Pt 1: "Orangefest" In Northern Ireland- The CBC's Don Murray filed a report on July 13th, 1998, at the height of the Drumcree stand-off in Northern Ireland, when violent clashes broke out between Protestants and Catholics during the country's traditional marching season.

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Pt 2: Green Plastic - Plastic is pretty much an unavoidable part of life in the 21st century, found in everything from airplane wings and surgical utensils to children's toys and disposable shopping bags. Of course, a lot of that plastic eventually ends up clogging up a landfill somewhere.

Read more here

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Today's guest host was Jim Brown.


Satire

It's Friday, July 11th.

Reverend Jesse Jackson has apologized for saying he wants to cut off Barack Obama's testicles.

Currently, The Rainbow-Push Coalition would also like to extend an apology to several of its constituent members ... specifically Eunuchs for Progressive Change, The Justice for Lorena Bobbitt Committee and Testicular Cancer Survivors for a New America.

This is The Current.

"Orangefest" In Northern Ireland

Orange Order

The CBC's Don Murray filed a report on July 13th, 1998, at the height of the Drumcree stand-off in Northern Ireland, when violent clashes broke out between Protestants and Catholics during the country's traditional marching season.

On the weekend of July 12, 2008, the peak arrived again, as Protestants marked the anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne on July 12th, 1690, the day King William of Orange defeated the Catholic King James to maintain Protestant supremacy in Ireland. For years, marching season routinely ended in riots, sectarian violence and even deaths.

But according to brochures from Ireland's Tourist authority, that's all ancient history. July 12th will henceforth be known as "Orangefest," a "family-friendly pageant" with a "carnival atmosphere." The tourist authority teamed up with the Protestant Orange Order to re-brand the marching season and harness its potential to attract tourists. And for the first time, the 2008 Orange Parade was even scheduled to include cross-community themed floats.

David Hume, Director of Services with the Orange Order, joined us from Belfast.


Gerry Adams

According to some observers, there are plenty of reasons why the Orange Order might be keen to re-brand July 12th, including the need to update the image of the order itself. Marie Breen Smyth, Director of the Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Contemporary Political Violence at Aberystwyth University in Wales, offered her thoughts about what might have motivated the Orange Order.

We also heard from Tony Kennedy, the CEO of Cooperation Ireland.

Of course it takes two to reconcile. So we thought we'd ask Gerry Adams what he thinks of Orangefest. He's the President of Sinn Fein and a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Belfast West.

Listen to Part One:

 

Green Plastic

Ocean Researchers

Plastic is pretty much an unavoidable part of life in the 21st century, found in everything from airplane wings and surgical utensils to children's toys and disposable shopping bags. Of course, a lot of that plastic eventually ends up clogging up a landfill somewhere. Or the middle of the Pacific Ocean, where discarded plastic from all corners of the earth has found its way to something called the North West Gyre. That's where Dr. Marcus Eriksen and his fellow researcher Joel Paschal were crossing the Pacific Ocean on a raft made of plastic bottles. Dr. Eriksen is the Director of Research and Education with the Algalita Marine Research Foundation and we spoke to him from his raft via satellite phone.

Skeptic

Compared to what has been actually used, visions of plastic alternatives all sound pretty exciting. But according to Tillman Gerngross, they probably won't make much difference and might even do more harm than good. He teaches engineering at Dartmouth College and he joined us from Hanover, New Hampshire.


Researcher

Dr. Marcus Eriksen, Director of Research and Education with the Algalita Marine Research Foundation in Long Beach, California, challenged Jim Brown, summer host of The Current, to try to go without plastic for a week.

We wanted to extend that challenge to our listeners as well. We dare you to go a day, or two days, or even the whole week without picking up any new disposable plastic.

And let us know how it goes! Click here to contact us.


Listen to Part Two: