JourneyOnline
Members of the Uniting Church congregation in Mosman (Sydney) are protesting loudly against the plans for a joint US/Australian military exercise in Australian Wilderness areas in the middle of 2007.
Members have expressed their distress at the environmental impact of the exercises on the landscape and biodiversity of the wilderness regions being targeted, including the coastline north of Rockhampton.
Local spokesperson Jan Lovell said that as concerned citizens the congregation was protesting against the use of sovereign territory and fragile landscapes for destructive war exercises and bombing practice.
“There is no terrorism more frightening than the loss of the environment,” Ms Lovell said.
The Mosman Uniting Church congregation believes there is widespread ignorance amongst the general population about the impact on pristine parts of Australia’s wilderness and wildlife.
“It is never talked about in the media,” Ms Lovell said. “We at Mosman Uniting Church have taken up the role of whistle blower, in any way we can, on this latest assault on God’s creation.”
The congregation has also questioned the wisdom of Australian involvement in US defence initiatives.
We are concerned that this was planned under the auspices of Donald Rumsfeld the now discredited United States Secretary for Defence at a time when the US administration still believed that military might could conquer all,” Ms Lovell said.
“Now we know better.”
