Spring 2011 Newsletter Vol III Issue III.Pub
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE ~ TUFTS UNIVERSITY NEWS AND EVENTS VOLUME III, ISSUE III SPRING 2011 APAN S EW ORLD IS UR EW ORLD OO J ’ N W O N W , T INSIDE THIS ISSUE: BY NANCY GLEASON The impacts of Japan’s 9.0 country is also grappling disaster in a time when JAPAN’S NEW WORLD 2 Töhoku Eathquake and with severe damage sus- more frequent and intense CONTINIUED following tsunami are still tained to the Fukushima weather events are antici- unfolding. What we do Nuclear Power Facility and pated due to climate LAS JUSTICIAS DE PAZ 3 know is, as of March 28, the subsequent radiation change? IN PERU 2011, 10,901 people have contamination in water sup- CONTINUED been confirmed dead and plies and now the food The environmental impacts of large-scale disasters are 17,649 people are listed as chain. The Japanese are A RESEARCH DAY ON 3 missing. Some 2,272 people traditionally a resilient and not often covered in front- SUSTAINABILITY are reported as injured. stoic society of hard work- page news because the toll Countless personal items, ing people. Their society of human lives lost is so devastating and the eco- memories, and community will recover with time, per- JAPAN’S NEW WORLD 4 histories have been buried severance, and the world’s nomic costs of recovery are CONTINUED amongst the rubble of toxic help. But what of the envi- daunting. Another reason sludge, boats, homes, and ronmental impacts of this these impacts are underre- ported is because environ- infrastructure pieces. To three-part catastrophe? FORMER PS MAJOR, 5 add to the unimaginable What do these impacts say mental impacts are not part DAVID LIBARDONI, scale of destruction the about our vulnerabilities to of the economic balance RETURNS TO BOSTON Continued on page 2 ALUMNI-STUDENT 5 OUTREACH EVENT POLITICAL SCIENCE MAJOR & ELLOT AWARD WINNER ANDY O’LAUGHLIN RESEARCHES STUDENT RESEARCH 6 “LAS JUSTICIAS DE PAZ IN PERU” BRIEFING SERIES Political Science major and of Political Science. “Clearly something has gone senior, Andy O’Laughlin is wrong in the Peruvian judi- “Las Justicias de Paz in Peru” UMAN IGHTS this year’s Elliot Award ciary,” writes O’Laughlin. H R 6 examines a “1994 survey PROGRAM Winner. In addition, his conducted by the World O’Laughlin’s intention is to senior thesis, “Finding Jus- Bank that concluded 96% of ask the simple question: Can tice: Latin American Judi- MIREES PROGRAMME 6 the population in Peru lacks we do better? He doesn’t cial Reform Through the confidence in Judges and claim to have found the Eyes of the People’s Courts 86% has either little or no answer, nor “claim to have for Peace, Las Justicias de Paz confidence in the overall succeeded where countless in Peru” will become the IN THE NEWS 6 administration of justice think tanks, NGOs, com- second Student Research (1).” missions, reports, advisors, Briefing for the Department continued on page 3 PAGE 2 NEWS AND EVENTS JAPAN’S NEW WORLD IS OUR NEW WORLD, TOO CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 sheet and they are very diffi- facing these same issues in the these all too well given the culty to quantify. But they are coming weeks and months. nuclear bomb explosions at the nonetheless important, as en- end of World War II in Environmental Impacts of “AS TSUNAMI vironmental impacts are the Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We a Tsunami aspects of earthquakes and know that since March 11th, WAV E S RETREAT tsunamis that can be felt for Tsunamis are remarkable hundreds of people have been generations. forces of nature. They move exposed to radiation, THEY TAKE everything in their path and fortunately at tolerable levels Environmental Impacts of their environmental impact is thus far. At intolerable levels WITH THEM the Earthquake profound. Ocean salt seeps initial impacts of the radiation THE The Tõhoku Earthquake of into fresh water supplies. on humans include nausea, March 11th released a massive Salination of water supplies fatigue, and vomiting. More POLLUTANTS burst of energy. Immediate can affect fresh water serious exposures involve hair geophysical changes caused by ecosystems in the rivers and loss, diarrhea and the AND NATURAL the earthquake include shifting lakes and harm food disintegration of the intestinal the Earth’s axis by several production. Many fresh water lining. For those who survive ENDOWMENTS inches, the northern section of species are negatively and go on to have children, Japan jumped nearly 8 feet impacted by the invasion of there is a high likelihood that WE HAVE ON closer to north America, and saltwater into their habitat. they will spawn deformed and according to some sources the Finally, great damage is done sick children as a result of the LAND. IN quake actually increased the to the marine environment as radiation. Similarly, wildlife is earth’s rotation and shortened well. As the Tsunami waves made sick from radiation and SOME CASES our days by several retreat they take with them the often die on land, in the ocean, microseconds. pollutants and natural and in the air. These impacts THIS CAN Environmentally, earthquakes endowments we have on land. are long-term, lasting many destroy the ecosystems and In some cases this can cause hundreds of years. CAUSE habitats of many different nitrogen from farms to collect The most powerful impact of species. Furthermore, at high levels in the ocean NITROGEN the Fukushima fallout may be earthquakes can cause which allows for red tide and political. Prior to March 11th landslides and aftershocks that algae to bloom. Yet, in terms FROM FARMS nuclear energy was facing a cover homes and effect of fish stocks, we can usually resurgence as developed agricultural land, water see an improvement after TO COLLECT AT nations scramble to lower sources and sewage systems. tsunamis because local fishing their carbon footprint. Nuclear The most imposing fleets, and sometimes the HIGH LEVELS power does not emit any environmental impact of an people who have operated carbon dioxide and is viewed earthquake is the toxic piles of them, have all been washed IN THE OCEAN as a valuable alternative to rubble and debris it leaves away. Of course, the marine fossil fuel energy. However, WHICH behind. Cleaning up the pollution in Japan is now security concerns over nuclear discarded building rubble can facing the daunting realization pwer are racing to the ALLOWS FOR be a major hazard. There are of radioactive contamination. forefront of the debate once ethical and logistical challenges Environmental Impacts of again. Those who prefer RED TIDE AND to relocating millions of tons the Fallout of the pursuing other types of energy of destroyed infrastructure. Fukushima Power Plant argue that nuclear power ALGAE TO For example, after hurricane plants are simply not stable Katrina, there were thousands The well-known impacts of a and therefore are a major BLOOM.” of refrigerators filled with nuclear accident include the rotten food and no where to negative effects of radiation. Continued page 4 dispense them. Japan will be Unfortunately, Japan knows PAGE 3 NEWS AND EVENTS “LAS JUSTICIAS DE PAZ IN PERU” Continues from page 1 reach of justice. In a society academic excellence with Award, he was invited to articles, and books have that is increasingly torn be- active participation and effec- join the Phi Beta kappa hon- failed. Yet, at the same time, tween past and future they are tive leadership on campus and ors society. the natural interlocutors. They civic affairs. the analysis would hardly be When asked what his plans are the architects of the new worth the paper on which it Andy is a senior from Car- are for the summer, sort of jurisprudence —a new is printed if I did not believe lisle, MA with a double major O’Laughin replied, approach to dispute resolution that there was something in Political Science and Inter- “spending my summer on that reconciles the customs and unique —I hope even national Relations. He spent the beach doing absolutely traditions of the past with the refreshing—about my par- his junior year abroad at Pem- nothing.” O’Laughin will demands of the present. They ticular set of answers to this broke College, Oxford where attend Harvard Law School are the Jueces de paz, the Pe- question,” says O’Laughlin. he studied, among other in the fall. ruvian “Justices of the peace.” things, Jurisprudence and “The reason I chose to focus By exploring their story I hope 1)World bank, No. 13718-PE, Latin American politics. His on Peruvian judicial reform to locate some of the false Peu: Judicial Secotr Assessment tutorials confirmed his inter- is that it offers us the turnings in the judicial reform 31 (1994). (2) Friday Dialogue, est in law, politics, and inter- glimpse of an alternative. movement that has come to Presencia (La Paz), July 22, national relations. 1994, at 2, translated in Justice Two out of every three assume such prominence in judges in Peru lack formal Minister Discusses Need for Peruvian politics and to point a In 2010 O’Laughin received Reform, F.B.I.S. Daily Rep.: legal educations. These fig- way forward for those who the International Relations ures generally come from Latin America, Aug. 29, 1994, seek to build an honest and Research Scholarship Award, at 49, 51. rural areas and are popularly effective judiciary that is wor- which enabled him to travel elected from among their thy of the confidence of those to Peru to conduct research “Finding Justice: Latin American communities. Their ability who look to it for justice.” on alternative methods of Judicial Reform Through the to negotiate a difficult gray dispute resolution within the Eyes of the People’s Courts for Andy O’Laughlin is this year’s area between the formal Peruvian judiciary.