Introduction:
There are many weapons in the world, all of which are destructive in some form or another. When approaching this topic one can get lost in the multitude of weapons and each weapon’s varying effect on the environment. For purposes of this discussion and global discussion I believe it is necessary to give precedence to the weapons that cause the most damage to the environment. I have also given thought as to which weapons a civilian populace, through public opinion and politics, would realistically be able to eliminate or affect the development and/or use of. Please keep in mind that a lot of information and issues, such as the sonic booms of artillery disturbing mating habits of birds, are not being covered here.
Prominent Historical Events:
"What the Soviets missed in 1941 the Germans destroyed in 1943-44.. According to Soviet Ukraine, the retreating Germans razed and burned over 28,000 villages and 714 cities and towns, leaving 10,000,000 people without shelter. More than 16,000 industrial enterprises, more than 200,000 industrial production sites, 27,910 collective and 872 state farms, 1,300 machine and tractor stations, and 32,930 general schools, vocational secondary schools and higher educational institutions of Ukraine had been destroyed."
"A bright light filled the plane, wrote Lt. Col. Paul Tibbets, the pilot of the Enola Gay, the B-29 that dropped the first atomic bomb. "We turned back to look at Hiroshima. The city was hidden by that awful cloud...boiling up, mushrooming." For a moment, no one spoke. Then everyone was talking. "Look at that! Look at that! Look at that!" exclaimed the co-pilot, Robert Lewis, pounding on Tibbets's shoulder. Lewis said he could taste atomic fission; it tasted like lead. Then he turned away to write in his journal. "My God," he asked himself, "what have we done?" (special military report, "Hiroshima: August 6, 1945")
Key Ideas:
Key Weapons Projects to Know:
Discussion Questions:
1. Nuke (WMD) Testing and Manafacturing......what should happen?
2. How and where are we to get our information about classified projects that may be causing major environmental damage? With the Agent Orange and radioactive fallout disasters how can the public intervene to get better information?
3. What policy should be taken with rogue nuclear nations and an increasing threat from nuclear attack? Should money be spent on ABM and other devices to minimize damage or is it inviting disaster?
4. Should time and effort be spent on preparing for an environmental war....poisoning of water supplies, food, strategic radiation exposures, etc. ?
5. Much of human technological advance and society's "improvements" are a direct result of weapons development programs. Is it a result of simply a large defense industry budget focused on innovation or could we get the same results in the private sector?
6. Is war getting more environmentally friendly? Good thing or Bad?