The Earth Day 2018 theme is abolishing plastic pollution. In the 1960’s movie “The Graduate” Dustin Hoffman portrayed a young student who was advised by his wise uncle in one word: “Plastic!” In the 21st century the one word is “TRASH” that will not disappear and is taking over our ocean.
Visit www.5gyres.org for latest information about the biggest oil spill in history as the plastic byproduct of oil encircles an ocean that provides half of our Earth’s oxygen. Nuclear submarine crews become edgy and inefficient when oxygen runs low. The vessels have a device that splits oxygen from abundant water. The commander orders more oxygen and life returns to normal inside a very dangerous tool of war. Plastic can be “ingested” by marine life and ships plying the ocean.
Of greater significance on Earth Day 2018 is the presence of over 16,000 city/country destroying nuclear weapons. A third use of atomic weapons was feared by J. Robert Oppenheimer, Albert Einstein, military officers and thousands of scientists. An atomic exchange could indeed incinerate all plastic waste and future life on our planet in peril. The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists (available online) “Doomsday Clock” signifying an atomic exchange, now stands at two minutes before midnight, the moment of nuclear conflagration.
October 27, 2016 the United Nations considered resolution L – 41, a proposition that all nations strive for abolition of nuclear weapons. The motion passed with 123 nations (of 195) voting for abolition while 38 opposed the planetary preserving abolition of weapons that could simply abort the future of all life on Earth. Sixteen nations abstained. The United States was counted in opposition among nine countries in possession of 16,300 nuclear devices. As one of the designers of atomic weapons J. Robert Oppenheimer warned: “The next war will be fought with dozens, perhaps hundreds of nuclear weapons.” Everyone will be victimized.
The National Catholic Reporter (NCR), based in Kansas City, MO courageously placed information about the new abolition on their front page, (December 16th, 2016)
Few people apart from historians and military experts know that WWI casualties were eleven million military and seven million civilians. An estimated fifty to eighty million died in WWII.
The greatest toll of one hundred million followed European colonization of the “New World” North, Central and Latin America. Colonial conquest and disease from abroad victimized millions of innocent people in the “expansion” from Europe to the “Americas.”
WE CANNOT COMPREHEND HOW OUR ATOMIC AGE THREATENS ALL LIFE ON EARTH
Single Integrated Operational Plan (SIOP) was devised in the Pentagon for a nuclear first strike on the Cold War enemies of China and Russia. Daniel Ellsberg was a thirty-year old worker in the Pentagon at the time of President John F. Kennedy. Perhaps JFK urged Ellsberg to inquire how many casualties could be expected if SIOP was carried out. Ellsberg received a single page from senior officers marked “SECRET.”
The answer was a stark – “600 million.” (Almighty by Dan Zak, p. 73 and The Doomsday Machine by Daniel Ellsberg, p.3). Ellsberg defines his past as that of “a nuclear war planner.”
Would not the future of Earth our “common home” and all living creatures be aborted in the event of another nuclear exchange? Who will be the potentate to call for use of nuclear weapons the third time?
Miraculously, on July 7, 2017, 122 UN members out of 195, voted to abolish nuclear weapons globally.
This major victory for humankind received very little publicity in major media sources. Retired military officers know the USA is reluctant to support abolition because the nuclear weapons “enterprise” is a trillion dollar industry providing employment for tens of thousands.
Admiral Noel Gayler (1914-2011)
General Lee Butler
“Four Star General Lee Butler had a 33-year Air Force career. From 1991 – 1994 he was Commander of all US strategic nuclear forces. Within years of retiring he began travelling the world as an outspoken nuclear abolitionist.” (Nuclear Weapons of the US by Steve Baggarly, Norfolk Catholic Worker, Norfolk, VA, p. 18). Admiral Noel Gayler (1914-2011) with forty five years active duty in the US Navy spoke on Hiroshima Memorial Day, August 6, 1982 to a crowded audience in Philadelphia’s Haverford College:
“The day we dropped an atomic bomb on Japan we made ourselves completely defenseless; the day we detonated a hydrogen bomb we made ourselves 1000 times more defenseless. The only defense against such weapons is to stop building them!” We all stood for a thundering ovation that lasted three minutes.
Richard Nixon became the first US president to visit China. An ardent foe of communism brought forth the most unexpected surprise in modern history. Which 21st century leader will openly support universal adoption of the UN resolution to abolish nuclear weapons? Our future depends upon such courage. 123 countries voted for abolition of nuclear weapons. There are only 123 critical burn units in the USA.
Lafayette, LA is alone in this category with a burn unit at Lourdes Regional Medical Center. Will we encourage universal passage of the UN abolition resolution by breaking open the secret? Our unborn future pleads with each one.
