Published: October 06, 2006    10:52 pm

Berea international award winner speaks at Harvard

Ronica Shannon
Register News Writer

The leader of a Berea-based environmental watchdog group spoke Tuesday to Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government about how environmental abuse and war are leading to the decline of basic human rights.

Craig Williams, director of the Chemical Weapons Working Group, was invited to speak because of his status as the 2006 North American recipient of the Goldman Environmental Prize.

Williams' topic expressed the common process of exploiting natural resources at the expense of the nation's people.

"Some intrinsic human rights include having clean air and water and having land that is fertile," Williams said. "Most people in America grow gardens as a hobby, but in the rest of the world, people grow food because that’Äôs how they survive."

War can leave behind an environmentally destructive trail that is contributing to deforestation and other harmful declines.

"In the case of Agent Orange and land mines, the result of war directly impacts the people's ability to provide for their families," he said. "The interconnection of conflict, environmental degradation and human rights becomes obvious when put into this context. Until we come to terms with this, we're not getting the big picture."

According to Andrew Simms, police director of the United Kingdom's new Economics Foundation, 50 million people worldwide will be displaced by 2010 because of rising sea levels, desertification, dried-up aquifers, weather-induced flooding and other serious environmental changes, Williams said.

"Most people don't realize that there are currently more refugees across the globe due to environmental problems than all conflicts occurring worldwide," he said. "The number one issue is clean water, or the lack thereof, to be specific."

Williams was asked to return to the JFK School of Government and continue his mission to spread education about the importance of keeping a healthy environment.

"This was quite an honor for me," he said. "It's gratifying to know that people are listening."

Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 623-1669, Ext. 234.