese government and the country. The

Sichuan earthquake on May 12, 2008

reflects its more open attitude to the people.

The Sichuan Earthquake

Immediate action

The Chinese

government has

taken immediate

action since the

day of the Sichuan

earthquake. It has

received and

adopted eight

suggestions

regarding

psychological relief proposed by the

Institute of Psychology.7 The eight

suggestions include actions ranging from

immediate action to long-term strategies.

Two days after the disaster, May 14th 2008,

the first bundle of counselors including more

than 300 professional psychologists have

been sent by the Ministry of Health and

other institutions to the quake zone. By

June, the number of counselors had

increased to 50 teams numbering over 1,000

individuals in total to assist in psychological

counseling, but most of them did not have

proper training in post-disaster counseling.8

As China's psychological counseling service

has just developed in the past few years, the

number of psychologists that are specially

trained for treatment and intervention for

post-disaster psychological trauma is limited

and those having on-spot experience are

even fewer.9

Thousands of volunteers from around the

country have registered through local

psychological service stations to help

counsel victims. Before their frontline tasks,

they have joined training programs at the

local level. Even though many Chinese

citizens want to volunteer, there is a serious

shortage of professional psychologists to

teach them. In response to such shortages,

local governments have held workshops for

psychological experts to train volunteers on

how to provide support for the needy. Due

to the flood of unskilled volunteers, the

Central Government has adopted a policy

that only volunteers who have already

certified as psychological counselors at the

national level are qualified to join the

program. But they will receive

further training before heading to

the earthquake-hit areas to begin

their work.10

Apart from face-to-face

counseling, the ministry has

organized universities to launch

counseling hotlines and websites

for quake victims. Nine

universities including the Beijing

Normal University and Sichuan

Normal University have opened hotlines and

websites. For example, websites, such as

www.newssc.org and www.nen.com.cn,

have started operations to help young

Sichuan migrant students and employees.

Psychologists stay online to answer

questions concerning post-quake problems.11

The Chinese

government has

also initiated self-

help programs for

the victims,

distributing self-

help booklets and

posters. Mass

media informs the

public about the

resources being distributed for psychological

relief. Participating mass media corporations

include CCTV, Guangming Daily, Science

Times Daily, Hong Kong TaKungPao and

Vodone Broadcasting Production.12

Sixty thousand posters have been sent to

quake areas in a bid to help the

psychological counseling of traumatized

survivors.13

These posters, drawn and

printed under the organization of the Health

Premier Wen Jia-bao talks to the

orphans.(Photo Source: Xinhua)

5

“People became

numb and didn't

even think to cry”

Ministry, are targeted at adults, middle-

school students, and preschool and primary

school students. Consoling words have been

written into doggerel verses to make them

easier for people to understand and

remember.

On May 20, the first 50,000 books had been

sent to students in hard-hit Mianyang city in

the southwest Sichuan province, where

classes have resumed in tents. These books

were especially written by experts on child

psychology after the quake. More

psychological pamphlets are being

distributed to the victims, including one

covering the treatment for children,

particularly orphans, following a deadly

catastrophe.14

According to the Ministry of

Education, starting on May 27, 800,000

copies of this counseling book regarding

treatment of child victims were sent to

schools handling quake-affected children.

Another 10,000 psychological manuals have

been distributed to the general public of

Sichuan from Tianjin. The manuals

compiled by experts and students at Nankai

University, teach people how to comfort

themselves and help others to recover from

psychological trauma.11

Open for foreign aid

For the Sichuan Earthquake relief and

recovery, the Chinese government opened

their door to foreign aid and shared the

rescuing work burden with the international

community. Compared to the response to the

Tangshan earthquake, the Chinese

government eventually allowed foreign

relief workers access to the

region surrounding the epicenter

of the earthquake. Immediately

after the earthquake, the head of

China's Civil Affairs Ministry

had cited poor travel conditions in the

Sichuan area as the reason for not allowing

foreign rescue teams access. However, on

May 15th, three days after the earthquake,

the Foreign Ministry has changed their

stance and announced that a Japanese team

had been granted access. The Japanese

government, with their expertise on dealing

with earthquake aftermaths, had been one of

the first foreign governments to offer China

assistance following the initial earthquake.

Foreign rescue teams from Russia, the

Republic of Korea and Singapore were

subsequently allowed to assist in the search

for survivors.15

The authorities of China in charge of

disaster relief works and civil affairs have

now welcomed the aid from international

community and they have made contact with

the relevant countries and organizations. The

Chinese government has developed a

partnership with international organizations

in the relief work. Ministry of Water

Resources (MWR), along with the project

partners-- UNDP China, China International

Center for Economic and Technical

Exchange (CICETE) and The Coca-Cola

Company, provided urgent assistance with

tents, medicines, food and drinking water

valued at RMB 100,000 to the quake

affected areas under the joint Water Project

in Chongzhou city of Sichuan Province.

Without the relatively open policies and

humanitarian principles of the Chinese

government in both the rescue and post-

quake recovery, all these efforts from civil

societies and international community are

futile. Hence, the government‘s role in crisis

management and in the cooperation with

NGOs, civil society and the international

community are vital. The Chinese

government has made contrasting

responses to the two quakes. After

30 years, China now has enabled

people to mobilize and muster

resources at a time of great need;

the quick and active participation of NGOs

has marked the milestone in the

development of civil society in China. In the

coming future, reconstruction and recovery

are of equal importance as is relief from the

mental-health perspective.

6

“The Dominican Chernobyl” By Vanessa Matthews

Developing nations constantly face a barrage of

social, political, and environmental issues when

attempting to leap out of the sphere of

‗developing‘ and into that of ‗modern‘. The

Dominican Republic is no exception to this

notion and since its industrial boom in the 1970s

it has faced more challenges in reaching this

point. The region of Bajos de Haina, about 20

kilometers west of the capital of Santo

Domingo, is one of the biggest industrial ports

in the country and accounts for more than 60%

of the nation‘s industrial success. In 1997, Bajos

de Haina became one of the world‘s most

polluted cities and the catastrophe of the

Baterias Meteoro battery swelter left the

residents of Haina without much hope of

governmental help.

The automobile battery recycling plant,

Baterias Meteoro, was shut down in 1997

because of failing results. Problems arose,

however, when the plant did not do its part to

clean up the chemical and metal waste that it

produced from the battery acids. After five

years, it was evident that the abandoned factory

and its ill-disposed trash were having negative

repercussions for the residents of Bajos de Haina

because of the dangerously high levels of heavy

metal began seeping into the air, soil, and

drinking water of the region. According to the

2004 Blacksmith Institute‘s report on the most

polluted cities in the world, all of the factories in

the region annually release 457 tons of heavy

metals into the air, 577 tons of heavy metals into

the ground, and 89 tons of heavy metals into the

drinking water supply4. The health implications

of this careless disposal system have resulted in

almost an 80% lead poisoning rate, which is

highest among children. This data is superseded

by a multitude of other health implications,

which includes 93% of the residents having

asthma, 83% with bronchitis, 69% having flu

symptoms, and 68% having diarrheal infections.

Most of the 90,000 residents of Bajos de Haina

suffer from more than one, if not all, of these

ailments5. The D.R. Academy of the Sciences

also emphasized the effects of non-toxic waste

in the region, which is a result of the 85 tons of

garbage produced daily and disposed of in open-

air dumps. This leaves residents susceptible to

infection, disease, and poisoning because of the

―inappropriate means of disposal,‖ reported the

Academy.

The weak environmental protection laws

and the lack of government intervention in

clean-up and health-care only worsens the

situation in Bajos de Haina. In 2006, the Council

of Environmental Affairs of the CAFTA-DR

agreement established the Secretariat of

Environmental Affairs to enforce the weak

environmental laws of the country in order to

clean up the hazardous waste materials all over

by having the Secretariat report annually to the

Council on its activities.6 Unfortunately, this

legislation is still insufficient because the

environmental protection laws are still in the

beginning stages of enforcement and

enforcement is limited by a lack of fiscal

sources.7 Still, the government has established

organizations and training programs to promote

environmental protection awareness and

enforcement, but the underlying factor is money,

and without the proper funding, successful

protection can only go so far.

Although the CAFTA-DR treaty

enforces a healthier environment, few efforts

have been made on the government‘s behalf to

eradicate the health consequences of the people

in Bajos de Haina. Because it continues to be a

developing nation, the Dominican Republic

lacks the necessary funds to advance technology

4 The Blacksmith Institute. ―World‘s Worst Polluted Places.‖

http://www.blacksmithinstitute.org/search2.php?program=lead&industry=le

ad-all&flag=2. 5 Pina, Diogenes. ―Dominican Republic: Thick Smog on the Caribbean

Coast.‖ http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=36404 6 Communique of the Environmental Affairs Council of the Dominican

Republic- Central America- United States Free Trade Agreement.

Guatemala City, Guatemala. May 2006. 7 Communique of the Environmental Affairs Council of the Dominican

Republic- Central America- United States Free Trade Agreement.

Guatemala City, Guatemala. May 2006.

This fall Vanessa enters her senior year as an

undergraduate at Rutgers University. As a double major in

Political Science and Spanish, she hopes to work for a

United Nations delegation or become the President of an

NGO in the future. Her decision to write about Bajos de

Haina reflects her family heritage as well as her overall

concern about poverty, the economy and the environment.

7

Two men from Bangladesh are pictured collecting water from a typical tube-well.

and social welfare as it pertains to healthcare.

Because of lack of national funding to hospitals

and clinics, residents are required to pay for

their health services prior to reception. In direct

correlation with the national poverty problem,

more than half of Bajos de Haina residents live

below the poverty line. This makes it near

impossible for any families to receive medical

treatment for the lead poisoning, asthma, and

other health problems caused by the deteriorated

environment in Bajos de Haina.

Ultimately, the poor health of the

Hainans makes it more difficult for a healthy

environment to exist and more difficult still for a

strong economy to grow. The crisis occurring in

the Dominican Republic speaks to all corners of

the globe concerned with either environmental,

economic, or health issues. Success on any of

these matters will never come to fruition without

applying a comprehensive approach that

includes them all with a focus on the vital role of

people and cooperation.

The world‘s largest mass poisoning, a blemish

on the face of public health officials, was a

simple lapse in judgment. In the 1970‘s,

UNICEF collaborated with the Department of

Public Health Engineering in a public health

campaign to create a tube-well system – a

system of underground water wells in

Bangladesh. They wanted to give the country

access to ―clean‖ water, as opposed to the

disease-infested, animal-shared water routed

from ponds and rivers. The new tube-well

system created an underground connection with

the pipes in the wells to the aquifers; aquifers

are water filled surfaces that transmit the water

to the pumps. The pump is the basic operating

mechanism of the tube-wells. Bangladeshi

people pumped the water from this system for

their every need from drinking, to bathing, to

cleaning. In 1997, UNICEF announced that

they reached their goal of supplying 80% of the

people of Bangladesh with ―clean‖ water, via

their tube-well system.8

However, the supposed purity of the

water became suspect in the early 1980s. In

1983, numerous hospital cases linked to arsenic

surfaced in West Bengal. As years passed, the

silent serial killer, arsenic poisoning, emerged,

hospitalizing victims with lesions, skin pigment

changes, and tumors. The lesions were traced to

water, initiating scientists to speculate about the

cleanliness of the water. Investigations found

that the water from the tube-well systems was

contaminated with inorganic arsenic. The

aquifers were the root of the problem because

they were never tested for arsenic.2 As a result,

many people developed illnesses, causing

physical deformities, which were passed from

generation to generation. The higher the

concentration of arsenic in a certain tube-well,

the faster the terminal diseases struck. When the

West Bengali population was exposed to lower

dosages of arsenic, they were infected anytime

within 20 years, and experienced slower deaths.

The crisis soon intertwined into the daily lives of

the Bangladeshi people.

The health crisis was somehow masked

from the media, and it did not make headlines

until twenty years later. Since then,

approximately 33 to 75 million out of the 125

million Bangladeshi people that encompass the

entire population have been at risk to arsenic

poisoning from the contaminated water.8

According to data reports, the concentration of

arsenic in the most toxic water well reached

4000 parts per billion. Relative to the maximum

permissible

standard

concentration in

the United

States, which is

50 parts per

billion,

Bangladeshi

waters are

perilous. The

severity of the

issue is captured

by Allan Smith,

a professor of

epidemiology at University of California at

Berkeley: ―…the scale of this environmental

disaster is greater than any seen before. It is

8http://www.who.int/inf-pr-2000/en/pr2000-55.html

Arsenic Poisoning in Bangladesh By Anushka Chadha

Anushka is a rising senior at Millburn

High School in New Jersey. She is

interning at WIT because she is

interested to learn how

the United Nations works, and how

international bodies exchange

information. She chose the topic of

arsenic poisoning in Bangladesh

because she feels that public health

issues are a growing concern and

people should be provided with

accurate information about them

8

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/06/worl

d/asia/06myanmar.html?_r=5&em&ex=1

210305600&en=ac6f159a24c81fe2&ei=5

087%250A&oref=slogin&oref=sl&oref=l

ogin

beyond the accidents at Bhopal, India, in 1984,

and Chernobyl, Ukraine, in 1986.‖9

It took the Bangladesh government

about 10 years to investigate and acknowledge

the serious health problem. Meanwhile, other

countries and international agencies, such as the

British Geological Survey, felt the need to take

immediate action in the form of investigative

research.8 During the investigations, health

officials from the British survey made sure to

mark the well pumps, contaminated with arsenic

levels above the standard concentration, with red

paint. Concurrently, the few new pumps that

replaced contaminated ones are thoroughly

tested for arsenic before and after the

installation.

At the time of the incident, government

response was weak. The Bangladesh

government did not immediately respond to the

health crisis. 10

The former chief engineer for the

Bangladesh government provided the following

explanation: ‗‗ [we] were concerned about

creating a scare. If you tell people there is

arsenic in the water, they won't even use it for

bathing. They'll be afraid their hair will fall out.'' 11

But, eventually the government adopted an

agenda called Bangladesh Arsenic Mitigation

Water Supply Project (BAMWSP) in 2005.

Donor countries such as the United States of

America funded the project. Recent reports,

however, criticize BAMWSP for its sluggish

exploits and minimal impact. The project

director of BAMWSP, Khoda Bux,

―…admitted…that lack of finances and

coordination between bureaucrats and people at

the grassroots, has prevented the government

from tackling the problem adequately.‖12

However, the Bangladesh Director General of

Health cajoled the public by announcing that the

government was training doctors in early

detection of arsenic poisoning, so that they can

implement treatment as soon as possible.12

The catastrophe in Bangladesh may not

be entirely resolved for years to come. However,

it is top priority on the United Nations agenda

because it is an element of Millennium

Development Goal number seven. This MDG

strives ―…to halve the proportion of people

without sustainable access to safe drinking water

and basic sanitation.‖ 13

It appears that the

international community is much more involved

9http://www.unesco.org/courier/2001_01/uk/planet.htm 10http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/17/international/asia/17arsenic.html 11http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CEFD6113EF933A25

752C1A96E958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all 12 http://us.oneworld.net/node/79978 13 http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/bangladesh_35701.html

in the calamity than the Bangladesh government.

That idea adds to the incongruity of the situation

because the source of the problem also helped

eliminate the problem. But, the fact that the

international community ignited the crisis

actually balances the fact that the international

community came to the rescue when the

Bangladesh government was weak. So, whether

the international community acted as a ―cure‖ or

a ―disease,‖ is not part of the equation. The

significance lies in the sense that the

international community banded together, to

help part of the human population in dire need

of assistance. And this gives life to the term

―United Nations.‖

On May 2nd

2008, Cyclone Nargis swept

through Myanmar, taking with it over 90,000

lives and leaving more than 50,000 people

missing. While acting witness to the destruction

and devastation, the world responded with a

clear voice of support, offering aid in all shapes

and forms to help the people of Myanmar

survive the

aftermath of the

storm. However,

the relief effort,

which could have

been a triumph of

international

cooperation and a

beacon of hope

for the survivors

of the Cyclone,

became an

exercise in

governmental negligence. The ruling military

junta of Myanmar stifled the aid efforts, clinging

to a false sense of national security and hiding

behind a long held distrust of foreign nations.

Myanmar’s Government Response to Cyclone Nargis By Peter John Davis

Myanmar’s Government Response to Cyclone Nargis By Peter John Davis

Peter Davis is a rising

senior at Cornell

University, majoring in

American Studies. He

finds the government‘s

reaction to Cyclone

Nargis extremely

important because it is a

great case study of how a

government‘s reaction to

a natural disaster can

directly impact the

aftermath of a crisis.

9

“Without such an

overwhelming,

organized response

at the local level, the

disaster could have

been much worse.”

Furthermore, the government of Myanmar had

put the survivors of the Cyclone in more danger

for political reasons. The aftermath of Cyclone

Nargis can serve as an excellent case study in

the dangers of government negligence and also

provide a blueprint for how, together; the world

community can act to ease the suffering of

people due to government failures.

The reaction of the ruling junta to hamper aid

efforts spurs from a long line of distrust of

foreign influence. Preceding the cyclone, the

junta had remained adamantly closed off to

outside influence, resisting economic sanctions

and dismissing public criticism of human rights

violations. However, with the cyclone‘s tragic

impact, the junta‘s position of isolation came

under immediate scrutiny because of the deadly

consequences that came from the government‘s

response to reject aid. Proofs of the

counterintuitive priorities held by the junta were

found in the constitutional referendum for which

a vote was held in the wake of the disaster. The

referendum sought to extend the Junta‘s power

and was alleged to be rigged by members of the

government.1 This stubborn isolationism led to

the impediment of much needed aid to the

survivors of the cyclone and collective criticism

of the Junta‘s actions. As pressure grew for the

Junta to lessen its restrictions on aid, various

deals were slowly negotiated to facilitate the

assistance for the survivors. Although food was

beginning to be permissible, the Junta remained

skeptical of foreign aid workers, specifically by

denying search and rescue teams. The ruling

junta denied the response of aid groups such as

UNICEF, Red Cross and Red Crescent by

denying these workers proper travel visas. The

consequences of this delay were significant, not

only because with every second that workers

with expertise in disaster response were denied

access, the chances of finding missing persons

decreased, but also because the

high amount of dead bodies were

contaminating the drinking water

and increasing the chances of

disease to spread. Many of the

survivors were left drinking from

puddles, fighting off dysentery

and diarrhea2. Despite all of the

public pressure on the junta

to lift aid restrictions, the junta maintained that it

provided a timely response by setting up refuge

camps and restoring electricity promptly.

However, it is clear the Junta‘s response

undoubtedly cost aid workers valuable time, and

still the amount of lives lost to this negligence

has yet to be determined.

With the United Nations declaring that only a

quarter of the two million people affected by the

cyclone received the required aid, the world

community has pressured the ruling junta to

loosen their aid restrictions.3 Led by Secretary

General, Ban Ki-Moon a wave of international

pressure ensued to counter the Junta‘s misguided

claims of isolation and open the doors to aid. In

the Group of 8 summit in Japan, world leaders

called upon Myanmar‘s government to lift all

remaining bans on aid. Following this pressure,

the government of Myanmar invited Secretary

General Ban Ki-Moon back to Myanmar to

further discuss how to proceed with aid relief. It

was this constant pressure that allowed aid to

flow more freely to the survivors. With aid

workers now in Myanmar, reports have

suggested that the people of Myanmar have

countered the lackluster response of their

government through their own will and

resourcefulness. Partly due to luck, with low

rates of serious injuries caused directly by the

cyclone, but mostly due to unbelievable local

organization, the people of Myanmar have

managed to avoid widespread disease outbreak

and starvation. This grassroots aid relief was an

amazing accomplishment in light of the junta‘s

response to the disaster. Without such an

overwhelming, organized response at the local

level, the disaster could have been much worse.

However, the effects on drinking water and food

supply leave the survivors in an unstable habitat

with incalculable consequences for their future

health.

The destruction and devastation of Cyclone

Nargis left the people of Myanmar in desperate

straits. Effects were only exacerbated by a

government stifling aid because of outdated

isolationist ideology. But the world responded

by rallying behind the basic principles of human

compassion and proved that this desire to help,

could mute differences between international

powers and take precedence over long held

rivalries.

The New York Times. "When It Comes to Politics, Burmese Say,

Government Is All Too Helpful ," New York Times 28 May 2008. 7 Jul

2008 <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/28/world/asia/28delta.html>

"Burma 'to let in all aid workers' ," BBC News 23 May 2008. 7 Jul 2008

<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7416143.stm>

"Burma 'to let in all aid workers' ," BBC News 23 May 2008. 7 Jul 2008

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7416143.stml

10

Weather forecast of Florida Hurricane Season6

Hurricanes of Florida vs. Katrina: The Main Differences By: Natalie Miller

Throughout American history, natural

disasters have been a large factor in shaping

our country‘s environmental and

governmental policies. From tornados to ice

storms, nature has changed the way our

government acts when a crisis is thrust upon

it. Specifically in Florida, hurricanes have

become a great threat where just in the fall

of 2004 alone, with Charley, Frances and

Jeanne all came through

Daytona Beach. Although

F.E.M.A. (Federal

Emergency Management

Agency) was not actively

present during the

hurricane of 2004, many

Americans remember its

disappointing performance

during Hurricane Katrina in

the fall of 2005. The impact

of Hurricane Katrina was a

lot more damaging than the

three hurricanes that hit

Florida combined

respectably due to the

structure of the city of New

Orleans overall, even with

the similar emergency procedures in place.

Starting in August and lasting through

September, three category three and four

hurricanes pummeled through the state of

Florida, leaving about 20% homeless and

killing around 124 people.1 With the constant

weather updates and continuous press

coverage, the majority of Floridians had

ample time to prepare and possibly evacuate

with Hurricanes Charley, Francis and Jeanne

all becoming tropic storms then hurricanes

hundreds of miles of the Floridian coast.

Though the three hurricanes all came

through Florida within weeks of each other

and their courses were unpredictable, paths

were foreseen and safety and evacuation

plans were constantly televised. Many

citizens were able to board up their

windows, take special valuables and

evacuate to a safer area.

Florida is, for the most part, at either sea

level or below, and most of the land is only

60 miles from the coastline, leaving it

vulnerable to hurricanes and tropical

storms.1 But given proper warning and

preparations, lives can be saved and houses

can be preserved. Following Florida‘s

evacuation plan, the first step is to prepare

before hurricane season even begins, by

determining an evacuation plan, checking

emergency equipment (flashlights, extra

water, etc.), purchasing extra food and

supplies, and making sure the yard is secure

from low branches and shrubbery that could

become airborne during a high powered

Natalie Miller will be a senior this fall at the

University of Central Florida in Orlando Florida. She

studies Communications along with International and

Global Studies. Being a Florida native, the hurricane

season of 2004 directly affected her and her

hometown of Daytona Beach where Charley, Jeanne

and Francis all caused damage.

11

“five out of the eight top F.E.M.A officials had no

previous crisis management experience.”

Weather forecast for Hurrican Katrina7

storm.4 Moreover, it is important to listen to

the radio for updates, keep away from

windows, close all doors, and evacuate

when told.4 With the help of local news

channels, especially Channel 13, this

information was readily available to all

citizens of Florida, especially in those area

predicted to be hit by hurricanes.

Comparing to the Hurricanes Charley,

Francis and Jeanne, Hurricane Katrina was a

much more devastating attack of nature with

higher winds, killing more then 1,800

people with estimated damages cost more

than $81 billion dollars.2 Katrina was more

damaging and destructive because it hit east

of the city of New Orleans, which is on

average eight feet below sea level.2 The city

is maintained by water levees, which help

hold the water back from overflowing into

the city. When Hurricane Katrina hit in

August 2005, although 80% of the residence

were able to evacuate, many stayed behind.2

Many New Orleans citizens did not adhere

to the evacuation warnings because they

trusted the levees would hold back the water

that surged into the area. With the force of

the wind and water at a high of 140 mph, the

levees securing the city were no match and

broke, releasing the ocean‘s water into the

city.5 Many media

outlets, similar

during the fall of

2004 Hurricane

season in Florida,

constantly

informed the locals

of the evacuations

plans in their area

and the proper

materials to store, like water and canned

goods.5 Even with the warnings and media

coverage of the dangers of staying behind,

many citizens, especially in the lower

income part of town, stayed in their homes

during the storm.

Many F.E.M.A. employees shared their

concern of the upcoming brutal hurricane

with their supervisors.3 Days before the

storm hit, employees wrote about their

concerns for the low leveled city in daily

reports to Homeland Security.3 But these

letters were met with no response.3 One

particular employee, Leo Bosner, spoke out

when no one else would voice their

concerns.3 He said that the F.E.M.A.

director, Michael Brown, was not the

appropriate man for the job, with his only

experience being in law and not in

emergency management.3 It was later found

out that five out of the eight top F.E.M.A

officials had no previous crisis management

experience.3

With the inexperienced officers and the

delaying of the much needed aid, Hurricane

Katrina quickly became known as one of the

worst hurricanes to hit the United States.1

Once the levees broke, and the town was

soon flooded, the people left behind were

soon stranded on the tops of their homes,

which was highly televised. Days after the

brutal natural disaster, F.E.M.A. was still

nowhere in sight.

The storms that hit the state of Florida were

less powerful that Hurricane Katrina, with

the overall wind speed of 30 mph less.5

Taking this into consideration, and the

location of the storms, small cities at

sea level in Florida and the large city

of New Orleans eight feet under sea

level, the aftermath of the storms

were dramatically different.

F.E.M.A. was not present during the

Florida storms mainly because there

was no overall need for their help.

The state of Florida was very

prepared for the storms and many

evacuated before hand. In New Orleans,

although many were aware of the impending

storm and prepared with supplies and food,

the levees protecting them broke causing the

city to flood, leaving many people stranded

in their homes. With this unforeseen

aftermath of the storm, F.E.M.A. was

desperately needed to help rescue citizens.

12

Earthquake‘s epicenter and Impact Area (U. S. Geological Survey

)Website)

An emergency plan is just that, a plan of

action to take when disaster strikes. But

even though it was unexpected for the

impact of Hurricane Katrina was

unexpectedly great, F.E.M.A. is still the

organization for the assessment and

handling of crisis situations. When the

nation needed them the most, they were

nowhere to be found. This delay allowed

more lives to be most and more damage to

be wrought.

In conclusion, when comparing the Florida

Hurricanes of 2004 (Charley, Francis and

Jeanne) to Hurricane Katrina of 2005, there

is a substantial difference in the

management. With the hurricanes in Florida,

there was a lot of media coverage, with

many news outlets constantly reporting the

proper emergency preparedness needed to

stay in homes or evacuate. Many were able

to retreat to safe houses and many lives were

saved. With Hurricane Katrina, although

there was constant coverage of the possible

track of the storm, citizens were not as

prepared as they should have been for such a

powerful category three storm. The city was

not prepared for the levees to give way, and

the subsequent flooding. Moreover, the

absence of F.E.M.A. exacerbated the

situation.

In the management of hurricanes in Florida,

F.E.M.A. has become a crucial outlet for

assistance. Hurricane Katrina differed from

previous hurricanes because it hit a city with

a low sea level and attacked the levees

barricading the city from the ocean. But the

delay and inexperience of the workers of

F.E.M.A. resulted in more dramatic effects.

1.―Weather Safety: Hurricanes‖ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of

Commerce. 2002 13 July 2008

2.<http://www.weather.gov/os/hurricane/pdfs/hurricane_safety.pdf>

―The First Year After Hurricane Katrina: What the Federal Government Did‖ Homeland

Security. Feb. 2006 13 July 2008

3http://www.dhs.gov/xprepresp/programs/gc_1157649340100.shtm>

Foreman, Tom. ―A Disturbing View from Inside FEMA‖ CNN. Nov 2005 13 July 2008

4http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/17/katrina.response/index.html>

―The State of Florida: Family Preparedness Guide‖ The State of Florida. 2001 13 July

2008 5http://www.doh.state.fl.us/rw_webmaster/prepareenglish04.pdf>

Simmons, Lesly. ―Gulf Coast States Prepare for Hurricane Katrina‖ American Red Cross.

27 August, 2005 13 July 2008

http://www.redcross.org/article/0,1072,0_312_4467,00.html

6. https://firstclass.wellesley.edu/Login/FOV1-000CD99D/982E0C65-3B9ACA00-

1A125B1E.0/2004hurricanes.png?InAttach=1&U1U=/Login/FOV1-

000CD99D/&SAEO=/Login/FOV1-000CD99D/

7. https://firstclass.wellesley.edu/Login/FOV1-000CD99D/982E0C65-3B9ACA00-

1A125B1E.1/hurricane_katrina.jpg?InAttach=1&U1U=/Login/FOV1-

000CD99D/&SAEO=/Login/FOV1-000CD99D/

The Pisco Earthquake: Shaking the Basis of Disaster-Management Programs in Peru By Mariana Sentieri

Almost a year ago, on August 15 2007, an

earthquake of 8.0 magnitude14

hit the coast

of Peru. The Pisco earthquake, named after

the city that was hit the hardest by the

disaster, was neither the first, nor the last

natural

occurrence of this sort to strike Peru.

It was considered the most significant

earthquake in the past 100 years to occur in

the region of Ica, a coastal area southeast of

Lima15

.. In fact, after 11 months, Ica still

struggles to recover, regardless of all the

international support and the much promised

– but still insufficient, some claim – help of

the Peruvian Government. The Pisco event

resonates not only the importance of

sustainable development and good

14 Mooney, Walter. ―M8.0 Pisco Earthquake.‖ Video Clip. U.S. Geological Survey. 21

Sept. 2007. 12 July 2008

<http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/world/peru/pisco/>

15, 3Tavera, Hernando, ed. El terremoto de Pisco (Peru) del 15 de agosto de 2007 (7.9

Mw). Lima, Peru: Instituto Geofísico del Perú, 2008. 11 July 2008.

<http://khatati.igp.gob.pe/Webs/cns06/libro/indice.htm>

Mariana Sentieri is a rising junior at

Rutgers University pursuing a major in

Economics. Within the environmental

field, she is interested in the concept of

sustainable development and disaster

management programs. The choice of

her topic derived from her willingness to

combine such interests with her own

cultural background, Latin America.

13

government management on disaster

programs, but also the capacity of self-

preparedness of the population on a regional

level. In the light of the current international

scenario, where climate change can increase

the incidence and intensity of natural

disasters, Pisco not only serves as a lesson

for Peru, but for the entirety of the world

governments.

―Peru is a land of earthquakes. Its history

has shown us that it is only a matter of time;

so let‘s not close our eyes to reality. It‘s

time we begin to work and prepare

ourselves.‖16

It is with these words that

Hernando Tavera, current director of the

Instituto de Geofísica de Perú (Geophysics

Institute of Peru), introduces the recent

online report on the Pisco earthquake.

Indeed, the Lima newspaper ―El

Comercio‖17

claims that 191 earthquakes

have stricken Peru in 2007; Pisco‘s being

the most devastating of all4. According to

IGP, the seismologic process was particular

due to its uncommonly long duration, about

210 seconds, and the subsequent 4,500 after-

shocks that it produced. Also, a by-product

of the Pisco earthquake was a tsunami that

did not produce as much devastation as the

earthquake but nonetheless, the Peruvian

Government posted an alarm.

Although the mortality rate of this

disaster was relatively low, approximately

600 deaths, because most people were

outdoors when it occurred, more than a

thousand were injured, and 39, 741 houses

were destroyed. Almost 100 hospitals were

either destroyed or had their functioning

compromised by the earthquake. The

electricity and water were cut, and early

estimations18

believed 150,000 people were

deprived from those two basic resources2.

The earthquake of Pisco isolated each

community within their devastated locality,

without water supplies or electricity.

17 ―Peru fue sacudido por 191 sismos sensibles durante el 2007‖.El Comercio [Lima].

July 12 2008< http://www.elcomercio.com.pe/ediciononline/HTML/2008-01-02/el-peru-

fue-sacudido-191-sismos-sensibles-durante-2007-informo-igp.html>

18 UN News Center. 20 august 2007.―OPS responde en Perú a emergencia por

terremoto‖.13 July 2008.

http://www.un.org/spanish/News/fullstorynews.asp?NewsID=10168

Survivors still sleeping outside of their torn homes. (Photo: Ricardo

Mazalan/Associated Press, picture extracted from The New York Times

website)

Both international and domestic

responses to the disaster were made in a

matter of a couple of days. In a report made

by OCHA, from August 16, 200719

, the

Peruvian Government had declared a state

of emergency in the Department of Ica and

the province of Cañete. INDECI, Peru‘s

national defense organ, was working on a

response plan. Internationally, emergency

cash grants had been released by UNDP and

OCHA and help was being offered by

various different entities. In a matter of eight

days20

from the initial report, the

government of Peru declared that 800 tons

of humanitarian aid had been delivered in

Pisco, several shelter sites were set up in the

areas hit the hardest, and the humanitarian

aid had reached 95% of the affected

population. Internationally, the UN had

released an approved budget totaling $9,591

million dollars to Peru and many

governments and organizations were

sending supplies, personnel, and cash

donations. Nonetheless, regardless of all the

resources that were allocated to sooth the

disaster, help still arrived too slowly to some

areas and many Peruvians felt abandoned in

a time of hardship.

Indeed, many believe that,

immediately after the disaster, the relief was

organized neither quickly nor efficiently

enough. The local population insists that,

had help arrived faster, many deaths would

have been avoided. ―Families in the area say

they were left to sift the ruins for the dead

and the living‖, reported a journalist for The

New York Times eight days after the

19 OCHA-Geneva. ―OCHA Situation Report No. 1/ Earthquake- Peru‖.16 august 2007.

RedHum Website. < http://redhum.org/informes_documentos.php>

20 OCHA-Geneva. ―OCHA Situation Report No. 1/ Earthquake- Peru‖.24 august 2007.

RedHum Website. < http://redhum.org/informes_documentos.php>

14

disaster occurred21

. The government, on the

other hand, defended itself by blaming the

delays in distribution of aid on the scale of

the damage to infrastructure. ―No matter

what we do, people will complain‖, said

Women‘s Issues and Social Development

Minister, Virginia Borra22

.

But has the government done enough

after eleven months? Contradictory accounts

continue to arise. Early in February, a

Spanish newspaper published a story

explaining that, the lack of a registry had

hampered the beginning of the

reconstruction projects in the affected

region, and that life continued ―chaotic and

difficult‖23

for the local population. Some

affirmed that the help that was promised

never arrived. On the other hand, last June,

the UN released accounts on the continued

effort to promote recovery in the area in

partnership with the government24

.

Earthquakes, as Mr. Tavera has wisely

stated, will continue to be part of Peru; it is,

therefore, of uttermost importance that the

country devises an efficient plan on how to

respond to them.

Africa’s Population Dilemma: A Hindrance to Sustainable Development By Wing Yin (Maggie) Leung

21 Barrionuevo, Alexei. “Quake Orphan Reflects Peru’s Loss, and Anger”. The New York Times [New York] 23 August 2007. July 12 2008. <http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/25/world/americas/25peru.html>

22 Chauvin, Lucien O. “Government’s earthquake relief in Peru not enough, say experts.” Christian Science Monitor

99.185 (2007): 7. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO Host. Rutgers University Lib., 11 July 2008 <http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu>

23 “Los afectados por el sismo de Pisco todavía esperan.” Video clip. La Vanguardia. 15 February 2008. 11 July 2008.

<http://www.lavanguardia.es/premium/publica/publica?COMPID=53436663398&PAGINACIO=35&ID_PAGINA=1810082&ID_FORMATO=9&PARTICION=2006&SUBORDRE=3&SECCIO=51234268255&NAVEGACIO='SI'>

24 Sistema de Las Naciones Unidas en el Perú. UN. 13 July 2008. <http://www.onu.org.pe/Publico/OnuPeru/MenuPrincipalPeru.aspx>

The peril of Africa's explosive population

growth is often overshadowed by other

epidemics in the continent; ironically,

however, the threat posed by the growing

population is one of the greatest challenges

hampering Africa‘s development. As the

African population growth rate continues to

accelerate upward, it hinders the continent's

efforts to tackle poverty, reduce the spread

of diseases, and construct its economy.

These impediments propel the people to

exploit environmental resources for survival

and consequently, such actions present an

obstruction to progress and development in

Africa.

Africa is the second most-populated

continent in the world after Asia. In sub-

Saharan Africa alone, there are 788 million

people—approximately twelve percent of

the world's population1. Yet, according to

Mr. John May, a demographer at the World

Bank, Africa's population is growing at 2.5

percent per year--twice the rate of other

regions. At this rate, Africa's population

will double in twenty-eight years 2

.

Given these statistics, one may question why

population growth reduction is overlooked

by African leaders and not a priority in the

international arena. During the 1960s and

the 1970s, various international

organizations collaborated with

governments of developing countries to

establish effective family-planning programs

to control population growth. While African

leaders largely neglected and illegalized

such programs which were believed to

encourage immorality7, they were

successfully implemented in Asia and Latin

America. With the successes in the latter

continents, world population growth rate

stabilized and international funding was

shifted to tackle other urgent issues1. Yet, to

establish sustainable development in Africa,

the issue of population growth reduction

must be brought back to the forefront.

One of the major obstacles undermining

development in Africa is poverty—a factor

that is directly linked to population size. As

Maggie (Wing Yin) Leung is

a recent graduate from New

York University. Upon

graduation, she worked as a

pharmaceutical consultant at

IBM where she developed an

interest in health and policy.

In hopes to expose the often-

overlooked population crisis

in Africa, Maggie chose this

topic to discuss its

repercussions to the

continent's sustainable

development efforts.

15

“One of the major

obstacles

undermining

development in

Africa is poverty—

a factor that is

directly linked to

population size.”

The average desired number of children in African families is between

six to nine children per household—a number significantly greater than

most countries7

Mr. Joe Santangelo from Medical News

Today asserted, ―population growth

threatens food security in already

malnourished states, makes long-term

dependence on international assistance more

likely, and increases the pressure for

international migration.3‖

Instead of

focusing efforts to develop infrastructures,

African nations must provide basic

human needs to its growing population

and prevent massive illegal migration

in order to stop perpetuating the

existing destitution of the continent.

Moreover, as the population continues

to grow, conflicts over scarce

resources—such as arable land—will

intensify. In such dire conditions, the

African people are likely to live in

poverty for years to come.

Besides poverty, rapidly expanding human

populations also contribute to the spread of

diseases—another major challenge

undermining development in Africa. In both

past and recent history, dense population

and crowding conditions provided an ideal

environment for the spread of infectious

diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis (TB),

and HIV4—all of which plague Africa.

Infections can be spread quickly in

overcrowded regions as bacteria find

numerous hosts to thrive in. While there are

treatments and strategies to counter these

illnesses, the funding is very costly. As a

continent that is already facing severe health

challenges, development will

inevitably be hindered if more

funding is allocated to address

the outbreaks of other

infectious diseases.

Excessive population growth

also jeopardizes economic

development in Africa. With

a large number of people

living in poverty, African governments face

the daunting task of providing education—

an essential element for long-term

development—to their nations‘ youth.

Without education, African citizens are

likely to remain low-skilled workers. The

likelihood that the market can absorb an

overwhelming number of low-skilled job

seekers is very slim. As unemployment

rates climb, some unemployed individuals

may turn to criminal activities to survive. In

fact, as stated by Ms. Dorothea Schmidt

from the International Labour Organization

(IL0), ―there is a strong correlation…

between

high

unemployment rates and recruitment into

terror groups‖5.

Based on a research conducted by the World

Bank in 1994, the availability of family

planning programs and improvement in

contraceptive practices—two elements that

are often lacking in African nations—can

greatly reduce population growth. African

leaders should consider granting access to

such services and education for their people.

Furthermore, by increasing schooling and

improving economic opportunity for

women, the study revealed that the desire

for children could be significantly lowered.

Currently, the average number of desired

children in African families is between six

to nine children per household—a number

much greater than most countries6. Because

of women‘s lack of financial independence,

they feel that they must have a large number

of children to support them during old age.

Raising the status and bargaining power of

African women will reduce the demand for

children.

The immediate need to stem rapid

population growth in Africa is real and

urgent. The extent to which rapid

population growth will threaten the

development effort in Africa will largely

depend on the actions taken by the African

16

Garbage piled up in front of a school in

Naples. EPA/CIRO FUSCO at M&C Europe

leaders. A prompt implementation of a

practical and effective long-term population

policy is therefore vital to Africa‘s future. 1 May, John, and Jean-Pierre Guengant. ―Africa‘s greatest challenge is to reduce

fertility.‖ Financial Times. 13 Mar. 2008. 2 May, John. “Africa’s Population Growth: a Development Challenge.” The World

Bank. 1 April 2008. 3 Santangelo, Joe. “Reducing poverty in Africa, population growth may be bigger

hurdle than AIDS. Medical News Today. 29 Oct. 2005. 4 McMichael, Anthony J. Planetary Overload: Global Environmental Change and the

Health of the Human Species. Oct 1993. 5 Fowler, Jonathan. ―UN on Youth Unemployment and Crime.‖ 11 Aug. 2004. 6 Ainsworth, Martha. ―Population Policies for Sub-Saharan Africa‖ The World Bank.

Dec. 1994. 7 Mundell, Jonathan. ―Family Planning Integration: A Proven, but Highly Under-Utilised

Prevention Strategy.‖ Consultancy Africa Intelligence. May. 2008.

7http://www.ctcgiftshop.org/catalog/african%20yellow%20women%20children.jpg

Europe’s Garbage

By Hillary S. Kabach

People don‘t like to think about garbage. We

throw it in a bin, put it out on garbage day,

and then someone comes to take it away.

But what happens when no one comes to

collect it? It stays in the street, piling up and

stinking, as the residents of

Naples know. Since

December 2007, garbage

dumps in the Campania

region of southern Italy have

been overflowing, and as a

result garbage collectors

have stopped collection,

which has led to an

estimated 3,000 tons of

waste lining the streets of

Naples, and as much as

200,000 tons in the wider

Campania region.1

Further complicating

matters, the Camorra, the local version of

the Mafia, operates in every part of the

region‘s sanitation system, often bringing in

large quantities of industrial waste from the

north to dump in Campania‘s landfills, as

well as in the surrounding countryside.

Whether or not this industrial waste is the

cause, doctors say that cancer rates in the

area are much higher than the national

average, but the presence of organized crime

makes the situation almost impossible to

rectify locally.2 Consequently, and in

reaction to the ripening effects of summer

heat, residents have begun burning the piles

of rotting waste, the public health effects of

which have not been evaluated.3

The national government has spent over 1.3

bn euros over the past thirteen years trying

unsuccessfully to clean up the streets,4 and

now Berlusconi has two new plans. The first

is to add ten new landfills in the region. This

plan has been met with dissent by residents

who fear the effects on both their health and

that of the local environment.5 The second is

to treat the trash crisis as a natural disaster

and relinquish control to civil services

forces, such as the military.6

Up to four new

incinerators will also be added.7 Berlusconi

has declared that landfills, dump sites and

incinerators ―will become virtually military

zones and will be guarded by soldiers to

ensure that they can be cleared,‖ and that

they are ―areas of strategic national

interest.‖8 As such, any interference with

waste disposal or management is punishable

by a prison sentence.

Interestingly, on

July 10th

the Italian

parliament voted to grant

legal impunity to the four

highest ranking

government officials: the

President, the Presidents

of the Senate and the

House of

Representatives, and the

head of the government

(the Prime Minister).9

Garbage or no, this lack

of accountability is

unlikely to help the functioning of public

services in general and should call into

question the aims of the Italian government.

The European Union has taken note

of Italy‘s problem and in June sent the

Italian government a ―letter of formal

Hilary is a second-year

Masters student at

Columbia‘s School of

International and Public

Affairs. She is interested in

sustainable development,

social justice and cognitive

linguistics. She chose to

write about garbage in

Europe because it is a

significant development

issue that is often

overlooked until it reaches

crisis proportions.

17

notice‖ that it was violating the EU's Waste

Framework Directive.10

The European

Commission has also taken Italy to the

European Court of Justice, saying it does not

believe Italy has proposed an adequate

solution,11

and the EU‘s Environmental

Commissioner, Stavros Dimas, has called

for "concrete and immediate measures to

resolve the situation, keeping the needs of

public health and the environment in

mind.‖12

Punishments for not complying

with EU directives include imposition of

fines and withholding of regional funds, in

addition to national humiliation.

Although the Waste Framework

Directive encourages states to become self-

sufficient in waste-management and to

produce less waste and recycle more, as

much as 160,000 tons of waste is being

taken out of Italy altogether in an effort to

remedy the garbage crisis. It is being moved

to Germany, which has a much more

developed waste management system and

creates less waste in general. According to

Martin Mineur, technical director of two of

Hamburg's incinerators: ―We are doing this

because we were asked to provide

emergency aid, but we will do it only for a

few months, not years."13

It thus appears that a temporary

solution has been found, and cleanup has

begun. However, Naples is not the only

city—and Italy not the only country—in

Europe with a waste problem. Britain, for

example, Europe‘s most prolific trash-

producer, will have filled its garbage dumps

in nine years if current trends continue. As

landfills across the continent fill, the

European commission is issuing stronger

calls for waste reduction. By 2020, for

example, member states will be required to

have reduced the amount of waste sent to

landfills to a mere thirty-five percent of

what it was in 1995.14

Some of the schemes devoted to

reducing landfill waste include recycling

programs, waste-capping with fines for

exceeding the cap, and power-generating

incinerators. The UK is considering both

capping programs and increased ―bin taxes,‖

which make people pay for their garbage

output, as well as a charge for collection.

Meanwhile Germany appears to take the

lead in recycling programs, with separate

bins for glass, sorted by color, one for paper,

another for plastics, tins and composite

materials, one for biological waste and the

stuff of compost, and one for other things.

This program has the added benefit of

encouraging people to simply produce less

waste.

The lesson is that Europe‘s waste

output is unsustainable, and it needs to

produce garbage. While EU, national and

local authorities have the responsibility of

rolling out environmentally friendly

schemes to do so, ultimately private citizens

simply need to produce less waste.

―Clashes over Naples rubbish site.‖ BBC News. 24 May 2008. Site accessed

1 July 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7418558.stm

―Clashes over Naples rubbish site.‖

―Naples faces 'disaster measures.'‖ BBC News. 21 May 2008. Site accessed

1 July 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7412123.stm

―EU sues Italy over rubbish crisis.‖ BBC News. 6 May 2008. Site accessed

2 July 2008.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7385282.stm

―Clashes over Naples rubbish site.‖

―Naples faces 'disaster measures.'‖

―Naples garbage crisis to end.‖ UPI. Site Accessed July 5, 2008.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/07/02/Naples_garbage_crisis_to_end/

UPI-14591215004386/ ―Naples faces 'disaster measures.'‖

―Protégé par l'immunité pénale, Silvio Berlusconi pourrait échapper à la

justice.‖ Le Monde with AFP. 10 July 2008. Site accessed 11 July 2008.

http://www.lemonde.fr/europe/article/2008/07/10/protege-par-l-immunite-

penale-silvio-berlusconi-pourrait-echapper-a-la-

justice_1068858_3214.html#ens_id=999907

―Q&A: Can the EU clean up Naples?‖ BBC News. 8 January 2008. Site

Accessed 2 July 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7175380.stm ―Clashes over Naples rubbish site.‖

―Q&A: Can the EU clean up Naples?‖

Rosenthal, Elizabeth. ―All of Europe getting a whiff of Naples

garbage problem.‖ International Herald Tribune. 8 June, 2008. Site

accessed 7 July 2008.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/06/08/europe/trash.php

―All of Europe getting a whiff of Naples garbage problem.‖

―All About Recycling.‖ How to Germany. Chuck Emerson Media Services:

2008. Site Accessed 07 July 2008.

http://www.howtogermany.com/pages/recycling.html

18

Sakhalin: The Energy

Projects

By Nickolai Belakovski

Projects to develop the natural resources

of Sakhalin Island assume a very muddled

environmental picture. For one thing, the

infrastructure they require is substantial,

and so affects many aspects of marine life

both in the Sea of Okhotsk where the

fields are being developed, and closer to

the coast where several hundred

kilometers of pipeline transport the oil and

gas from the frozen waters of the Sea to

transport terminals at the southern tip of

the island. The pipelines and other

components threaten to drive into extinction

the Western Gray Whale (of which only 100

remain) and damage wild salmon habitats.1

The project also threatens the livelihoods of

many local fishermen and the layout of the

pipelines is such that many spots are vulnerable

to damage significant enough to cause a major

oil leak, which would be an environmental

disaster.

The Western Gray Whale is believed to migrate

from eastern Russia to China2 and numbers only

around 100. While Shell, then-leader of the

development consortium, agreed to reroute the

pipelines away from the feeding grounds of the

WGW, it refused to move a drilling platform

adjacent to those grounds. With such a serious

disturbance nearby, the WGW population‘s

chances for survival are reduced, and NGOs and

environmentalists continue to call for the

relocation of the drilling platform.

The salmon population is facing a number of

difficulties as well due to the sedimentation

caused by construction of the pipeline. Scientific

research says salmon cannot spawn in water

with more than 220mg of suspended solids, and

while the report of Sakhalin Environment Watch

(an NGO monitoring the situation) does not

include the actual

level of suspended

solids, it contains

photographic evidence

showing water so

sediment-filled it is

opaque.3 In the photo

below, the company

claimed that the water

was cleared of all

suspended solids just

100 meters

downstream of the

river crossing, but the

photo is taken 14

kilometers downstream

and shows a clearly

dirty river.

Apart from the effects on WGWs and salmon,

the pipeline holds the potential for numerous

hazards. The 800km long pipes are at various

points vulnerable to volatile seismic activity,

land erosion, landslides, and at one point are

built only 300m away from an old military

ammunition depot. Russian law stipulates the

official prohibited zone around such areas at

The Others With growing attention paid to biodiversity, the growing consensus has

realized that the human population is not the only one affected by human

actions and damages done to other populations holds great repercussions for

the world as a whole

This is what the river looks like

14km downstream from the

upstream oil pipeline

Nickolai is a rising

sophomore at Purdue

University, where he is

double majoring in

Astronautical Engineering

and Applied

Mathematics. He has a

great interest in

international affairs and is

President of the Model

UN club at Purdue.

19

Stacy is a rising junior at

Tufts University,

majoring in International

Relations and Chinese.

She is interning at WIT

because she believes that

focusing on sustainable

development and

environmental and health

issues is crucial to

improving human

welfare. She became

interested in the problem

of cane toads through her

environmental biology

class last year.

“…The 800km long pipes are

at various points vulnerable

to volatile seismic activity,

land erosion, landslides, and

at one point are built only

300m away from an old

military ammunition

depot…”

400m, and construction projects must be placed

even further.

An investigation by the government of the

Russian Federation in mid-2006 revealed a large

number of violations of environmental

legislation by the consortium developing the

pipeline. Not only did they provide little or no

protective measures against erosion in many

areas, entire tributaries were covered with soil

due to the unauthorized construction of access

roads and little or no measures were put in place

to prevent mudslides in some of the most

vulnerable areas. Also, the pipeline route

deviated significantly from the original plan, and

now goes through a nature preserve. The

investigation prompted

Oleg Mitvol, the deputy

head of the Russian

Federal Service for the

Oversight of Natural

Resources, to, in

September 2006, order the

halt of all construction

works on the development

project and threatened to

revoke environmental authorization for pipeline

installation. Mitvol suggested that the

environmental damages could cost up to $50

billion to repair.4 After several months of

uncertainty, Gazprom, Russia‘s natural gas

giant, took control of 50% plus one share of the

consortium developing the island. Then-

President Vladimir Putin said the environmental

issues had been resolved. Finally, on March 29,

2007, Mitvol stated the government would not

be taking any action in the courts against Shell

for its environmental violations. The decision

was made on the basis that the consortium was

willing to solve the problems.5

At first, many independent analysts saw the

move by Russian government to halt pipeline

construction as a way to ―strengthen its position,

and increase its role in the project.‖6 The deal

struck in the 1990‘s between the Russian

government and Marathon, McDermott, and

Mitsui (Shell and Mitsubishi joined later on, and

Marathon and McDermott sold their stakes) was

very unfavorable for the government, and so the

move to halt construction was seen as a way of

rectifying the situation. The deal signed by

Gazprom and Shell signed in December 2006

gave little credence to the Russian government‘s

position on the environment. But in late 2007, a

report published by an independent firm of

consultants (commissioned by potential lenders

to the Sakhalin project) concluded that the

project was largely in compliance with all the

relevant environmental requirements.7

In spite of this independent assessment, the

murky waters of Sakhalin are not clear. Several

public banks are either still deciding whether to

give funds to the project, or have otherwise

decided against it. These banks have strict

environmental policies for the projects they

finance and groups like Sakhalin

Environment Watch claim the

decisions to withhold funds was due to

the consortium‘s failure to comply

with said policies. On the whole, it

would appear that the actions of

governments as well as government-

backed bodies such as the public

banks, have led a successful campaign

against the environmental degradation

of Sakhalin Island.

Sources:

1.Sakhalin Environment Watch. ―Sakhalin 2 still not rejected by EBRD in spite of

increased violations from Shell.‖ November 29, 3005.

http://www.sakhalin.environment.ru/en/

2. International Union for the Conservation of Nature. ―Western Gray Whale

Conservation Initiative.‖ 2007. http://www.iucn.org/themes/marine/sakhalin/

3. Dmitry Lisitsyn. ―Sakhalin Phase II: environmental and social problems: What‘s

new?‖ October 20, 2005. http://www.pacificenvironment.org/

4. Parfitt, Tom. ―Kremlin attack dog vows to take on Shell in the battle of Sakhalin.‖

October 4, 2006. http://www.guardian.co.uk/

5. Kommersant. ―Russian Authorities Pull Out of Dispute with Sakhalin Energy.‖ March

29, 2007. http://www.kommersant.com/

6. Sugiyama, Yoshikuni. ―Russia‘s economic roulette: Gazprom wants more than 50% of

Sakhalin II.‖ September 30, 2006. http://royaldutchshellplc.com/

7. ―Sakhalin‘s Phase 2 HSES Report Gets High Marks from AEA.‖ October 9, 2007.

http://www.rigzone.com/news/article.asp?a_id=51196

The Invasion of the Cane Toad

By Stacy Jen

20

The spread of cane toads throughout Australia

With its large build and dry, warty skin, the cane

toad is a seemingly mundane and innocuous

creature. However, the Bufo marinus is proving

to be a huge environmental problem for

Australia. One hundred of these toads were

shipped from Hawaii to northern Queensland in

1937 as a natural method to control the beetles,

which were devastating sugarcane crops. The

species of beetles found in Australia differed

from those found in Hawaii, and the toads,

unable to jump high enough, were not capable of

dealing with the pests. 1

Nevertheless, by

releasing these animals into the wild, a great

threat was unknowingly introduced to the

environment.

It is without a doubt that this invasive

species is wreaking havoc on the biodiversity of

Australia, ultimately compromising the

environment in terms of food security, pest

control, and water and soil quality. The cane

toad is a nocturnal, resilient animal, able to

survive in temperatures of 5° to 40° C and a

multitude of environments. A land-dweller, it

feeds on almost anything that it can swallow,

ranging from smaller frogs to petite mammals

and reptiles, and even food left out for pets.

Because of the toad‘s nonspecific diet, native

species are constantly being eaten by these

amphibians, endangering species that are already

marginalized. Populations of northern quoll,

goannas, snakes, and salt-water crocodiles have

been declining since the introduction of the

toad.2 Furthermore, these native animals are

forced to compete with the prolific toads for

food sources, especially insects, in addition to

the struggle to habitat space., Furthermore,

without any natural diseases or predators in the

region checking these growing populations, the

cane toad continues to consistently expand its

territory southward each year by an estimated

1.3 kilometers. 1

In all life stages, the cane toad

is fatally poisonous. In its adult form, both the

upper surface of its skin and the protruding

glands on its sides exude toxins. The poison is

absorbed through body tissue, and predators that

get their mouths around the toad die from

contact with the poison. The cane toad is also

known to eat feces, and in areas of poor

sanitation, they are able to transmit

bacteria and diseases, such as

salmonella. 1

The cane toad‘s massive

takeover of the continent can also be

attributed to its prolific reproductive

cycle. Although preferring to breed

during the wet season and in still waters,

the toad is capable of reproducing year

round. Females lay anywhere from

8,000 to 33,000 eggs in one spawning,

whereas native Australian frog species

lay only 1,000 to 2,000 eggs at a time.

The eggs of cane toads are also more

resistant to certain herbicides and

eutrophic waters, environments that are

uninhabitable to other frogs. Moreover,

these eggs quickly hatch into tadpoles,

which subsequently develop into adults

quicker than the natives, heightening the

level of competition between species for

available resources. 3

The cane toad is a declared pest in

certain regions of Australia, calling forth

government responses on a more local and

regional level. In Western Australia, the WA

Cane Toad Initiative was implemented as a

means to delay the encroachment of the toad.

Between 2006 and 2009, a 7 million dollar

survey across 20 Kimberley Islands is being

undertaken to gain a more accurate picture of the

biodiversity and the flora and fauna at risk, and

how to protect these species more efficiently. 4

21

Other state governments have invested millions

of dollars in genetic research. Peter Koopman,

the professor of Developmental Biology at the

University of Queensland, is currently

developing a gene that results in only the birth of

male toads. If successful, the numbers of toads

will plummet. 5

Biological methods are also effective at

controlling the cane toad. At the University of

Sydney, a lungworm parasite that is deadly to

the cane toad but not Australian frog species has

been discovered. In addition, when ―alarm

pheromones‖ are released from injured tadpoles,

it signals that danger is in the area, urging them

to flee. However, these pheromones stress out

the tadpoles to an extreme level, and as a result,

many of them die due to stress. Luckily, this

pheromone can be produced and can be used as

a means to control the population. Combined,

these biological methods are proving effective. 6

Governments are also relying on

organizations and volunteers to physically go

into the environment and humanely dispose of

the toads. Long strands of cane toad eggs can be

found in lakes and removed. Fine mesh fencing

is also useful in preventing toads from reaching

ponds to reproduce. 1

As cane toads continue their march

across Australia, both national and local

governments are stepping up to meet the ever

increasing environmental challenges posed by

these troublesome amphibians. This

decentralized approach is more efficient, able to

meet the challenges posed by the toads in the

various terrains of the country. Scientific

advances are also helping to mitigate the

problem, but the possibility of these methods

negatively impacting the environment still

exists. A more careful and thorough study and

testing should be undertaken to ensure its safety. 1 "The feral cane toad (Bufo marinus) - Invasive species fact sheet." Australian

Government - Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. 2004.

Australian Government - Department of the Environment, Water, Heritag. 09 Jul

2008 <http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/invasive/publications/cane-

toad/pubs/cane- toad.pdf>. 2 Cameron, Elizabeth. "Cane Toads, Giant Toads or Marine Toads." Australian Museum

Online. June 2002. Search & Discover. 10 Jul 2008

<http://www.austmus.gov.au/factsheets/canetoad.htm>. 3 "The Unwanted Amphibian." Cane Toads in Australia. 05 Oct 2005. 10 Jul 2008

<http://www.fdrproject.org/pages/toads.htm >. 4 ―Cane Toad Initiative.‖ Naturebase. 2007. 10 July. 2008.

<http://www.naturebase.net/content/view/2548/1371/> 5 "Gender bending could see cane toad's end." ABC News Online. 06 June 2006. ABC. 10

July 2008 <http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200606/s1656274.htm>. 6 Australian Academy of Science. "Biological Weapons To Control Cane Toad Invasion

In Australia." ScienceDaily 10 May 2008. 10 July 2008

<http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2008/05/080508131953.htm>.

Destruction of Olive groves in Palestine: “the third Nakba”

By Jennie Ellison

Since the Israeli occupation of Palestinian

territories in1967, Palestinians have lived under

Israeli restrictions on olive harvesting. In 2000,

these restrictions became harsher, making

harvesting extremely difficult, if not impossible,

for the farmers. The Israeli occupation

authorities‘ policies include curfews, permits,

confiscation of ID cards and equipment, fines,

and destruction of crops25

. Israeli settlers have

attacked and killed harvesters during the harvest

season and the military regularly shoots at

Palestinians outside after curfew.

Since 1967, Israel has been responsible for

destroying over 1 million olive trees in

Palestinian territory26

. Olive groves make up

4.6% of Palestine‘s GDP and serve as a main

source of income for over 100,000 families27

.

From 2000-2004 alone, the Palestinian Ministry

of Agriculture has reported the uprooting of

approximately 400,000 trees worth over 60

million US dollars28

. Besides the habitual

uprooting of olive trees, the Israeli construction

of the segregation wall, or Israeli West Bank

barrier, uprooted 45,000 olive trees29

. The wall

will affect more than 126 communities30

and

make about 1 million more trees inaccessible or

25 Applied Research Institute-Jerusalem. Monitoring Israel Colonization Activities in the

Palestinian Territories. ―Olive Harvest in Palestine. Another Season, Another Anguish‖.

Accessed 7 July 2008 at

<http://www.poica.org/editor/case_studies/view.php?recordID=455. 6 November 2004> 26 ibid 27 ibid 28 ibid 29 ibid 30 ibid

Jennie is a rising second year

Master's student, studying

International Community Health

at Steinhardt School of Culture,

Education, and Human

Development, New York

University. She is interested in

international communities and

the many social, economic,

political and behavioral

determinants that produce health

statuses. She chose this topic as it

is an example of how political

determinants affect people´s

livlihoods and health statuses.

22

An olive grove farmer surveys his land.

Photo: Palestine Monitor

restricted31

. It will also ―leave over 50% of

Palestinian land in the West Bank and Gaza

Strip in Israeli hands‖32

As any deforestation will have

environmental and economic consequences,

Palestinians have been affected in even greater

ways by the olive grove destruction. The olive

tree is also a historical, cultural, and religious

symbol for Palestinians. It has been grown in

the Middle East for thousands of years and

Palestinians see it as ―a symbol of their nation‖ 33

as well as a symbol of peace. It serves as a

religious symbol for both the Muslim and

Christian Palestinians, mentioned in the Qur‘an

and the Bible. In the destruction of olive trees,

Palestinians feel a direct attack on themselves,

their families and their nation. ―Uprooting the

tree is seen as a form of crushing the Palestinian

culture and eliminating their voices‖34

.

Both sides offer differing reasons for the

restrictions and destruction of olive

groves. In terms of restrictions,

Israel has stated that they want to

keep the harvesters safe from

attacks of Israeli settlers and the

restrictions allow them to provide a

safer environment for harvesting. In

regards to the destruction of olive

groves, the Israeli military has

stated that Palestinians use the trees

for shelter while throwing stones at

Israelis and therefore they are acting

to preemptively remove their ability

to attack the Israelis. The Israeli

Defense Force has also

acknowledged that they have

uprooted trees ―to build settlements, expand

roads, and lay infrastructure‖35

. Palestinians

argue that the restrictions and uprooting are

aimed to destroy this sector of the Palestinian

agriculture economy and slowly take more land

through the destruction of the groves.

31 ReliefWeb. ―The olive harvest in the West Bank and Gaza – Oct 2006‖. 31 October

2006. Accessed 7 July 2008 at

<http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/EVOD-6V7K9C?OpenDocument> 32 Applied Research Institute-Jerusalem. Monitoring Israel Colonization Activities in the

Palestinian Territories. ―Olive Harvest in Palestine. Another Season, Another Anguish‖.

Accessed 7 July 2008 at

<http://www.poica.org/editor/case_studies/view.php?recordID=455. 6 November 2004> 33

―Uprooting Olive Trees in Palestine.‖ Accessed 7 July 2008 at

<http://www.american.edu/ted/ice/olive-tree.htm. November 2002>

34 ibid

35 ibid

In its past and current policies and

actions concerning the Palestinian territories and

its people, Israel has been in violation of many

international laws. The United Nations called

for the withdrawal of Israel from Palestinian

territories after the 1967 war; however, Israel

has not relented. Israel is also in violation of the

Hague Convention of 1907 and the Fourth

Geneva Convention of 1949, the former

prohibiting the seizure or destruction of property

except during war and the latter prohibiting

collective penalties.

The responses of both governments are

couched in the continuing feuds and violent

attacks from both sides. There have been many

peacemaking attempts between Israel and

Palestine since 1967, the last of which was the

Annapolis conference of November 2007. The

content of those talks was confidential; however,

both the Israeli and Palestinian leaders have

spoken concerning its

progress. An Israeli

spokesman has stated that

the ―discussions are

continuing; we are

making progress‖, while

a Palestinian

spokesperson states that

negotiations ―are not

advancing at the required

pace or yielding the

progress necessary for us

to reach the agreed

objectives by the agreed

dates.‖36

. The destruction

of olive groves will not

be successfully brought to an end until the entire

peacemaking attempts are successful.

Several organizations are currently

involved in efforts to stop the uprooting of olive

trees. The United Nations provides Palestine

with $1 million each year to support the olive

economy37

. The International Solidarity

Movement, Rabbis for Human Rights, and

Grassroots International Protection for

36 New York Times. ―Palestinian Official Says Talks With Israelis Yield Little‖. 18

April 2008. Accessed 8 July 2008 at

<http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/18/world/middleeast/18mideast.html?scp=2&sq=anna

polis+convention&st=nyt> 37 ReliefWeb. ―The olive harvest in the West Bank and Gaza – Oct 2006‖. 31 October

2006. Accessed 7 July 2008 at

<http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/EVOD-6V7K9C?OpenDocument>

23

Palestinain People are a few of many non-

governmental organizations who are speaking

and acting out in regards to the olive grove

destruction.

Palestine experienced their first Nakba, or

catastrophe, in 1948 with the dispossession of

their land and the second in 1967 after the Six-

Day War. An olive grove owner in the village

of Ni´lin, Asad Amera, called the building of the

segregation wall ¨the third Nakba¨ or

catastrophe1. The building of the wall will mean

further destruction of olive groves and restricted

access to the existing groves for farmers. Only

with continued peacekeeping efforts from Israel

and Palestine will the economic, social, religious

and environmental consquences of olive grove

destruction be either mitigated or brought to an

end.

Concluding Comments By Alaya Levi Salley

As quoted from World Information Transfer

Inc.‘s homepage- ―We have not inherited the

world from our forefathers…we have borrowed

it from our children.‖ Our actions, if we be the

agitators, and our reactions, if we be the

government or identify as politically active,

must always consider the near and distant future

in combination with the urgent matters of the

present.

The exact price we will pay for negligence and

recklessness is immeasurable but will be

perniciously felt socially,

economically, politically and

environmentally for generations

to come. Furthermore, the

poor, minorities, tribal

communities, the environment,

animals and other

disenfranchised populations

will bear these costs at a

disproportionate rate.

Yes, our governments must

take the lead with initiatives to

mitigate and prevent disaster

but we as citizens have a greater

responsibility to hold ourselves

accountable. Citizens of the

world, whether they be

students, professionals,

government officials or civil

society must vehemently mold

the governments of the globe to

become the responsive and

effective bodies needed to

create a sustainable, healthy and

safe world.

On behalf of the WIT interns of

Summer 2008, we hope you

have thoroughly enjoyed this

edition of the Ecology Enquirer

and realized that disasters end

only when committed persons

mobilize resources to commit to

long-term change, prevention

and preparedness.

Thank You.

1 Palestine Monitor: Exposing Life Under Occupation. ¨¨The Nakba of Ni'lin: Landowners Losing

their Olive Trees to the Wall¨. 9 July 2008. Accessed 25 July 2008 at

http://www.palestinemonitor.org/spip/spip.php?article496

Ecology

Enquirer World Information

Transfer Inc.

475 Park Avenue

South

22nd Floor

New York, NY

10016

Telephone:

(212)686-1996

Fax: (212)686-

2172

Email:

wit@worldinfo.org

Editors: Gloria Liu

Alaya Levi Salley

Contributors: Emmy (Chow Yi

Tin)

Greta (Liao Jing

Hua)

Hilary Kaback

Jennie Ellison

Kent (To Kwok

Wai)

Lillian (Tsang Kai

Ni)

Maggie Leung

Mariana Sentieri

Natalie Miller

Nickolai Belakovski

Peter Davis

Stacy Jen

Vanessa Matthews

Anushka Chadha

Special Thanks:

Amy Williams

(Assistant Editor)

Alaya Levi Salley is a rising

junior at Wellesley College.

She plans on majoring in

Peace and Justice Studies and

Economics. She chose to edit

this issue of the Ecology

Enquirer because of its

relevance to her studies.