A F T E R T H E W A R
Now that the war is over...
By Dr. Janet Eaton
There is a growing concern that neither adequate monies nor the political will exist to address the ecological catastrophe created by NATO bombing.
The foremost ecological concern is the threat of exposure to depleted uranium (DU) and the growing awareness of the urgent need for the Pentagon to release DU maps as they did for the Gulf War. It is imperative that returning refugees, citizens, peace-keepers and aid workers be informed of the location of sites where DU munitions or missiles exploded and instructions in how to avoid contact with DU.
Another major concern is the unpleasant political reality that has plagued fair and responsible reporting from the beginning of the war. This is the tendency for authorities, acting within established political precedents, to deny or minimise the dangers and broadest implications of the ecological and human health consequences of the war. This has been the case first in regard to the use of DU weapons, then to the health hazards DU presents and now the outcry that Belgrade authorities are 'hiding a toxic time bomb.'
Hopefully civil society can contribute the compassion, determination and the balance necessary to insure that civilians will be afforded the utmost protection from the devastating consequences of such chemical and radioactive warfare, and to assist in environmental restoration guided by ecological principles.
If we can learn the political and ethical lessons of this great ecological and humanitarian catastrophe, perhaps we can alter course from the present corporatist and strong man forms of decision-making to restore faith in more democratic forms of governance both globally and for nation-states caught up in historic ethnic rivalries.
