| Various reports tell us that war is one of the effects | | | | education, infrastructure and appropriate technology to |
| of global warming. Wars over energy and water are | | | | poor nations racked by war and environmental |
| more likely as those two resources dwindle. | | | | stresses. And lets not omit seed funds for small |
| Global warming is connected to profligate use of fossil | | | | business, preferably of sorts that minimise greenhouse |
| fuel energy and both will increase into the near future | | | | gas emissions, or actively reduce them. Efforts to |
| in their co-dependency their unhealthy relationship. | | | | understand each others culture must accompany such |
| Global warming and worsening quantity and quality of | | | | strategies in order to undercut the potential for |
| water resources are also interrelated. | | | | one-way paternalism in such giving. |
| War in the Middle East also has a connection to global | | | | A new Marshall Plan |
| warming. The war in Iraq is in essence an energy war | | | | The Marshall Plan after WWII made thriving, friendly |
| the prize being access to oil. Although, this issue has of | | | | nations out of war-ravaged countries, including former |
| course become increasingly conflated with that of the | | | | enemies, at a cost of US$130 billion in todays terms. |
| so-called War on Terror. | | | | Theres almost no reason to think why similar |
| It seems possible that ongoing violence exchanged | | | | investment in policy of giving people what they want |
| between Israel, Hezbollah, Hamas, the Western | | | | most a peaceful life with a sustainable future for their |
| Coalition and insurgents will escalate into much wider | | | | children would not equally well work now. Well, except |
| conflicts, perhaps even involving use of nuclear | | | | just two reasons the frightening fact that the Marshall |
| weapons. | | | | Plan was only implemented after a terrible war had |
| We should be worried, as an escalating Middle-East | | | | been fought. And secondly, the less-than committed |
| war, even where not (yet) fought over energy or | | | | intergovernmental approach to a strong Kyoto Treaty, |
| water, may give us an even shorter time than we | | | | which does include an environmental Marshall Plan of |
| have already to marshal resources to deal with the | | | | sorts for poor nations. |
| great threat of global warming. Author Jared Diamond | | | | Still why not try hard, with such high stakes? The |
| for example, has shown that war and environmental | | | | powerful principle of mutually beneficial relationship is |
| destruction were potent ingredients in the sudden | | | | the same. Its time for broad, visionary policy. |
| collapse of many civilisations over thousands of years. | | | | Is a new Marshall Plan, affordable? I think so given that |
| This time a global civilisation is at stake with nowhere | | | | one country alone, the US, has been able to shoulder |
| else to go. | | | | costs of the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to an |
| The consequences of present scenarios are of | | | | astonishing amount of US$487 billion, with more to |
| course unthinkable. Not just in terms of cost of human | | | | come. A diversion of even a small proportion of |
| life, but also of cost to the environment and the even | | | | nations budgets could be significant. |
| greater oil shortages than todays that would inevitably | | | | A Utopian idea? Well, just ask the Germans and |
| follow. If you think the price of oil is sky-rocketing now, | | | | Japanese. |
| it would go galactic then. Economies may collapse. | | | | And there is other evidence that reaching out to |
| Resources available now to invest in renewable | | | | others works in allowing people to thrive under highly |
| energy may then quickly evaporate. | | | | challenging circumstances. There is a strong body of |
| What can anyone do? | | | | evidence for the key that turns on good life |
| I admit that I do not quite grasp the motivations for | | | | satisfaction. Many people with severe disability, including |
| fundamentalist terrorist acts, apart from my | | | | respirator-assisted quadriplegics on respirator and |
| assumption that part of it resides in past historical | | | | elderly people experience a life satisfaction equal to, or |
| oppression, contrasts between rich Western countries | | | | higher than the average persons life satisfaction rating. |
| and poor ones and the new colonialism of Globalisation. | | | | How? As a core disability issue is attitudes from |
| Any fundamentalist ideology thrives under stark | | | | others, it is positive, supportive relationships that are the |
| divisions between rich and poor, be it Nazism, fascism | | | | key. |
| or white suprematism. Extreme capitalist exploitation of | | | | If disabled people can do that, anyone can. Our |
| the environment feeds another side of human nature, | | | | attitudes towards others and the environment make |
| that of a lazy distancing from the genuine needs of | | | | our world indeed. |
| others and that of the environment another kind of | | | | The effects of global warming are accelerated and |
| terrorism. Our attitudes shape our world. | | | | heightened by war. Before any social and |
| The answers to root causes of war mirror those to | | | | environmental tipping points are reached why not |
| global warming. In essence it is not a technological one | | | | reverse this self-feeding loop through practical |
| but one of a way of thinking. Inequality in a fictional | | | | recognition that anothers wellbeing means ours. And |
| world of unlimited resources for some should be met | | | | that a healthy environment allows us to flourish. |
| with equity and with those same strategies that we | | | | Maybe governments are not ready to marshal |
| know that work in alleviating poverty, overpopulation, | | | | resources to adopt "good relationship policy." So your |
| deforestation and disease. Most are of course | | | | reaching out to others, while reducing, re-using and |
| connected to cause and effects of global warming | | | | recycling may be your most accessible alternatives to |
| and war. | | | | war and the Kyoto Treaty at any time. |
| These strategies include generous donations of | | | | |