108 heritage for peace and reconciliation | manual for teacherContentswater cultural heritage is just one example of what can be damaged by industrial activity,as it is threatened by oil and mineral extraction or used as a cheap metal resource.Remains of the Royal Australian Navy submarine AE2, Gallipoli, Turkey. © M. SpencerIt is only when people’s basic needs are fulfilled, however, that attention will be paidto the environment and to culture, and that measures will be taken to protect ournatural surroundings. This does not mean that people who suffer do not inherentlycare about these issues. Nonetheless, in poverty-stricken areas, people may prefer towork in heavily polluting industries which may make them or their children ill, ratherthan have no income at all. Furthermore, while massive deforestation of the tropicalrainforest has dramatic consequences for nature and people, it continues because thetimber trade is a major source of income for these poverty-stricken countries.Even in rich countries, where there is peace and where such issues appear on the politicalagenda, the environment and culture continue to suffer. The earth is becomingoverpopulated, and we allow the destruction of heritage and ancient buildings, andpermit construction over heritage sites, both on land and underwater.The creation of sustainable environmental and cultural policies, as well as motivatingpeople to contribute, is one of the great challenges ahead. It will require continuous
Contentseducating towards a better future109efforts in the future, at the macro and micro levels. For this reason, it is of paramountimportance that children learn about heritage and culture-friendly alternatives at anearly age. It is also important that they are taught to care for their heritage and theirsurroundings. For example, children can be taught how to contribute to preventivewaste management through measures aimed at ensuring the classroom, play areasand school canteen are well maintained. Additionally, they must be taught to respectheritage sites and not disfigure them. A clean environment and clean surroundings arenot only healthier, but are more pleasant to live in, and increase our sense of safety andsecurity. Thus, preserving culture gives a place a unique feel and makes it comfortableto live in.tt Teaching tip‘Ten thousand thundering typhoons!’Few people are aware that the seas surrounding Europe contain tons of chemical waste.No-one knows exactly how many chemical weapons have been discarded there, butthe amount is fairly large. For example, in the Baltic Sea, where the allies disposed ofmunitions from German arsenals, there is at least 40,000 tons of waste, a considerableamount of which contains toxic substances.In order to save money, chemical waste was often dumped in shallow waters, in areaswith high levels of fishing. These toxic weapons pose a serious threat not onlyto the environment, but also to the inhabitants of seaside towns, which are oftendensely populated. Moreover, since many of these operations took place in secret,it is not always clear who is responsible. Only recently have these underwaterdumps received more scientific attention. The slow development of awareness islinked with the fact that there is a lack of official records of the dumping operations,which often took place under chaotic circumstances immediately after the war. 3Furthermore, the clearing of these dumps would be incredibly complex and expensive.One of the best researched dumps is the ‘Horse Fair’ (Paardenmarkt) – a First WorldWar munitions dump off the Belgian coast. After the First World War, large quantitiesof explosives were left in Belgium. The collection and temporary storage of ammunitionin depots created an extremely dangerous situation, which resulted in manyfatalities. Because the situation became gradually untenable, and the disposal of the3 Environmental Science and Technology. 2010, 44, 4389–4394. Environmental Hazards of Sea-DumpedChemical Weapons, Hans Sanderson et al.
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