Creating a climate for global security
Editorial by Kay Weir from Pacific Ecologist 1 - March 2002
Pacific World becomes Pacific Ecologist with this first edition on climate change. Inspirational climate campaigner and founding editor of The Ecologist, Edward Goldsmith and the magnificent Ecologist team have, more than any others, brought the issue of global warming out of the realms of government and scientific expertise and to the attention of the general public. We cannot thank them enough for this. For as Goldsmith says in his editorial, climate change is a matter of survival and for humanity to survive into the next centuries we need to change direction. That's were the problem lies - it's not that we can't salvage the climate now, it's that this vital change, sadly is seen as a threat by powerful industry interests to their immediate profitability. But survival is much more primal than burning of fossil fuel, and the power of fossil fuel interests, shown now to be deadly to life on earth. That's where people come in as Simon Retallack says in his article from page 50. For change to occur in time, a coalition of social and environmental groups is needed to push for this essential change.
Climate change is very much a matter of urgent global security - just as much as terrorism. The latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) shows that global temperatures are rising faster and higher than experts feared, with temperatures projected to increase by between 1.4 and 5.8oC by the end of this century. The fact that 5oC is the difference between an Ice Age and the present, more cosy conditions in which our civilization developed 10,000 years ago makes those 1.4 - 5.8oC figures alarming, as does the speed with which the rise is occurring. As climate scientist and biologist Stephen Schneider from Stanford University in the US says: "A degree or two temperature change is not a trivial number in global terms, it usually takes nature hundreds of thousands of years to bring about on her own..." (Global Warming, Stephen H Schneider)j Ecosystems will be affected by the speed of change as well as the magnitude of warming. And equally important - a rise in temperature of just 4ºC will give the earth a climate that it last had 40 million years ago. long before humans evolved (see table below and Peter Bunyard's article p.40).
It is good news that international agreement to reduce greenhouse gases was reached on November 9th 2001 in Morocco. 160 countries set mandatory targets to reduce global warming emissions - a step in the right direction. Much stronger action is needed however. The global warming emission cuts agreed to are only 5%, whereas the cuts needed are from 60-80%. The level of governmental inaction in industrial countries while emissions continue to grow over the past decade, is shocking, considering the consequences. For too many years international efforts for agreement to take action to reduce this threat to life on earth have been hijacked by obstructive tactics from the United States, the richest country in the world and the one with the highest global warming emissions (see Sharon Beder's article p.42). Finally countries became so outraged by US intrasigence last year at climate change meetings that they decided to forge ahead without the US and organized the agreement to begin cutting emissions.
Uncooperatively on the side-lines at this climate agreement, the US was ironically at this very time involved involved in much soul searching about the nature of security. It is heavily involved now in seeking cooperation internationally in its "war against terrorism," after the horrific events of September 11. One result of this atrocity is that Americans and people everywhere are openly reflecting on the meaning of life and death - how could such a thing happen? Why would others hate America? Security is clearly not just a matter of national security but international relationships. Can security and comfort in one country be bought at the expense of people in other countries?
Such questions about life also apply to threats that human-induced climate change present, as Penehuro Le Fale's article shows. Pacific Islanders while contributing virtually nothing to CO2 emissions, will suffer the most severe effects with loss of land (and eventually entire islands) already occurring through rising sea levels. Similarly, all small islands around the world and the countries of Africa, while contributing little to CO2 emissions will suffer disproportionately. Will the US cooperate and reduce its very high levels of CO2 emissions so threats to the lives and livelihoods of its own people and billions of people in these countries are lessened? One thing which could push the US government to a change of mind, is a new report on abrupt climate change coming from the US Academy of Sciences (see page 60). This increases the already high level of concern expressed by climate scientists contributing articles to this issue. If the US government does not dramatically alter its stance soon it risks going down in history as the country that sacrificed the world for its own short-term economic gain.
We are very grateful to all the authors who have contributed articles. Every article provides a sound basis for our claims for urgent action to meet the challenge of the climate crisis. Let's hope the current climate of reflection about life and security existing today grows and intensifies, so that people and governments worldwide see the necessity for thinking beyond brain-dead sectarian interests on this matter of global security. In this way the wisdom and energy may be forged internationally in time to bring about the necessary transformation in our lives, relationships and production processes so that future generations later this century and the next may have a world they can live in. It's as urgent as that.
