An interesting and thought-provoking article! I think you're right that it is important to look at the multifaceted nature of environmental destruction and avoid being obsessively focused on climate change. I do think you're walking a difficult fine line, since reference to cyclic weather patterns is often used by deniers of climate science, despite very robust data on carbon dioxide levels and global temperatures.
Corporate greed and consumerism played an enormous role. It is easy to look at the acidification of the oceans due to increased carbon oxide levels and forget the fact that mile-long nets that fish every living thing out of the ocean are destroying ocean biodiversity, and that overfishing due to the mistaken belief that everybody should eat more fish is resulting in rapidly dwindling fish populations. It is equally easy to blame environmental issues in the Amazon on rising temperatures, when rampant deforestation in the name of beef production and poisonous waters due to gold mining are causing more immediate harm. And let's not mention the political decisions that facilitate all of this.
All that being said, it would be a mistake to suggest that the consensus of many thousands of climate scientists should be ignored. Climate change is a real and important issue, but you're right, so many of the problems that are being blamed on climate change are really brought on by other causes, and the solutions are within our grasp!
Thank you, Michael, for your thoughtful response! You bring up some excellent points about the multifaceted nature of environmental destruction and the significant roles that corporate greed, consumerism, and political decisions play.
I have found that the science community has diverse opinions on climate science, and until the "science" is settled we can and should address the immediate and tangible issues like overfishing, deforestation, and pollution. These are areas where we can make a substantial impact right now.
I appreciate your balanced perspective and agree that focusing on actionable solutions to environmental problems is prudent and important.
Thank you for this thought-provoking piece, Ed. Here in Nevada, where we have about 300 green energy initiatives slated for our public lands, many of us are concerned that the solution might end up being worse than the problem. I agree we need to view climate change from a variety perspectives.
I suppose war and colonization are forms of "human development," but it never fails to amaze me how seldom environmentalists mention them. Given the proliferation of microplastics, I guess consumerism takes its place in the unnamed triad, too.
Thanks, Jack, for your insightful comment! You raise an excellent point. These factors do play significant roles in environmental degradation and climate change, yet they are frequently omitted from environmental discussions.
Colonialism and consumerism have had profound and lasting effects on our planet. In the future I'll try to broaden my perspective and address these underlying issues. Thanks for the feedback!
The specific issue that brought colonialism to my mind was brought up in a comment related to your article about vultures and the consequences of certain pharmaceuticals on wildlife. That comment was hopeful that in Africa, where the specific drugs involved in devastating the vulture population in India had been more recently introduced, the damage could be stopped earlier and without as much devastation. I was thinking that India, which is one large country that has been freed from the colonial yoke for a relatively long time (compared to the African nations), was better able to take decisive regulatory action than the numerous post-colonial African countries, which would have to coordinate their actions despite possibly having post-colonial conflicts amongst themselves.
It was also a vote of no confidence regarding the corporations selling the drugs, no doubt under post-colonial protection.
But thinking along the lines of colonialism brought many other thoughts to mind. Here’s a somewhat more comprehensive article I found specifically about colonial damage to the environment: https://www.globaljustice.org.uk/blog/2023/08/colonialism-climate-change-and-climate-reparations/. It doesn’t actually address the regulatory fragmentation that occurred to me - I haven’t seen any articles about that.
Jack, the connection you draw between colonial history and current environmental challenges is thought-provoking. You raise an important point about the ability of countries to take regulatory action and the complexities faced by post-colonial nations. The need for coordination among these countries, especially in addressing environmental issues, can be challenging due to historical and political factors. Your perspective on the influence of corporations and the legacy of colonialism adds another layer to this discussion.
Thank you for sharing the article on colonial damage to the environment. It’s a valuable resource that highlights the broader impacts of colonialism on our planet. The regulatory fragmentation you mentioned is an important aspect that deserves more attention and discussion.
I appreciate your contribution to this conversation and look forward to exploring these complex issues further.
I think the discussion on all of the nuances of climate change was something that should have been had decades ago. It is not a linear thing as evidenced by this article.
What is happening in Lebanon is mirrored in many countries. But, what is the “fix”? I know in my neck of the woods, we have very large herds of rangeland cattle that roam thousands of acres to graze. Our winters have been mild and our summers hot and very dry causing food sources to be non existent to be able to maintain these herds adequately.
Thank you, Elizabeth! I agree that the nuances of climate change and its impacts should have been discussed decades ago. It's a complex issue that varies greatly depending on the region, as your example with rangeland cattle illustrates.
I also agree that the situation in Lebanon is mirrored in many other countries, and finding the right "fix" is challenging. It often requires a combination of sustainable land management, economic support, and addressing human development impacts. I'm glad you found the article fascinating! Thank you for your feedback and engagement in the discussion!
An interesting and thought-provoking article! I think you're right that it is important to look at the multifaceted nature of environmental destruction and avoid being obsessively focused on climate change. I do think you're walking a difficult fine line, since reference to cyclic weather patterns is often used by deniers of climate science, despite very robust data on carbon dioxide levels and global temperatures.
Corporate greed and consumerism played an enormous role. It is easy to look at the acidification of the oceans due to increased carbon oxide levels and forget the fact that mile-long nets that fish every living thing out of the ocean are destroying ocean biodiversity, and that overfishing due to the mistaken belief that everybody should eat more fish is resulting in rapidly dwindling fish populations. It is equally easy to blame environmental issues in the Amazon on rising temperatures, when rampant deforestation in the name of beef production and poisonous waters due to gold mining are causing more immediate harm. And let's not mention the political decisions that facilitate all of this.
All that being said, it would be a mistake to suggest that the consensus of many thousands of climate scientists should be ignored. Climate change is a real and important issue, but you're right, so many of the problems that are being blamed on climate change are really brought on by other causes, and the solutions are within our grasp!
Thank you, Michael, for your thoughtful response! You bring up some excellent points about the multifaceted nature of environmental destruction and the significant roles that corporate greed, consumerism, and political decisions play.
I have found that the science community has diverse opinions on climate science, and until the "science" is settled we can and should address the immediate and tangible issues like overfishing, deforestation, and pollution. These are areas where we can make a substantial impact right now.
I appreciate your balanced perspective and agree that focusing on actionable solutions to environmental problems is prudent and important.
Thank you for this thought-provoking piece, Ed. Here in Nevada, where we have about 300 green energy initiatives slated for our public lands, many of us are concerned that the solution might end up being worse than the problem. I agree we need to view climate change from a variety perspectives.
I suppose war and colonization are forms of "human development," but it never fails to amaze me how seldom environmentalists mention them. Given the proliferation of microplastics, I guess consumerism takes its place in the unnamed triad, too.
Thanks, Jack, for your insightful comment! You raise an excellent point. These factors do play significant roles in environmental degradation and climate change, yet they are frequently omitted from environmental discussions.
Colonialism and consumerism have had profound and lasting effects on our planet. In the future I'll try to broaden my perspective and address these underlying issues. Thanks for the feedback!
The specific issue that brought colonialism to my mind was brought up in a comment related to your article about vultures and the consequences of certain pharmaceuticals on wildlife. That comment was hopeful that in Africa, where the specific drugs involved in devastating the vulture population in India had been more recently introduced, the damage could be stopped earlier and without as much devastation. I was thinking that India, which is one large country that has been freed from the colonial yoke for a relatively long time (compared to the African nations), was better able to take decisive regulatory action than the numerous post-colonial African countries, which would have to coordinate their actions despite possibly having post-colonial conflicts amongst themselves.
It was also a vote of no confidence regarding the corporations selling the drugs, no doubt under post-colonial protection.
But thinking along the lines of colonialism brought many other thoughts to mind. Here’s a somewhat more comprehensive article I found specifically about colonial damage to the environment: https://www.globaljustice.org.uk/blog/2023/08/colonialism-climate-change-and-climate-reparations/. It doesn’t actually address the regulatory fragmentation that occurred to me - I haven’t seen any articles about that.
Jack, the connection you draw between colonial history and current environmental challenges is thought-provoking. You raise an important point about the ability of countries to take regulatory action and the complexities faced by post-colonial nations. The need for coordination among these countries, especially in addressing environmental issues, can be challenging due to historical and political factors. Your perspective on the influence of corporations and the legacy of colonialism adds another layer to this discussion.
Thank you for sharing the article on colonial damage to the environment. It’s a valuable resource that highlights the broader impacts of colonialism on our planet. The regulatory fragmentation you mentioned is an important aspect that deserves more attention and discussion.
I appreciate your contribution to this conversation and look forward to exploring these complex issues further.
I didn’t intend that as a criticism of you; I congratulate you on looking beyond the exclusive focus on global warming.
No worries, Jack! I took it as positive feedback that revealed a blindspot. Thank you!
I think the discussion on all of the nuances of climate change was something that should have been had decades ago. It is not a linear thing as evidenced by this article.
What is happening in Lebanon is mirrored in many countries. But, what is the “fix”? I know in my neck of the woods, we have very large herds of rangeland cattle that roam thousands of acres to graze. Our winters have been mild and our summers hot and very dry causing food sources to be non existent to be able to maintain these herds adequately.
This article was fascinating. Thanks Ed!
Thank you, Elizabeth! I agree that the nuances of climate change and its impacts should have been discussed decades ago. It's a complex issue that varies greatly depending on the region, as your example with rangeland cattle illustrates.
I also agree that the situation in Lebanon is mirrored in many other countries, and finding the right "fix" is challenging. It often requires a combination of sustainable land management, economic support, and addressing human development impacts. I'm glad you found the article fascinating! Thank you for your feedback and engagement in the discussion!