Climate Change Essay Flashcards
Name the Key player in securitising climate change?
The UN as its primary concern is security
Give the period in which there was key growth in environmentalism
1960s and 1970s
What conference occurred in 1972?
The UN Conference on Environmental Security
Name the conference that occurred in 1992
UN Convention on Climate Change
Since the beginning of the 20thC how many times over has the world’s population increased by?
4
Since the beginning of the 20thC how many times over has the world’s urban population increased by?
13
Since the beginning of the 20thC how many times over has the World’s energy consumption increased by?
13
Since the beginning of the 20thC how many times over has the World’s CO2 emissions increased by?
17
Since the beginning of the 20thC how many times over has the World’s water consumption increased by?
9
Since the beginning of the 20thC how many times over has fishing increased by?
35 fold
Between 1995 and 2006 how many years were the hottest since records began?
11
Name the 9th hottest year on record
2012
By what % does the IPCC estimate that the yield for rain feed crops in some African countries could decrease by, by 2020?
50%
What proportion of economies in Africa are reliant on horticulture?
1/4
What was the cost of the NZ drought in 2007-2008 to the economy?
$2.8 billion
How many environmental refugees does the UN estimate already exist?
25-30 million
How many environmental refugees does the UN expect there to be by the end of the century?
over 200 million
What % of the World’s population does the OECD believe will be living in areas of high water stress by 2030?
47%
By what % has the number of Hurricanes increased by?
50%
6 Day War of 1967
Sharon said on record that securing Israel’s water supply was the key reason for going to war as they needed it for agriculture. Israel gained control of the Gaza Strip and Sinai Peninsula which allowed them access to a mountain aquifer and the sea of Galilei which today provide them with 60% of their fresh water.
Euraphates river
Iraq and Syria have an upstream/downstream issue as runs through Syria before Iraq. This has caused many disputes. Hostilities peaked in the early 1970s when Syria filled Lake Assad, which reduced the flow to Iraq to a trickle
Carkoglu and Eder argument
-“Resolution of conflicts over the sharing of water in the Middle East has emerged over the past decade as one of the fundamental issues for peace and stability in the region.” (2001)
Name the single biggest oil consuming organisation in the World.
US Military
What portion of everything the US military transports is fuel?
1/2
How many gallons of fuel does a military tank use per second?
1
Gulf War
Iraqi forces set fire to 600 of Kuwait’s oil wells as partof their scorched earth policy while retreating. It cost $1.5 billion and took 10 months to extinguish them. The Environmental effects of this included a change in weather patterns in the region as well as unburnt oil covering 5% of Kuwait’s Territory
How does Climate change provide a security threat?
- Loss of biodiversity through extinction
- Threatens the most basic things humans require for survival
Tuvalu
Tuvalu’s highest point is 4.5 meters above sea level. The sea has already risen 20cm since 1870. This also increases the salinization of the soil and reduces the supply of fresh water from the ground
Unequal consumption of resources as a cause of conflict:
This has created tensions international especially between the West and the rest as well as domestically. e.g. Syria, Iraq and the Euraphates
What is the link between environmentalism and extremism?
lack of access to resources or environmental disasters are key in allowing extremist groups to take hold as they increased people’s vulnerability and need for protection
Pakistan Floods 2010
Members of hard-line Muslim extremist groups were very active in providing relief, especially in remote areas. NATO provided air drops and rescues
Military response
Requires the diversion of resources so as to provide adequate training and resources to deal with such disasters
2004 Boxing day Tsunami
The US pledged $350 million in aid as well as dispatched naval vessels and 48 helicopters to help with airlifting . 12,600 US defense personnel were involved with the efforts
What effects of Climate change do models predict for the Middle East?
An increased number of droughts and severity of Droughts
What is the underlying issue of Climate Change in the Middle East ?
Water distribution as the transboundary rivers provide 60% of all water
What has been the effect of Anthropogenic Climate change on the Middle east between 1950 and 2003?
Aggregate temperatures have increased along with the number of warm days, while the number of cool days has decreased
Name the only country in which drought produced internal displacement and furthered humanitarian crisis in rural areas.
Syria
During what period did Sudan have a civil war?
1983-2005
What % of the oil did South Sudan retain?
75%
During what year did Sudan and South Sudan fight over the oil-rich region of their shared border?
2012
Effect of the Sudan Conflict on the environment?
It involved air strikes against oil fields as both sides tried to capture them
How far has the desert in northern Sudan advanced in the last 60 years?
40 miles
By what % has rainfall declined in Sudan?
16-30%
By what % are agricultural yields expected to drop by in Sudan during the coming years?
70%
Population of Sudan in 1970 compared to 1990
1970= 15.4 million 25.4 million in 1990
Podesta’s Argument in regards to Sudan
“The Fierce competition that emerged between farmers and herdsman over the remaining arable land combined with simmering ethnic and religious tensions helped ignite the first genocide of the 20thC”
How was the conflict in Sudan resolved?
Through the signing of an agreement on borders and natural resources
Role of environmental factors in the Sudan conflict
Played a key role but certainly weren’t the only causes
What % of Syria is desert?
50%
What has been the increased in the population of Syria between 1950 and today?
3.3 million in 1950 to 21.4 million today
Before the 2009 uprising, what % of the Syrian population earned their living from agriculture?
50%
Key causes of the Syrian Uprising
Economic liberalisation, cancellation of agricultural subsidies, corruption, urban-rural divide, droughts and lack of political freedoms
Chatel argument regarding Syria
The Syrian Uprising was actually more the result of poor governance rather than climate change. It is, therefore unproductive to focus on climate change
Has the frequency of droughts in Syria increased over the last 20 years?
No, except in one of Syria’s provinces
The overexploitation of what type of land in Syria was key in creating the Uprising?
Steppe Land
By what % was the rainfall in Syria down by in 2007/8? What effect did this have?
66%, it halved the wheat harvest and exacibated malnutrition
What is the official narrative for Syria’s problems?
Climate Change
What was the focus of the Syrian Government in regards to water usage?
Focus on irrigating as much land as possible using underground water supplies. This is also not done efficiently as over 80% of irrigation is still done through methods which allow for significant evaporation
What % of staff in Syrian government institutions have only completed prep school or lower?
40-60%
What has resulted in the securitisation of water in Israel?
A fear of an influx of immigrants that could place pressure on water resources
During what period did Israel suffer a significant drought?
2003-2010
How has Israel responded to the issue of water security ?
By increasing desalinization programs and water conservation
Since what year has climate change become a significant issue in Isreal?
2010
How has Israel responded to the potential of increased immigration as a result of climate change?
They have built a fence along their boarder with Egypt to prevent immigrants from North Africa illegally entering. This has been detrimental to their peace process with the Palestinians.
What is Jordan’s key issue in regards to water?
They have lower water availability per capita
How has immigration affected the securitisation of water in Jordan?
It has lead to the securitisation of water. 2.6 million of Jordan’s population are Palestinian refugees. The public perceives this as a key threat.
What two things occurred in Jordan at the same time during 2012?
Influx of Refugees and Jordan was forced to buy water from Israel
What has the securitisation of water in Jordan resulted in?
The need for large-scale infrastructure projects. Very little has been done about the efficient use of water
“Redefining Security”
Is a 1983 article by Richard Ullman. This was the first sign that environmental security issues were being taken seriously as it was the first time the topic had been published about in a major journal.
Ullman’s argument in redefining security
argued that conflict over resources would grow more intense and strategic choices should be related to this . This raised the question as to whether a country like the US should spend on military to keep supply channels open or whether they should diversify and look for alternatives
Robert Kaplan
“The coming Anarchy: How security, crime, overpopulation, tribalism, and disease are rapidly destroying the social fabric of our planet” (1994) In this he made the link between Islamic extremism and environmental issues. he calls it a psychological response
“The Tragedy of the commons”
Garret Hardin key. This is an economic theory of a situation in which there is a shared resource system. Individual users act independently according to their own self-interest and behave contrary to the good of all users by depleting the resources through collective action.
Weaknesses of The Tragedy of the Commons Theory
Assumes that people don’t communicate or work together. Because of this open access never truly exists. However we do get closer to it when working on an global level.
