Earth Ethics Institute – Wisdom Luncheon Series
November 11, 2019
Discussion Questions for “Scarred Lands, Wounded Lives”
Before Viewing: What do you think are the consequences of war for the environment? How are people affected in times of war and the years that follow? After viewing: 1. What in the film did you find particularly interesting? 2. Which images affected you? 3. Did you learn anything in the film that you didn’t already know? 4. How could the military limit the devastating impact war has on the natural environment? 5. As we approach Veterans Day*, how does the information presented in the film affect you as it relates to this public day of remembrance? 6. Is the film relevant for our students? How can we use this information in our curriculum? * November 11 – set aside in commemoration of the end of hostilities in 1918 and 1945 and observed as a legal holiday in the United States to honor the veterans of the armed forces – Merriam Webster Dictionary
Points from the movie: Navy sonar affects whales – beaching Deliberate igniting of oil wells in Kuwait 2001 – effect on marine life Defoliant in Vietnam – 19 million gallons of herbicide sprayed in South Vietnam The Pacific Marine environment by Micronesia – war ships rust and disintegrate – oil spill 60 ships in Truk Lagoon Land mine victims of unexploded mines that are hidden (mines kill/maim animals and humans) Radio-active test sites and their adverse effects on animals and air, soil, and water –leaking barrels that will remain lethal for thousands of years! Stockpiles of weapons that have to be destroyed Hiroshima – nuclear weapons proliferation Cost of war – what has to give – energy consumed by military Who’s or What’s our REAL enemy? Warfare diverts money and intellectual energy from “combating” Climate Change Plan B – Lester Brown’s proposal to limit US military budget by 1/3 to foster humanitarian and sustainability related projects.
