Interesting. I had seen the term used in regards to the Iragis
destruction of oil fields in Kuwait, but not Vietnam. Thank you John.
Steven
-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion forum for environmental ethics.
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of John Foster
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2002 6:19 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Only 26 Years Ago in Vietnam - Equality Principle
----- Original Message -----
From: Steven Bissell <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, April 11, 2002 12:44 PM
Subject: Re: Only 26 Years Ago in Vietnam - Equality Principle
> John Foster wrote, in part: "This war was when the term 'ecocide' was
> coined. The term 'ecocide' arose since this war was the greatest
> example of an 'ecological war' and the greatest example of a single
> environmental catastrophy (sic) in history where man had caused the
> impacts."
>
> John, do you have any evidence that the term 'ecocide' was coined in
> relation to the war in Vietnam? I mean other than your assertion?
Yes. The earliest reference to 'ecocide' I am aware of is "Ecocide in
Indochina: The ecology of war", Barry Weisberg, Bay Area Institute, San
Francisco, California. The publishing date is 1970.
Weisberg writes:
"Appearing at the Conference on War and National Resonsibility in
Washington, D.C., Feb., 1970, Professor Arthur W. Galston of Yale
University 'proposed a new international agreement to ban "Ecocide" -
the willful destruction of the environment." [New York Times, Feb. 26,
1970, see editorial] (The precies origins of this term seem unknown. No
doubt 'Ecocide' originated in the recent concern that chemical warfare
in Vietnam required a concept similar to that of Genocide, relating to
the theory of war crimes.)
Weisberg comments that no other similar act in history has been carried
out since the "salting of the earth by the Romans".
Also a definition:
"Ecocide is the premeditated assault of a nation and its resources
against the individuals, culture and biological fabric of another
country and its environs. But we must hasten to add that by its very
nature such warfare knows no simple boundaries. National demarcations,
programs, military operations have no purview over the order of the
natural world....it is almost impossible to talk rationally about
Ecocide in terms of limited warfare. The ascribed limits of national
conflict do not apply to the over-arching natural interface of
environmental systems. With 'ecological warfare', national
confrontations become global survival issues" (page 4, supra).
>
> For an example of a real man-made ecological catastrophe, take a look
> at the April issue of Harper's magazine. An article by Tom Bissell
> (some relation I assume as all us Bissells are related one way or
> another) about the destruction of the Aral Sea in Russia. Very
> interesting.
I am aware of this catastrophy. I watched a special on television
special which documented the work which "Doctors Without Borders" have
been doing. I cannot remember who published this...but the problem is up
there with Ecocidal acts. In this case it was the diversion of fresh
water to feed large areas of cotton plantations that precipitated the
problem. I will have a look at the Harpers article. Also this is an
example where 'humanitarians' are working to prevent health problems by
dealing with the 'underlying ecological factors'. However the problems
are not caused by war except in a metaphorical sense.
thanks for the information
john foster
>
> Steven
>
> Quietly they moved down the calm and scared
> river that had come down to earth so that its
> waters might flow over the ashes of those long
> dead, and that would continue to flow long
> after the human race had, through hatred
> and knowledge, burned itself out.
> Vikram Seth
> A Suitable Boy
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