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C. W. Ayre
does not break down, except in the form of almost countless pieces of microplastics.
Henderson Island in the Pitcairn group is a good example of the problem. Henderson
is a remote and uninhabited coral atoll, and is a UNESCO World Heritage site; but
on-going research by Jennifer Lavers of the University of Tasmania has revealed
estimates in 2017 of nearly 38 million pieces of plastic weighing a total of 17.6
tonnes on the island, which “accounts for only 1.98 s worth of the global production
of plastic” (Lavers and Bond 2017, p. 6055). The research further shows that the
problem is exacerbated by the fact that some debris becomes buried just below the
surface or is reduced to microscopic particles. Either way, those particles are seriously
damaging to wildlife. This waste material thus successfully catches up the Pacific
Islands in a global problem over which the people have little influence, and which
impacts significantly on their traditional way of life.
A third issue, which in part rises out of the waste problem, relates to impacts on
fish stocks and fishing in terms of a traditional lifestyle, in addition to significant
disruption of agriculture in some areas. There are various aspects to the crisis; for
example, when microscopic plastic waste is eaten by fish or other marine life on which
many islanders depend, the risk both to the fish and to human health is magnified. In
his chapter on “Climate Change and Food Security in the Pacific Islands”, Barnett
(2020) provides a useful summary of the way in which a range of inter-related issues
are involved, including impacts on tourism and increased cyclonic activity. There is
clearly much more that could be said about these matters; but it is also clear that
when taken together, the combined and compounding impact of global warming, sea
level rises, and ocean waste becomes hugely significant in the lives of Pacific Islands
people.
Pacific Mission, History and Culture
While it is not necessary to review the whole history of 18th and 19th century
Christian mission in the Pacific region, it is nevertheless an integral part of the
current situation, both in a positive and a less than positive sense. From a traditional
Western Christian perspective, some may view this history with a sense of pride.
However, with the Faith also came the baggage of Western colonialism.
In a personal communication, Morrison observed that “Some Pacific countries
have fairly ambivalent attitudes towards the missionary movement of a couple of
centuries ago. On the one hand, the earliest missionaries are generally revered because
they are the ones who brought the gospel and established Christianity. At the same
time, Morrison notes that it is not unusual for some people in the church to express the
point of view that ‘the missionaries destroyed my culture’. This means that … there
can be quite a hiatus between someone’s expression of faith and the more modern
issues that need to be dealt with”.
A complicating factor is that, like many other cultures around the world, there
is also the problem of globalisation to be dealt with. In part, that may emerge as a
consequence of tourism; but even more, like their peers in many parts of the globe,
C. W. Ayre
does not break down, except in the form of almost countless pieces of microplastics.
Henderson Island in the Pitcairn group is a good example of the problem. Henderson
is a remote and uninhabited coral atoll, and is a UNESCO World Heritage site; but
on-going research by Jennifer Lavers of the University of Tasmania has revealed
estimates in 2017 of nearly 38 million pieces of plastic weighing a total of 17.6
tonnes on the island, which “accounts for only 1.98 s worth of the global production
of plastic” (Lavers and Bond 2017, p. 6055). The research further shows that the
problem is exacerbated by the fact that some debris becomes buried just below the
surface or is reduced to microscopic particles. Either way, those particles are seriously
damaging to wildlife. This waste material thus successfully catches up the Pacific
Islands in a global problem over which the people have little influence, and which
impacts significantly on their traditional way of life.
A third issue, which in part rises out of the waste problem, relates to impacts on
fish stocks and fishing in terms of a traditional lifestyle, in addition to significant
disruption of agriculture in some areas. There are various aspects to the crisis; for
example, when microscopic plastic waste is eaten by fish or other marine life on which
many islanders depend, the risk both to the fish and to human health is magnified. In
his chapter on “Climate Change and Food Security in the Pacific Islands”, Barnett
(2020) provides a useful summary of the way in which a range of inter-related issues
are involved, including impacts on tourism and increased cyclonic activity. There is
clearly much more that could be said about these matters; but it is also clear that
when taken together, the combined and compounding impact of global warming, sea
level rises, and ocean waste becomes hugely significant in the lives of Pacific Islands
people.
Pacific Mission, History and Culture
While it is not necessary to review the whole history of 18th and 19th century
Christian mission in the Pacific region, it is nevertheless an integral part of the
current situation, both in a positive and a less than positive sense. From a traditional
Western Christian perspective, some may view this history with a sense of pride.
However, with the Faith also came the baggage of Western colonialism.
In a personal communication, Morrison observed that “Some Pacific countries
have fairly ambivalent attitudes towards the missionary movement of a couple of
centuries ago. On the one hand, the earliest missionaries are generally revered because
they are the ones who brought the gospel and established Christianity. At the same
time, Morrison notes that it is not unusual for some people in the church to express the
point of view that ‘the missionaries destroyed my culture’. This means that … there
can be quite a hiatus between someone’s expression of faith and the more modern
issues that need to be dealt with”.
A complicating factor is that, like many other cultures around the world, there
is also the problem of globalisation to be dealt with. In part, that may emerge as a
consequence of tourism; but even more, like their peers in many parts of the globe,