The Environment

What effect does the environment have on society?

The global economy is seriously affected by environmental problems. The lack of access to adequate resources to meet growing population demands can and frequently has resulted in violent conflicts. Environmental degradation can contribute to social and political instability, which can lead to security issues.

What happens when a nation can no longer feed itself?

Many books, articles and films have popped up, which predict conflicts and turmoil in the future revolving around limited resources. These resource wars as they are termed are not new ideas. Throughout history, conflicts over resources are typical. Most wars are in fact over resources, whether it be land, water rights, oil, minerals, precious stones, or narcotic plants. These conflicts are typically associated with ideologies and religions. Ideologies and religions are often used to organize, divide and motivate people to carry out wars against one another. Religions and ideologies also offer various ways to live and therefore, different ways to use resources. What resources can you associate with various conflicts? (Image courtesy of Black-HardArtstudio/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Examples:

The Middle East, where corporate interests in the vast oil fields have led to influence and wars.

Israel and Palestine are fighting over land and fresh water resources.

Rwanda, environmental scarcity contributed heavily to ethnic conflicts of the mid 1990’s.

India, in the Narmada region where tensions between indigenous peoples and the government where instigated over the Coca-Cola Company’s decision to drain many areas well water dry to use in its bottling facilities.

Social tensions in Pakistan have resulted from increased environmental scarcity and led to a worsening situation.

* In the future: the Colorado river, which now rarely makes it to the sea. Colorado, Arizona, Utah, Nevada and California(most of all) depend heavily on the Colorado rivers water. This important source of water is running low, the conflict of this will be that all of the states mentioned above have a prescribed amount of water rights to the river. Decades ago the rivers waters were estimated and each state was given a total amount of water they had rights to. The problem is the water levels were drastically overestimated and there is much less water than there are total rights to. This means when the water supply gets low(it already is) states will be fighting over who gets what. Also remember, while there may be alternatives to fossil fuels, there is no alternative to water. (Make sure you look over the water tables Powerpoint for more water info)

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