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