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What is the status of the land mines issue popularized
by Princess Diana and Paul McCartney’s ex-wife, Heather Mills?
Land mines were first widely used in World War II and
have since been used in Vietnam, the Korean War, the first Gulf War, and in
about a half-dozen conflicts around the world today. Initially mines were
used for defensive purposes, to guard certain areas, and to keep the enemy
out. Today they are used for more insidious reasons, such as to terrorize
civilians and limit their movement. Many, of course, also remain from past
wars and continue to unintentionally kill or maim civilians, including many
children. Today an estimated 110 million mines are still
scattered around the world in 78 countries, injuring or killing upwards of
26,000 people each year. According to a recent United Nations study, the
countries most affected by mines are Afghanistan, Angola,
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cambodia, Croatia, Eritrea, Iraq, Mozambique, Namibia,
Somalia, Nicaragua, and Sudan. The landmines in these countries make up
almost 50 percent of all mines deployed in the world today. These have prompted outcries from concerned people
all over the world. Organizations such as the International Campaign to Ban
Landmines and Adopt-A-Minefield work to both rid the world of these weapons
and to aid those injured by them. In the last decade, such organizations
have spearheaded the destruction of as many as 30.5 million mines. Their
work has also led to such a dramatic decrease in the mine trade worldwide
that, since 2003, the manufacture and sale of mines has essentially ended
(or at least no evidence exists that any trade in mines is still going on).
In addition, Costa Rica, Djibouti, El Salvador, Kosovo, and Moldova have
all been declared “mine safe” as of 2004. The U.N. itself does more than conduct studies and
issue reports. Some 14 different U.N. departments, agencies, and programs
work on demining efforts in some 30 countries. The actual work is done by
nongovernmental organizations and various military entities employing
commercial contractors. Many intergovernmental and charitable organizations
also support the U.N.’s efforts with financial assistance. Many rather low-tech methods are used to detect and
destroy mines. In Denmark, for instance, scientists have genetically
modified thale cress, a fast-growing green plant from the mustard family,
to turn red whenever its roots are exposed to nitrogen dioxide, a gas
released into soil by degrading mines. The Danish company Aresa
Biodetection works with governments around the world to sow fields with the
plant in areas plagued by mine problems. In another example, Colombian
researchers have trained rats to freeze when they encounter mines in the
ground. Because rats weigh so little, they don’t trigger explosions. In December 1997 an international conference held in
Ottawa, Ontario, yielded the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use,
Stockpiling, Production, and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their
Destruction, otherwise known as the Mine Ban Treaty. The treaty was
formalized in March 1999, when 122 countries became signatories. The
international treaty works to prevent mine use, production and trade;
assist victims; and destroy existing mines.
For more information:
Adopt-A-Minefield, www.landmines.org; International Campaign to Ban
Landmines, www.icbl.org; Mine Ban Treaty; www.icbl.org/treaty.
Send questions to Earth Talk, care of E/The Environmental Magazine,
P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881 or e-mail earthtalk@emagazine.com.
This article appears in Sep 6-12, 2007.
