Does Damage To The Environment Pose Security Threat Politics Essay

Does Damage To The Environment Pose Security Threat Politics Essay Traditionally the focus of security studies has been on the military and states, however with the end of the cold war focus began to shift to other security issues which had previously been neglected. The environment began to rise on the international political agenda, and numerous studies have been conducted to assess the impact environmental change can have on security. However, there is still no firm consensus on the impact it has. In fact, there is no real consensus on the meaning of security either, thus making this assessment problematic. The aim here is to establish whether damage to the environment poses a threat to security, and, if so, in what ways. This essay will start with a short analysis of what  constitutes an environmental problem, and the extent to which damage to it is a security issue at all, by introducing the ongoing debate surrounding the importance of environment on the security agenda (Neo-Malthusian vs. Cornucopian); Then I will present the two opposing vi ews regarding the focus of security studies (National Security vs. Human Security). This will be followed by an assessment of the different ways damage to the environment poses a security threat, both in terms of National Security and Human Security. I will conclude with a summary of the issue and my own perspective. The Environment and Security An environmental problem is a change of state in the physical environment which is brought about by human interference with the physical environment, and has effects which society deems unacceptable in the light of its shared norms  [1]  . Human behaviour is generating CO2 which appears to result in depletion of the ozone layer. This causes overheating of the Earths surface which is passed on to overheating of the core which is triggering increased tectonic activity which results in volcanic activity, earthquakes, tsunamis and the resultant problems including radioactivity. This eventually puts undue pressure on food supplies and other resources. However, there is an ongoing debate within the environmental security literature as to the importance of environmental problems and whether they should be considered a security issue. The neo Malthusian approach attempts to highlight the dangers of population growth outstripping food production. Arguably this would lead to a competition for resources, and ultimately cause conflict and possibly war, thus creating a security issue  [2]  . Cornucopians, or Promethians, believe that Neo-Malthusians exaggerate problem and that their pessimistic view is unnecessary because human beings will devise solutions to environmental challenges and that there is, in reality, an infinite supply of natural resources.  [3]  For the purpose of this essay we shall assume that environment is a security issue, not necessarily in the traditional sense of what constitutes a security issue, but indeed for a variety of reasons, which are often excluded or ignored. The term security is taken generally to mean the protection of people against violence, or the defence against all forms of insecurity; this includes economic and environmental insecurity. Analysts have focused traditionally on the challenges posed by war and belligerence, but today the area of interest has expanded. The UN Secretary-Generals High Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change categorised the threats facing the world currently, and along with terrorism, transnational organised crime and WMDs, the panel included economic and social threats including poverty, disease, and environmental degradation  [4]  . Some would argue that environmental change becomes a threat when it endangers national security, others when it threatens human welfare. NATO adheres to the former, but this maybe is to be expected given its state-centric, military approach; whereas the United Nations is more a humanitarian organisation, and subscribes to the latter. Whichever, the environment is regarded increasingly as both a human and an international security issue, albeit for somewhat different reasons. While the focus of security has historically been on people  [5]  , with the development of academic International Relations (IR), it fell on the State, and the concept of national interest emerged. This is linked to the realist approach to International Relations, in which the interests of the State come first with the protection of national interests being vital  [6]  . In this view security is closely related to military power; therefore a strong Armed Forces is necessary if the State is to be protected from threats. Walker and Loader maintain that the State-centric approach is still dominant within international relations practice, characterised by an enduring attachment to the nation as the main actor in global politics. According to Page, the traditional focus of work on security has been on the investigation of military threats to the territorial integrity of a given state that arise either externally (military activity from another state) or internally (from subversiv e, and generally violent, activities of terrorist groups).  [7]   After 1989, and the subsequent improvement in relations between NATO and the former USSR, conventional understandings of security became less relevant. Simultaneously, humanitarian concerns were increasingly coming to the fore of national and international politics and policy  [8]  . This review of the concept of security led many to believe that the focus should not be on states but on people, and the welfare of humans. In 1995 a UN report stated too often in the past, preserving the security of the state has been used an excuse for policies that undermined the security of people  [9]  . The concept of human security is embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human rights adopted by the UN in 1948. The Declaration states that everyone has the right to life, liberty and personal security. Human security means safety from the constant threats of hunger, disease, crime and repression, and protection from sudden and hurtful disruptions in the patterns of our daily lives-whether in our homes, jobs, communities or environment  [10]  . Writing in 1989, Mathews argued for a broadening definition of national security to include resource, environmental and demographic issues  [11]  , claiming that environmental protection and national security are inseparable. In 1997 Buzan wrote about broadening the concept of security, to include human and environmental security  [12]  , whereas Kaplans article, The Coming Anarchy, centred on the role of environmental degradation and anarchy, and marked a decided elevation of the environment and security debate  [13]  . Environmental security poses a threat if national security is undermined Many traditionalists may find it hard to connect environmental issues to security. However, some would argue that environmental issues can become a security issue when national security is threatened. Environmental degradation leads to the depletion of resources and competition for the remaining resources can create conflict, which may in some cases lead to war, thereby undermining national security. This is a popular assumption in the security literature  [14]  . Ullman argues that resource conflict is at the root of most violent conflicts in history  [15]  . After a decade of research into the connection between environmental scarcity and violent conflict, Thomas Homer-Dixon reached the conclusion that environmental scarcity can contribute to violence and ethnic clashes, and these incidents will probably increase as scarcities of cropland, freshwater and forest worsen  [16]  . However, there are other issues to consider also. The most important disputed issue in past violent conflicts has been territory, and if climate change and rising sea levels lead to diminished land area, this can lead to conflict. For example, a 45 cm rise in sea-level will potentially result in a loss of 10.9% of Bangladeshs territory, forcing over 5 million people to relocate  [17]  . Furthermore, measures implemented to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will also incur costs, which could be damaging to the national economy. Goldstone argues that some countries, such as Saudi Arabia, already demonstrate certain characteristics conducive to political unrest, and the situation may intensify as a result of implementation of the Kyoto Protocol  [18]  . Some observe that environmental changes lead to migration, which in turn can lead to conflict in the host nation. However, as Goldstone observes, the crucial element is not migration per seWhat appears to matter for conflict are those cases wherein migration leads to clashes of national identity  [19]  . Therefore it is less the movement of people and more the social and political responses to that movement that matters most in conflicts in which immigration is a factor  [20]  . Nevertheless, climate-related conflicts are most likely to occur as a result of migration  [21]  . As soils are degraded, clean water supplies are depleted, infrastructure is damaged and lives are lost, migration may seem like the best solution for many people. Rises in sea-level may also induce large scale migration in the longer-term. For example, with the predicted rise in sea-level, people living on the Ganges Delta in Bangladesh will be forced to relocate. Some may move inland, but many more may move to neighbouring India and Pakistan and previous migration of this kind has been a factor in violence in the region  [22]  . According to both Elliot and Homer-Dixon, environmental change can lead to conflict when it interacts with other social, economic, political and cultural factors which reduce stability in a given domain  [23]  . In fact, these other aspects seem to be far more important factors affecting the likelihood of violent conflict. For example, stable democracies with a high level of development also seem to experience a lower rate of violent conflict. Damage to the environment poses a security threat if human security is threatened While the majority of studies of environmental security focus on the way environmental change may impact national security, others would argue that this concern is misplaced  [24]  . Global environmental change may, in some cases lead to violent conflict, but it may also have a significant impact on human security or welfare. Insufficient access to safe water resources and inadequate food supply are detrimental to human security  [25]  . Furthermore, according to Smil, environmental security has become a htreat similar to that of global nuclear warfare as it shares two characteristics: both are global in reach and the effects of both could be highly devastating  [26]  . Although the impact of climate change can be felt in many ways, either directly or indirectly, there are a number of ways in which human security will be harmed by manmade environmental change. In the UNDP report of Human Development of 1995 it was stated that environmental degradation poses a major threat to human security. As many as 70,000 square kilometres of farmland are abandoned each year as a result of degradation, and about 4 million hectares of rain-fed cropland are lost annually to soil erosion  [27]  . The planet is currently going through a period of change; temperatures are rising, causing a melting of the ice caps, which in turn brings about a rise in water levels. Most of the observed temperature increase has been caused by increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases, which result from human activities such as the burning of fossil fuel and deforestation. The Climate Change induced rise in sea level will deeply impact coastal areas and islands. It will bring about increased salinity of fresh water and increased flooding. Flooding puts 45 million people a year at risk due to storm surges. A 50cm rise in sea level would increase this number to about 92 million  [28]  . However, the rise in temperatures also provokes prolonged droughts, leading to desertification and severely impacting already vulnerable areas, such as sub-Saharan Africa and some parts of Southern Asia. There are also health impacts connected to the increased intensity and duration of heat waves. (eg. Malari a, yellow fever, dengue). Infectious diseases are currently the worlds leading cause of death, killing nearly 17 million people a year  [29]  . Climate change also impacts agriculture and the subsequent availability of food. The food crisis of the mid 1970s sparked a detailed analysis into the relationship between hunger, famine and environmental causes, such as drought, flooding and land degradation.  [30]  It is now well recognised that such events can tip already vulnerable local societies into acute distress. Almost 800 million people in the developing world do not have enough to eat, and a further 3 million in the industrialised countries and economies in transition also suffer from chronic food insecurity  [31]  . Poor or insufficient nutrition can eventually lead to sever health problems such as gastro-intestinal infections, measles and malaria  [32]  . In discussions of the possible links between environment and security we often find reference to water. It is essential to human survival, has value in economic terms, and sometimes strategic significance. Nonetheless, in 1999 it was reported that 20% of the worlds population already lacks access to safe drinking water  [33]  . Water pollution can be extremely harmful both in terms of health and economy; not only does it further reduce the availability of clean drinking water, but it could also cause extensive damage to marine life and severely hurt the economy, as we saw in the 2010 BP oil spill  [34]  . At the P-7 conference in 2000, delegates from the poorest nations gathered and called for water to be treated as a fundamental human right, not as a market commodity  [35]  . Not only does water scarcity lead to health issues, a human security issue, but it also can lead to violent conflict if nations are in competition over the resource, thus becoming a national securit y issue. Indeed, damage to, or degradation of, the environment results in resource depletion which, on the one hand, causes civil unrest, leading to conflict, while, on the other, causes famine and illness, threatening human security, or welfare. Conclusion Traditionally the term Security was used to mean State Security, but with the fall of the Soviet Union security studies has expanded to include other threats including environmental damage. However, so far, emphasis has been placed on environmental change as cause of violent conflict, due to competition over resources or territory, but there are other possible implications, such as the effect it has on Human Security. To understand environmental damage as a security threat- in that it poses a threat to human security or welfare- we must move away from the traditional view that security is a state-centric, military led, affair. While it may be true that environmental damage can lead to conflict, albeit in conjunction with other factors, we should also be looking at how damage to the environment affects people. As mentioned in the UNDP in 1994, Human security is not a concern with weapons it is a concern with human life and dignity  [36]  . Everyone has the right to live a life fr ee from insecurity. It can be argued that environmental damage is a constant security issue for some nation-states, communities and individuals. Not only can it lead to violent conflict, and threaten national security but it can also threaten human life and welfare. Some damage, such as climate change, poses cultural, health, and life-threatening risks comparable to the impact of warfare. We often see security threats as those which come from other states, involve the military and concern national security; however, environmental damage can become a threat to security, indeed, for many states it can be the most serious security problem that these countries face, because it directly threatens their life and their wellbeing.

Reproduction :: essays research papers

For some time she had watched his movements, appearing coyly in his haunts. And now, had it paid off? Doubtless, he was in love. His muscles were taut; he swooped through the air more like an eagle than a Greylag gander. The only problem was, it was not for her that he then landed in a flurry of quacks and wingbeats, or for her that he dashed off surprise attacks on his fellows. It was, rather, for another - for her preening rival across the Bavarian lake. Poor goose. Will she mate with the gander of her dreams? Or will she trail him for years, laying infertile egg clutches as proof of her faithfulness? Either outcome is possible in an animal world marked daily by scenes of courtship, spurning and love triumphant. And take note: these are not the imaginings of some Disney screen-16 writer. Decades ago Konrad Lorenz, a famed Austrian naturalist, made detailed studies of Greylags and afterwards showed no hesitation in using words like love, grief and even embarrassment to describe the behavior of these large, social birds. At the same time he did not forget that all romance - animal and human - is tied intimately to natural selection. Natural selection brought on the evolution of males and females during prehistoric epochs when environmental change was making life difficult for single-sex species such as bacteria and algae. Generally, these reproduced by splitting into identical copies of themselves. New generations were thus no better than old ones at surviving in an altered world. With the emergence of the sexes, however, youngsters acquired the qualities of two parents. This meant that they were different from both - different and perhaps better at coping with tough problems of survival. At the same time, nature had to furnish a new set of instincts which would make "parents" out of such unreflective entities as mollusks and jellyfish.. The peacock's splendid feathers, the firefly's flash, the humpback whale's resounding bellow - all are means these animals have evolved to obey nature's command: "Find a mate. Transmit your characteristics through time!" But while most males would accept indiscriminate mating, females generally have more on their minds. In most species, after all, they take on reproduction's hardest chores such as carrying young, incubating eggs and tending newborns. Often they can produce only a few young in a lifetime. (Given half a chance, most males would spawn thousands.) So it's no surprising that the ladies are choosy. They want to match their characteristics with those of a successful mate. He may flap his wings or join a hockey team, but somehow he must show that his offspring will not likely be last to eat or first in predatory jaws.

Marketing: Toyota Prius Essay

1. What micro-environmental factors affected both the first generation and second generation models of Toyota Prius? How well has to Toyota dealt with these factors? To readers of this problem have an important starting point the definition of micro-environment. This term is a factor in the marketing environment, its problems, in one way or another, affect the ability of the company, close and direct way to serve its customers. This includes, such as customers, suppliers, competitors, shareholders, employees and the media, including the factors. With this in mind, it may be the security status of the micro-environmental factors affect the first and second-generation Toyota Prius customers and competitors.Consumers, natural gas prices, are looking for answers to their prayers. Toyota to give them the answer, the vehicle will allow people to save gas, and provide a good, efficient service. The first generation Prius was released, though not too beautiful or strange, it provides to its will and customer purchase.Other factors, competitors, it is obvious. Everyone wants to share. Honda and other auto manufacturers have begun to develop and / or implementation of the hybrid system on some of their vehicles. Toyota’s answer is the continuous development has been the success of the Prius. Developed and released the second generation. This is a new generation of more fuel-efficient. It also includes the more technology advances, more space, and other factors, will allow all types of customers are interested in. 2. Outline the major macro-environmental factors – demographic, economic, natural, political and cultural – that have affected the Prius sales. How well Toyota dealt with each of these factors? Macro-environmental factors of the microenvironment of the impact of larger social forces. Some of these factors is the demographic, economic, natural, technological, political and cultural forces. With that said, I believe that the macro-environmental factors that affect the Prius sales forces of nature in a positive way. Now, it would not be fair if I did not mention the strength and economy. Therefore, a car, save gas, which means that also contribute to pollution. Technological progress is the basis of the possible Prius, this second generation for the better. The first generation is a considerable based on second-generation release more tools and additional. Natural gas prices continued to increase non-stop.The facts will affect the sales of the Prius, especially in the sport utility vehicle (SUV) driven society. Macro-environmental factors Demographics Demographics is the other statistical aspects of human society, the size, location, gender, or race. Based on these factors, the organizations to develop a marketing plan for potential customers. Economics Basically, economics is the study of how society choose to use its resources. I believe that the factors that contribute to government and other entities to provide incentives for the purchase of vehicles such as the Prius. Growing desire to protect the environment, the impact of many industries, in our case, the transport sector. Toyota made ​​the right step to produce its Natural The macro-environment factors, including the use of natural resources, in order to improve the clients’ interests. â€Å"Green† is to sell these days. The community has a great interest and feel very positive to save the planet.Toyota’s marketing team in a very positive way to use such factors as the vehicle to cause a stir. Technology Well, after all, what society is these days, all the technological progress does not? New technologies are constantly touch the community. Technology to improve existing products and new opportunities. Toyota is the use of technology to make customers aware of upcoming vehicles. It uses tools such as the Internet to distribute brochures and all types of Prius its pre-release information. Political what is community government and the law? Forces, no doubt, connected to the economy. Toyota and other car manufacturers have access to people who are willing to buy a hybrid vehicle tax and other incentives. If other forces did not cause any interest, which will certainly be. So now you can save gas, you can also save tax. In addition, in some cases, you are allowed to driving the HOV line, even if only one person driving. Culture Demographic forces will set in. Toyota’s strategy is likely to be the best time to hit the social base of interested customers. The high price of natural gas to drive a vehicle is not economical. The society is a solution to the need for change and Toyota. 3. Evaluate Toyota’s marketing strategy so far. What has Toyota done well? How might it improve its strategy? Product-The re-launch of the product better and attractive features than its previous version, including its appearance and internal characteristics. Price-Second, the price to remain competitive, helping the company to maintain the advantage over their competitors, and maintain its customer profitability. Place-the products by the market, in this sense, it is available showroom on the Internet easily. Customers to make informed decisions, provide detailed site and personal assistance by a trained agent. They can also share their experiences through chat rooms such as the Prius envy, Promotions-the ComExtensive marketing activities, and through television (Discovery Channel, MSNBC, history and the Learning Channel, etc.), billboards, car magazines (Newsweek, Vanity Fair far) heavy promotional activities, newspapers, leaflets, along withemotional banners and environment al appeal Toyota as market leader itself In my opinion, and according to the situation, Toyota has brought a new product with a strong marketing strategy. I think the only problem is that the target range of vehicles is limited. The first generation Prius is a very simple and basic. It did not provide a standard these days all these benefits in a number of vehicles and tools. The other hand, the second generation has brought many changes, especially technological progress. It also includes a little more luxury, better style. This time, in my opinion, Toyota, carry more electricity marketing strategy that, more types of consumers. I think that Toyota is moving in the right direction in its marketing strategy greetings. In addition, the Prius seems to be technological progress is greatly enhanced. It is not only running the miles per gallon, but it also makes people interested in gadgets, fully. Toyota has a few of their vehicles lead in the automotive market is not a myth. Prius entire team, including its marketing group is doing a great job when it comes to development and advocacy. 4. GM’s marketing director for new ventures, Ken Stewart, says "if you want to get a lot of hybrids on the road, you put them in vehicles that people are buying now." This seems to summarize the U.S. auto makers’ approach to hybrids. Would you agree with Mr. Stewart? Why or why not? Recall back the 1970s Arab oil embargo. Once the Americans are scared, gas rationing and prices, they bought a lot of small cars. Since then, they have switched to buy a bigger car than they buy the oil embargo (SUVs). Basically, most Americans like big cars. Large, and we want room. Therefore, Stewart has a point. Given the large share of the market for large vehicles (cars and trucks), has been arrested, hybrid sales will be greater, if they are large vehicles, rather than small. (Large vehicles have a greater market share, if you add the SUV, van, truck sales together.) If the company’s goal is to sell more hybrid model has a high price tag (which may create a more of pro fits), then his argument makes sense. However, SUVs and trucks are usually performance vehicles, so people want to know if a hybrid car (for example) is a contradiction. Consumers believe that a truck or a Jeep hybrid is a big, tough vehicles? To promote these vehicles tend to emphasize through the rugged terrain and hairpin turn around the performance, speed, toughness, driving. Clearly, Toyota is considered most likely to respond to these calls consumers are those who buy smaller cars. So far, they have been successfully selling their own cars, but they still do not sell a lot of impact to their bottom line. The market may not at this time, large. I believe I will agree with Mr. Stewart. It is a fact, people are buying cars, because they like or need them, rather than because of gas efficiency. Now, if you add the gas efficiency of the factors, it may encourage consumers. In my opinion, the Prius is one of the ugliest car I’ve ever seen. I would buy it the fact that, will save gas? I would not buy it, is not only ugly, but it does not meet the purpose and taste. Now, if we are talking about the SUV Universal Tahoe, I think it might be of interest. Not only as SUVs, but it also looks good, and help me save gas and environmental contributions. Prius, although the very economy of natural gas may not be the best car of a six House. Therefore, there are other options is based on the same concept may be very useful Toyota or any car.

Sophocles Oedipus The King - 847 Words

1. In Oedipus the King, the protagonist, Oedipus, played a major role in the plot of this play. Both his stubbornness and his swift responses are strong qualities that he possesses, and they will prove to be both an asset to him, and a liability that will eventually lead to his demise. Before being crowned as king of Thebes, Oedipus was hailed as savior of the city after he single handedly solved the riddle of the Sphinx, and freed the city from the plague. He would be called upon once again to save the city from the plague that had been placed upon them by Sphinx, but this time serving as king. Acting swiftly and proactively, Oedipus send his brother in-law, Creon, to the oracle in Delphi in the hopes of gaining some advice on how to get rid of the plague before the citizens of Thebes become overly worried. In this situation, his swiftness proved to be an asset to him. As the play continues, and the situation changes, his stubbornness and swiftness will become a major liability to him. After receiving news from Creon that the only way to rid the city of the plague was to expel the murderer of Laius (former King of Thebes), Oedipus vows to find the murderer and begins the process of questioning those around him. The first person he questions is Tiresias (the blind prophet), who after threatening him, tells Oedipus that he in fact is the murderer of Laius. Oedipus’s stubbornness gets the better of him and he refuses to believe what Tiresias has told him. He then accuses bothShow MoreRelatedOedipus The King By Sophocles848 Words   |  4 PagesOedipus the King, written by Sophocles, follows the tragic story of a king named Oedipus who goes from an all-powerful ruler to a hopeless blind peasant. Oedipus the King was written as a play and performed in front of an audience. Sophocles shows in Oedipus the King that one cannot escape the fate of the gods. Throughout the play Oedipus struggles to find a solution and change all the troubles in his life. The pla y observes the story of Oedipus who defies the gods and through the journey experiencesRead MoreSophocles Oedipus The King884 Words   |  4 PagesKing of Thebes, owner of a family tree that identically resembles Medusa on a bad hair day, and the inspiration for a psychologically-riveting complex, Oedipus, tragic hero of Sophocles’ Oedipus the King, exposes troubling truths about the human condition and, acting as an exemplary precaution for the entirety of humanity, demonstrates how a self-destructive struggle between love, anger, and fate, conveyed through an unorthodox love affair between mother and son (Who gets custody in a divorce?),Read MoreSophocles Oedipus The King1714 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"ideal tragedy† is the play â€Å"Oedipus the King† written by Sophocles. 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In â€Å"Antigone† the characterRead MoreOedipus The King, By Sophocles1407 Words   |  6 PagesWhen we think about a tragic play or protagonist, most people would think Shakespeare for his common theme of his plays to end with a tragedy. In Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles, tells the tale of the protagonist Oedipus. Throughout the play, Oedipus searched for his past to discover the reason why his kingdom is plagued with wilting crops and illnesses. In the end, he becomes a tragic protagonist after discovering his past was related to the previous king’s death. While the search progressed