July/August 2008

July 17th, 2008

This month’s Commission meeting takes the form of a Prayer Walk around Osmotherley so part of this issue of the Newsletter has an Environmental theme. Those of us fortunate enough to …

Those of us fortunate enough to have access to the countryside can enjoy the healing properties of a walk in which we can breathe in the clean air and at same time look around at the beauty of creation. However the overall situation worldwide is nowhere near as happy. Of the damage caused by global warming, according to the UN’s Intergovernmental panel on climate change, 90% is caused by human activity. We should add to that the effect of war, including the actual explosive materials, the fuel burnt by planes, ships, armoured carriers and tanks, and then all the residual environmental damage caused by warfare, including depleted uranium residues and unexploded weaponry. It is surprising that, as Bruce Kent told us in May, these side effects of war seem never to be taken into account.

Contributions from readers are always welcome so I am particularly grateful to Sophie Harrison, a parishioner of St Hedda’s, Egton Bridge for agreeing to write a piece on her recent appointment as a Youth Advisor for UNICEF.

The Inaugural Anthony Storey Lecture at the University of Hull in May, organized by the Commission, was a great success. Something like two hundred people enjoyed a brilliant introduction by Professor Eamon Duffy to a wide ranging lecture by Paul Vallely. If you missed it, make sure that you come next year. Chris Dove

Note: the views expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily coincide with those of the Commission

Long term damage 23 years ago on the night of December 3, 1984, clouds of toxic gas escaped from Union Carbide’s pesticide plant in Bhopal, Central India. Hundreds of children are still being born with birth defects as a result of what was the world’s worst industrial disaster. The gas killed 5,000 people that night and 15,000 more in the following weeks. The Indian government stopped all research on the medical effects 14 years ago, without explanation The disused Union Carbide plant contains about 8,000 tonnes of carcinogenic chemicals that continue to leach out and contaminate the water supplies used by about 30,000 people. The clean-up has been stalled by bureaucratic indifference, legal actions and rows over corporate responsibility. Dow Chemicals, which bought the factory in 2001, says that because the plant is on government land it is up to the state to clean it up. However officials say that Dow should pay $24.6m to dismantle the factory and restore the fields. Source: Guardian Weekly 9 May 2008

Humans cause 90% of environmental damage. Global warming is disrupting wildlife and the environment on every continent, according to a study that reveals the extent to which climate change is already affecting ecosytems. In the study reported in the journal Nature, researchers analysed reports highlighting changes in populations or behaviour of 28,800 animal and plant species, as well as focussing on environmental effects, including surging rivers, retreating glaciers and shifting forests. In 90% of cases the shifts in wildlife can only be explained by global warming, while 95% of environmental changes were consistent with rising temperatures. Source: Guardian Weekly 23 May 2008

Should we link nuclear disarmament and climate change? For years now it has been argued that we need to have a nuclear submarine fleet because it acts as a deterrent, to prevent any nuclear attack on the UK. But post-Cold War we no longer have any target, we have no nuclear armed enemy. Today’s threats are terrorism, climate change, global economic meltdown – and no nuclear weapons will help to defeat them. As retired Royal Navy Commander, Robert Green, puts it: “Weapons stimulate hostility, create instability, promote proliferation and generate an arms race. They represent terrorist logic on the grandest scale imaginable.” There is now growing support for a Nuclear Weapons Convention that would provide a framework and timetable for disarmament. Even the US appears to be changing its attitude, as seen in an open letter to the Wall Street Journal in January 2008.

The letter was signed by two former Secretaries of State (George Schultz and Henry Kissinger); a former Secretary of Defense (Wm.J Perry) and a retired Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee (Sam Nunn). They argued that nuclear weapons are fuelling insecurity, which is in no-one’s interest, and that the US and Russia must take the lead in disarming. In the Presidential primaries Barack Obama stated: ‘It would be a profound mistake for us to use nuclear weapons in any circumstances’ in Afghanistan or Pakistan.

Using such weapons in situations involving civilians is ‘not on the table’ he continued. Subsequently he has pledged to work towards elimination. Having won the Democratic nomination, he could turn out to be the most pro-disarmament President of all time.

In Britain the situation has reached a pivotal moment. The nuclear submarine fleet is based in Scotland, which now has its own parliament.

Although under the terms of devolution the Assembly is not supposed to interfere in ‘foreign policy’ issues, they can reject Trident based on international law as well as moral grounds.

The Scottish National Party came to power in 2007 against a back-drop of a year-long anti-nuke campaign and 70% of the Scottish public don’t want to host Britain’s bombs any more. A parliamentary coalition has been set up to explore legal options, such as using health and safety and environmental legislation to hit Westminster with a massive fine very time a convoy carrying nuclear warheads from Aldermaston crosses the border!

Campaigners say that there will be a colossal defence spending crunch – not the time to be spending around £70-80bn over the next three decades to replace Trident. Campaigners believe we should be linking the abolition of nuclear weapons to the fight against climate change. Why not use the £70-80bn to finance a wholesale shift to renewable energy? They argue that Britain could supply 50% of its energy from offshore wave and windpower by 2030 by diverting funds and skills directly from nuclear submarine manufacturing.

Brenda Boardman of the Oxford University Environmental Change Institute estimates it would cost £12-13bn a year to reduce UK housing carbon emissions by 80%. Scrapping the Trident replacement programme would make this a lot more possible. Source: New Internationalist June 2008

Priorities? “In the past six months the G8 countries have found a trillion dollars to bail out their banks. It shows what can be achieved by a concerted effort by the global economy!” Source: Observer 15 June 2008 “Can there be any threat more alarming, in today’s world, than that of a nuclear or biological weapon falling into the hands of terrorists, or being used by a State, as a result of some terrible misunderstanding or miscalculation? The more States have such weapons, the greater the risk. And, the more those States that already have them increase their arsenals, or insist that such weapons are essential to their national security, the more other States feel that they too must have them, for their security.” Source: Kofi Annan London 31 January 2006

Commission contacts Barbara Hungin Chair 01642 784398 KateWard Secretary 01642 781676 Nan Saeki Treasurer 01904 783621 Chris Dove Editor 01947 825043 email: dove.whitby@phonecoop.coop or 22 Blackburns Yard Whitby YO22 4DS website www.middlesbroughjp.org

Letter to the editor: from Gerry Danaher Baroness Helena Kennedy’s criticism of the Iraq war in your May/June edition is forceful and forthright; it seems only right to put the case for it at the same time. The good case for the war was simple enough: to get rid of a tyrant who had terrorised and impoverished his own people, who had invaded two neighbouring countries, and who – rightly or wrongly – was believed to be ready to do it again if he could get away with it.

There was a hope that by getting rid of this tyrant, prosperity and freedom from fear could be brought to Iraq. This is difficult and may prove impossible. Blame for this lies not with the coalition troops, but with terrorist groups, many of them foreign, who do not want prosperity and freedom to come to Iraq.

It is worth emphasizing these good intentions of the coalition forces because, for reasons of demography, our relationship with the Islamic world is going to be Europe’s most important political problem for the rest of this century. (Due mainly to the spread of western medical expertise since 1945, the Muslim population of North Africa and the Middle East to Pakistan is expected to increase from about 150 million in 1950, to over 1000 million in 2050.) There is now nothing we can do to prevent the increasing influence of Islam in Europe. Despite some Middle Eastern countries having developed effective family planning schemes, populations will continue to increase rapidly in Sudan, Somalia, Palestine, Yemen, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, throughout this century. War or no war, the resultant poverty and turmoil will force Muslims to emigrate in large numbers. In the Europe of the future, peace loving Muslims and non-Muslims may be able to withstand those who seek power by terror, but it will be difficult. It will be less difficult if we can help Iraq to become prosperous and free from fear. Is there a glimmer of hope? President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran had an enthusiastic welcome to Baghdad in March this year, and President Talabani greeted him with a double handshake and a beaming smile. The Iranian President said he was “truly happy” to be visiting an Iraq “without the dictator” Saddam Hussain. At least the two Presidents are happy. It’s a start. Programme for 2008 Sep 20: ‘Enriching Our Communities’ -a Celebration of the contributions to our society from those seeking asylum in the Tees Valley. Sacred Heart Middsbro’ If you wrote about Cluster weapons thank you and congratulations, it worked! Dublin, Ireland, May 21st, 2008 Campaigners pushing for a ban on cluster bombs welcome this afternoon’s statement from Gordon Brown and call on the UK to now give up their remaining cluster bomb stocks and sign up to the treaty. In response to a question this afternoon, a Number 10 spokesperson said in a public statement that: “The PM has issued instructions that we should work intensively to ban cluster bombs that cause unacceptable harm to civilians. We have already banned two types of cluster bombs, neither of which had a self-destruct or deactivation mechanism. The prime minister has asked the MOD to assess the remaining munitions in use to ensure that there is no risk to civilians” Simon Conway, Co-chair Cluster Munition Coalition and Director of Landmine Action said: “We are glad that Gordon Brown is making good on his previous public commitment to ban cluster bombs and now expect the UK to give up the M85 and the M73, its remaining stockpile of indiscriminate
cluster bombs”. Up until now the British position has been dominated by their insistence to keep two types of cluster bombs M85 and M73. M85s were used by the British in Iraq in 2003. The M73 has never been deployed by the British, but has been used by the Americans in Iraq. It does not have a self-destruct or deactivation mechanism. Anna Macdonald, Head of Arms Control for Oxfam said: “Britain has at last come in from the cold – we hope that this strong statement from the Prime Minister will ensure that the UK signs onto the treaty and immediately gets rid of these weapons which maim and kill long after they have been dropped”. Campaigners and survivors from the Cluster Munition Coalition hope that this statement by Gordon Brown will provide evidence that there is room for manoever and may encourage other countries
of concern to reconsider their position. Source: Landmine Action Sophie – Youth Advisor UNICEF UNICEF is one of the world’s largest charities, working in 191 countries and with high profile supporters like David Beckham, to improve the health and welfare of young people, particularly in some of the world’s poorest countries. Established after WW2 the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund puts young people and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) at the heart of their policies, which means a real effort is made to involve the youth of today in all aspects of their work. One way that they do this is by setting up a team of Youth Advisors who are a group 15 young people that work together to help raise awareness locally and nationally of global issues. As a youth advisor I work with the UNICEF team to increase youth governance and raise awareness affectively and innovatively. I am very passionate about the involvement of young people at the highest levels, from local committees to governments. Two years ago UNICEF gave me the opportunity to address world leaders at the G8 summit in St. Petersburg, showing that young people’s views can be taken very seriously. The UNCRC states that young people have the right to get involved in decision making that will affect them, and I feel that it is our social responsibility to make the most of this and to get out there and get active! As Benjamin Disraeli once said ‘the youth of a nation are the trustees of prosperity’. The future is ours, and it is our duty to shape and mould it! In my role as Youth Advisor I am focussing on peer education and producing resources for youth groups and schools to use, passing on knowledge to raise awareness among other young people. Educating young people on global issues like HIV/AIDS is hugely important and a real step to help preventing such problems worsening. HIV/AIDS is a disease that knows no barriers and affects every class, colour, sexuality and gender, and as Nelson Mandela recently said ‘aids is the greatest war against humanity’. In early August I will be attending the 17th International Aids Conference in Mexico City to discuss this situation and gain in depth knowledge and skills. I intend to utilize these in my work with UNICEF particularly at the annual outreach road shows which the Youth Advisors will be organising later on this year. I really enjoy my work as a Youth Advisor and see it as an opportunity for young people to become directly involved with issues facing our society today. This could include campaigning, lobbying politicians and fund raising. If you want to get active you can find out more at http://www.unicef.org.uk/youthvoice/

Holy Spirit of God. 
Renew my hope for a world free from the cruelty and evil of war so that we may all come to share
in God’s peace and justice. Amen