Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (April 7, 1972)
Of Indochina War Speaker details ecological effects K W. Pfeiffer By KYLE JOHNSON Of the Emerald University of Montana Zoologist E.W. Pfeiffer declared Thursday some areas of Indochina “may have been irreversibly destroyed” by the war in InHnrhinq, — ' SpeaHirig on th£ "Ecological ILttects of the War in Indochina,” Pfeiffer said the ecology of Indochina is being changed by three different methods. He told the audience of more than 50 people in 180 PLC audience TheOire three methods invl herbicides, bulldozers and “high explosive bombs usually delivered by B-52’s.” Pfeiffer, who has visited Indochina three times in the last three years, said the use of herbicides has been “Curtailed” through efforts of scientists; but an “in credible aftermath” has already occurred. He said herbicides destroyed more than 6.5 billion board feet of trees, caused an increase of stillbirths among Vietnamese babies and destroyed enough rice to feed 800,000 people for a year. Pfeiffer reported he participated in a raid where planes were dumping “agent orange” on areas at 12 times the allowed maximum in the United States. He ex plained “agent orange” was probably 2-4 D or 2-4-5-T. Three times the bomb tonnage used in World War II has been dropped on an area the size of New England in the Indochina war according to Pfeiffer. He said the tonnage of bombs used in 1971 was the “same as the peak period of bombing by President Johnson.” Pfeiffer said the bombing had caused more than “20 million craters on the face of South Vietnam,” and most of these craters were 30 to 40 feet wide and 20 feet deep. However, Pfeiffer said fhe United States has started using a bomb called the “Daisy Cutter” which had a lethal zone of 1,000 meters and cleared an area “bigger than a football field.” Pfeiffer explained a lethal zone was an area in which everything was Pfeiffer said the bomb causes a ushroom cloud 6,000 feet high and was ostly used to create landslides or destroy enemy missle sites, and probably had been used to destroy whole villages. 150 bulldozers are working daily and have “cleared an area the size of Rhode Island,” said Pfeiffer. These bulldozers are called “Rome plows” and have been “totally dzvastating ecologically,” ac cording to the zoologist. The bulldozers are capable of “knocking out forests of trees two to three feet thick.” The three methods of destruction are “turning once valuable hardwood forests into bamboo thickets,” said Pfeiffer. He added Saigon used to get much of its fuel killed. from amngrove trees, but that has been destroyed. Until the May 1970 invasion of Cam bodia, said Pfeiffer, that country was the second largest producer of rubber in the world. He said now Cambodia produces no rubber at all. When President Nixon announced the invasion of Cambodia he pointed out the location of a major Viet Cong headquar ters in Cambodia on a map according to Pfeiffer. “President Nixon lied when he said that rubber plantation was a major headquarters.” Pfeiffer siad he had slept at the rubber plantation five months earlier with some Cambodian military officers. “He must have known he was lying to the American people.” Ecology group sponsors ‘Bring-a-lhon’ drive A drive to encourage more participation in the Begin Recycling in Natural Groups (BRING) center is planned for April 22, Earth Day. The drive, called Bring-A-Thon, is patterend after a recent Walk-A-Thon, ac cording to Peter Thurston of BRING. He said BRING “hopes to make it an annual event.” He said persons could participate in the Bring-A-Thon in four ways. The first is collectors. These would collect glass and metal and bring it to collection points “all over town” April 22, said Thurston. Collection points will be located at Adams, Condon, Edgewood, Patterson and Willard Elementary Schools and at Kelly, Kennedy, Madison Roosevelt, Cal Young and Shasta Junior Highs. Collections points will also be at Thurston and Springfield High Schools. People may save and collect items to give to the collectors—the second way of participating, explained Thurston. A third way a person can be involved is as a donor. Thurston said donors could contribute money for items that are collected. The final way a person could help the Bring-A-Thon is by “working at the warehouse,” says Thurston. He said many people would be needed to handle “the tremendous load.” Grand Opening Sale Columbia Masterworks Including the following artists: Laonard Bornstoin and tha Naw York Philharmonic Orchattra Eugene Ormandy and tha Philadelphia Orchestra George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra E. Power Biggs Mormon Tahernaole Choir Isaac Stern Zino Franoosoattl Reg. *4S# NOW $375 Storewide Sale — All records 50* off our price. Happening non at CHryStolsIlip 164 W. Broadway 342-6932 in onr new location O'm daily uatil 10 tM. melwdiac Suaday*.
