Well, if
you're the U.S. Navy, you bomb the hell out of it.
Or at
least try: "The U.S. is rebalancing military forces in the
Asia-Pacific region. In support of this, the U.S. military is
proposing to increase joint military training capabilities by
developing live-fire ranges and training areas on the islands of
Tinian and Pagan."
The
plans for Pagan — check out these photos of the place — are especially devastating: “The U.S. military
intends to use the entire island with a full spectrum of weapons and
joint training activities."
As Dr.
Mike Hadfield, a UH biologist, observes in a Star-Advertiser commentary:
There
are many reasons why Pagan Island should be preserved, but most of
all we should ask: Why should more lands, especially unique islands,
be bombed into oblivion? Is it not enough that much of Kahoolawe was
turned into bare rock by military bombardment, and that great
stretches of that island remain inaccessible because of the
unexploded bombs and shells buried in the soil?
The
military continues to devastate vast stretches of Pohakuloa Training
Area on the Big Island and Schofield Ranges on Oahu by bombing,
strafing and shelling. Why more?
Why
indeed?
If you
care enough to say "WTF are you thinking?" or "no way," the Navy is currently preparing a draft EIS. You can send
comments through May 12 at this website, which has additional
documents. Or click on the comment form.
Imperialism at its finest.
ReplyDeleteThe EIS should be a "no-brainer".
ReplyDeleteDuh?!
Bombs will improve the island's fauna, flora, and local inhabitants?
Why not test them in the already bombed out deserts of California, New Mexico and Nevada?
How can an EIS be positive?
Dr Shibai
Practice makes perfect, but which island govts have weapons of mass destruction that we need to annihilate?
ReplyDelete“The U.S. military intends to use the entire island with a full spectrum of weapons and joint training activities."
ReplyDeleteWhy does this backward policy continue in a world that needs every resource possible at this point and governments that claim the resources are depleting. I donʻt get it. There is some really stupid fukkers in official capacities or weʻre being had again.
Or the U.S. military boys donʻt have enough to keep them busy.
Nothing should be destroyed in this world as we know it now. Nothing. Except some concrete structures.
Joan, thanks for simplifying the daunting task of submitting comments for something like this.
ReplyDeleteI will share your post and links as this is very important and people just cringe when they hear these kinds of EISs, at least I do..
Joan, the island of Kahoolawe was finally saved by dedicated Hawaiians that swam to it from Maui on surf boards (some died). To save these islands, shouldn't we try to organize some manner of putting bodies on them?
ReplyDelete