Would climate disruption fuel instability? Would drought and storms make conflicts more violent and prolonged? The link between ecological and humanitarian catastrophes has been brought to light by recent events. An article in The Economist cites UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon’s recent speech, which identifies the Darfur disaster as “’an ecological crisis, arising at least in part from climate change’’ (2010). As a result, scientists are gradually linking the two contrasting knowledge systems.
According to the article, “Climate Wars: Security and the Environment,” scientists working for the 2013 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report are including a special chapter dedicated to threats on human security (The Economist 2010). Furthermore, an ongoing argument about the correlation between temperature rise and risks of war associated with crop failures in Africa has been considered (The Economist 2010).
These trends show that our policy-makers are shifting from a mindset that puts climate disruption as an issue of “nature” into a holistic framework that puts it as an issue of both “nature and human culture.” Systemic thinking, which we urgently need, is developing. Quantifying the changes that will occur and putting as many numerical and social variables as possible into our projection of the future is definitely on its way. Nevertheless, with our current level of knowledge, meteorological measurements take time to translate themselves into human terms. People, after all, react to different environments in different ways. So, what can we do now when it comes to climate disruption?
Ensuring that the rights to water and food are protected and making sure that available resources are used for peaceful purposes will certainly allow our children and grandchildren to live without fear of large-scale conflicts. Instilling a sense of urgency to provide safety nets to the least-developed countries is what we need immediately.
Thus, while our experts are forging their way to describing and solving the human experience in a formula, we know what to do.
References
“Security and the Environment: Climate Wars.” The Economist. July 10th – 16th, 2010. p. 59-60
I think this new shift in mindset is absolutely necessary, especially when considering how fast humans are exploiting finite resources on Earth. Furthermore, I agree that we need to take action while this new paradigm is being developed. Unfortunately, protecting water, food, and distributing resources for good purposes is easier said than done. For example, in places like Nigeria, rampant corruption in the government frequently hinders any attempts to improve society. Therefore, in order for us to achieve helpful goals, I think we should be thinking about how to change governments in the long run so that they are able to perform adequately in serving its people.