📄 Article 5: Agent Orange

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irreversible. The natural habitat of tigers, elephants, bears and leopards were changed for good. Some parts of central and southern Vietnam were already exposed to rough weather events, like frequent typhoons, flooding and droughts. Soon these places faced nutrient loss in their soil. This, in turn, has caused erosion, killing forests along rivers. As a result, flooding has gotten worse in numerous areas. Some of these areas also happen to be very poor and, these days, home to many Agent Orange victims. **War propaganda and delayed justice** During Operation Ranch Hand, the U.S. and South Vietnamese governments claimed these plant poisons were safe for humans and the environment. The U.S. presented stories in the media where people happily applied these herbicides to their skin without concern. One prominent comic strip featured a character named Brother Nam. He explained that the poison only hurt plants "and normally does not cause harm to people, livestock, land or the drinking water of our compatriots." It's clear now that this is false. Allegedly, chemical manufacturers had informed the U.S. military that Agent Orange was toxic. Spraying went forward anyway. Today, Agent Orange has become a major legal and political issue. From 2005 to 2015, more than 200,000 Vietnamese victims suffering from certain diseases and afflictions were eligible to be paid money through a government program. U.S. companies, including Monsanto and Dow Chemical, believe that the governments involved in the war should be the ones to compensate Agent Orange victims. In 2004, a Vietnamese group attempted to sue some 30 companies for making Agent Orange. The case was dismissed in 2005 by a New York court. Many American victims, though, have won millions of dollars from suing makers of the chemical, including Dow, in 1984 and 2012. Meanwhile, the U.S. government recently set aside more than $13 billion to fund expanded Agent Orange-related health services in America. No such plan is in store in Vietnam. It is unlikely that the U.S. will admit fault for the horrors Agent Orange unleashed in Vietnam. To do so would set an unwelcome standard, as the U.S. and its allies could possibly be sued for their other actions during times of war. As a result, nobody has officially taken the blame yet for the suffering of Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange. *Jason von Meding is a professor at the University of Newcastle, Australia.* *Hang Thai T.M. is a researcher in Hanoi, Vietnam.* Wikimedia. [click to enlarge] Image 3. Brother Nam assured readers that herbicides were safe. Image from public domain. [click to enlarge] This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

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不可逆转。老虎、大象、熊和豹子的自然栖息地被永久改变了。 越南中部和南部的一些地区原本就经常遭受恶劣天气事件的影响，例如频繁的台风、洪水和干旱。很快，这些地方的土壤面临养分流失。这反过来又导致了水土流失，摧毁了沿河的森林。结果，许多地区的洪灾变得更加严重。其中一些地区也恰好非常贫困，并且如今是许多橙剂受害者的家园。 **战争宣传与迟来的正义** 在“牧场手行动”期间，美国和南越政府声称这些植物毒剂对人类和环境是安全的。美国在媒体上发布报道，称人们可以毫无顾虑地将这些除草剂涂抹在皮肤上。 一部著名的连环漫画中有一个名叫“南哥”的角色。他解释说，这种毒剂只会伤害植物，“通常不会对人民、牲畜、土地或我们同胞的饮用水造成伤害。”现在很清楚，这是虚假的。据称，化学品制造商曾告知美国军方橙剂有毒。然而，喷洒行动仍然继续进行。 如今，橙剂已成为一个重大的法律和政治问题。从2005年到2015年，超过20万名患有特定疾病和痛苦的越南受害者有资格通过一项政府计划获得赔偿。 包括孟山都和陶氏化学在内的美国公司认为，参与战争的政府应该负责赔偿橙剂受害者。2004年，一个越南团体试图起诉约30家生产橙剂的公司。该案件于2005年被纽约一家法院驳回。 然而，许多美国受害者在1984年和2012年通过起诉包括陶氏在内的化学品制造商，赢得了数百万美元的赔偿。与此同时，美国政府最近拨出超过130亿美元，用于资助美国境内扩大的橙剂相关医疗服务。在越南，却没有这样的计划。 美国不太可能承认对橙剂在越南造成的恐怖后果负有责任。这样做将树立一个不受欢迎的先例，因为美国及其盟友可能会因其在战争期间的其他行为而被起诉。因此，目前还没有人正式为橙剂越南受害者的苦难承担责任。 *杰森·冯·梅丁是澳大利亚纽卡斯尔大学的教授。* *杭泰T.M.是越南河内的一名研究员。* 维基媒体。[点击放大] 图片3：南哥向读者保证除草剂是安全的。图片来自公共领域。[点击放大] 本文可在 https://newsela.com 上以5种阅读级别获取。

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The U.S. military intentionally destroyed crops and disrupted rice growing that the Viet Cong relied on. About 12 million gallons of the poison spray was Agent Orange, which contains the toxic compound dioxin. It has unleashed an environmental and health disaster in Vietnam, and its impacts are still being felt today. The horrible legacy of this chemical warfare has yet to be faced honestly. **Vietnam's half-century of disaster** U.S. chemical warfare in Vietnam exposed an estimated 2.1 to 4.8 million Vietnamese people to Agent Orange. This release of Agent Orange over central and south Vietnam poisoned the soil, river systems, lakes and rice paddies of Vietnam. It brought toxic chemicals into the food chain. Vietnamese people weren't the only ones poisoned by Agent Orange. U.S. soldiers, unaware of the dangers, sometimes showered in the empty 55-gallon drums. They used them to store food and as barbecue pits. Agent Orange did not affect its victims immediately. At first, there were noticeably high rates of cancer among both U.S. soldiers and Vietnam residents. But then the children were born. It is estimated that tens of thousands of people have suffered serious birth defects from the poison, including physical and mental disabilities and missing or deformed limbs. The effects of the chemical are passed from one generation to the next. **A legacy of environmental devastation** Over 10 years, U.S. aircraft targeted 4.5 million acres across 30 different provinces, or areas, in Vietnam. Some locations were sprayed multiple times. Toxic hot spots also remain at several former U.S. air force bases. Research in those areas is limited. One study was canceled in 2005 due to a reported "lack of mutual understanding" between the U.S. and the Vietnamese governments. Still, evidence suggests that the heavily polluted soil and water in these locations haven't recovered. The dangerous quantity of leftover dioxin thwarts the normal growth of crops and trees, while continuing to poison the food chain. Nearly 50 percent of the country's mangroves were destroyed. These strong-rooted plants help protect shorelines from typhoons and tsunamis. On a positive note, the Vietnamese government and some organizations are restoring this critical landscape. The U.S. and Vietnam are also working to fix the contaminated soil and water. The destruction of Vietnamese forests, however, is Aerial herbicide spray missions in southern Viet Nam, 1965 to 1971 (Source: U.S. Dept. of the Army). [MAP IMAGE] LEGEND Approximate boundaries of U.S. Corps Tactical Zones Provincial boundaries Areas sprayed with herbicide spray programs (1965 - 1969) Quang Tri A Luoi Hue Da Nang Corps Tactical Zone I Corps Tactical Zone II Corps Tactical Zone III Corps Tactical Zone IV Rung Sat Ca Mau 0 50 100 150 200 km Scale Image 1. Areas in central and southern Vietnam sprayed with Agent Orange. Map: U.S. Department of the Army. [click to enlarge] [PHOTO IMAGE 1] [PHOTO IMAGE 2] Image 2. Mangrove forest shown before and after a chemical attack. Photo from This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

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美军蓄意破坏了越共赖以生存的农作物和水稻种植。其中约1200万加仑的毒剂是橙剂，它含有剧毒化合物二噁英。橙剂在越南引发了一场环境和健康灾难，其影响至今仍在。这场化学战的可怕遗留问题尚未得到诚实面对。 **越南半个世纪的灾难** 美军在越南的化学战导致估计有210万至480万越南人接触到橙剂。橙剂在中越和南越的释放污染了越南的土壤、河流系统、湖泊和稻田。它将有毒化学物质带入了食物链。 越南人并非是唯一受橙剂毒害的群体。不知情的美国士兵有时会在空的55加仑桶里洗澡。他们还用这些桶来储存食物和作为烧烤炉。 橙剂并未立即影响其受害者。最初，美国士兵和越南居民的癌症发病率明显偏高。但随后，孩子们出生了。估计有数万人因这种毒剂而遭受严重的出生缺陷，包括身体和精神残疾，以及肢体缺失或畸形。这种化学物质的影响代代相传。 **环境破坏的遗留问题** 在超过10年的时间里，美国飞机在越南30个不同的省份或地区喷洒了450万英亩的土地。有些地方被多次喷洒。几个前美国空军基地也仍然存在有毒热点。 这些地区的研究有限。2005年，一项研究因据称美越两国政府之间“缺乏相互理解”而被取消。尽管如此，证据表明这些地区受到严重污染的土壤和水尚未恢复。 残留的危险剂量的二噁英阻碍了农作物和树木的正常生长，同时继续毒害食物链。该国近50%的红树林被毁。这些根系发达的植物有助于保护海岸线免受台风和海啸的侵袭。 值得欣慰的是，越南政府和一些组织正在恢复这一重要的生态景观。美国和越南也在努力修复受污染的土壤和水。然而，越南森林的破坏是 1965年至1971年越南南部空中除草剂喷洒任务（来源：美国陆军部）。 **图例** 美军战术区大致边界 省界 实施除草剂喷洒计划的区域（1965-1969） 广治 阿卢奥伊 顺化 岘港 第一战术区 第二战术区 第三战术区 第四战术区 隆城 金瓯 0 50 100 150 200 公里 比例尺 图1. 越南中部和南部被橙剂喷洒的区域。地图：美国陆军部。[点击放大] 图2. 化学袭击前后红树林对比照片。照片来源：

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newsela How Agent Orange Unleashed a Slow-Moving Disaster in Vietnam By The Conversation, adapted by Newsela staff on 12.04.17 Word Count 949 Level 1030L Unlike napalm, which immediately burned its victims, Agent Orange kills slowly over time, its effects passed down through generations. A soldier is shown here spraying Agent Orange in a field. Photo by: U.S. Army Operations in Vietnam R.W. Trewyn, Ph.D/Wikimedia. During the Vietnam War, the communist Viet Cong troops often hid behind plants and trees. The U.S. targeted these troops in a military campaign called Operation Ranch Hand. From 1961 to 1971, the United States sprayed nearly 20 million gallons of chemicals to strip away the vegetation. Back then, Vietnam was divided into North and South Vietnam. The U.S. and the south were at war with the communist government in the north. They were also fighting the Viet Cong, also known as the National Liberation Front. This was a group from South Vietnam that worked with North Vietnamese forces. The Viet Cong wanted to unify North and South Vietnam under a communist government. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

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Newsela 橙剂如何在越南引发一场缓慢发生的灾难 作者：《对话》，Newsela工作人员于2017年12月4日改编 字数 949 阅读水平 1030L 与立即烧伤受害者的凝固汽油弹不同，橙剂则会随着时间缓慢致人死亡，其影响甚至会代代相传。图中显示一名士兵正在田间喷洒橙剂。图片来源：美国陆军在越南的行动 R.W. Trewyn 博士/维基媒体。 越南战争期间，共产主义的越共部队经常躲藏在植物和树木后面。美国在名为“牧场手行动”的军事行动中以这些部队为目标。从1961年到1971年，美国喷洒了近2000万加仑的化学品，以清除植被。 当时，越南分为北越和南越。美国和南越与北方的共产主义政府交战。他们还在与越共作战，越共也被称为民族解放阵线。这是一个来自南越的团体，与北越军队合作。越共希望在共产主义政府的领导下统一北越和南越。 本文有5个阅读级别可供选择，网址为 https://newsela.com。