5.18. Martin Luther once said that any war was ‘the greatest plague that

can afflict humanity; it destroys religion … states … families.” But

some people say that ‘combat and life are identical, for when the will

to fight is gone, so is life itself” (Oswald Spengler). What do you think

about these points of view? Which one do you agree with? Why?

5.19. A) Wars usually bring devastation at least to one of the parties of the

conflict, but not all countries of the Third World are war-stricken at

the moment, though their population suffer from hunger, thirst, and

poor sanitation resulting in diseases and early deaths. A number of

organizations are trying to help poor people nowadays through using

new technologies. What do you think about the role of technology in

alleviating poverty? Can this and the related problems be solved only

through applying new highly-technological ideas?

b) Work with a partner. Look at the paragraphs below and decide

which of these solutions are being described.

growing high-yield crops	biological control of pests
alternative energy sources	practical preventive measures

A:	A recent survey showed that 60% of Masai children suffer from trachoma. One way it can be spread is by the use of polluted water or communal water already used by people with the disease. Flies are the main carrier, lured by the milk around a child’s lips and nose. An empty tin with a small hole in the bottom is a simple way to combat the problem. A cupful of clean water is poured into the tin. Children then use drops of clean, uncontaminated water to wash their eyes.
B:	Agricultural experts have developed a new prolific variety of cassava, but, unlike Asia’s wheat and rice, the cassava needs no fertiliser or irrigation. The plant has long roots that tap soil moisture deep in the ground, helping it to survive in the droughts that have become common in Africa.
C:	The greyback beetle is a serious threat to sugar-cane crops throughout the world. We depend on cane as the raw material from which sugar is made. Marine toads were originally brought over to Puerto Rico and the West Indies in the 19^th century to control the beetles and other sugar-cane pests. When the toad was introduced into Australia, it soon posed a threat to Australian wildlife. Native species were displaced, and lizards, snakes, koalas and even crocodiles were attacked.
D:	The technical experts and the politicians agree that the barren, windswept cliffs of Scotland are ideal sites for the huge wind turbines which will help to meet Britain’s growing need for power. Some even argue that the scale, shape and motion of the turbines will improve the environment in the same way that a beautiful statue enhances a garden. Locals, like Jim Campbell, are not convinced: “I can see that one of these things on its own might look good to some people, but when you get a hundred of them threshing away then it’s just an eyesore.”

c) What are the benefits and drawbacks of the solutions in each of the

situations described?

d) Think of any other solutions, for example antibiotics, which could

be used instead of the solutions described in A-D? Which solutions look

more preferable?

2.8.