Our World …. The End is Nigh?
Today is July 24th and India has been experiencing a devastating round of floods caused by multiple days of heavy rainfall. Sadly, this marks the wettest day in the last 40 years of the country’s meteorological history - a result that has caused 22 people to lose their lives to flash floods and landslides, foreshadowing the beginning of a long and damaging downturn in ecological prosperity.
The link between climate and liberty is a complex matter that requires an understanding of the relationship between environmental conditions, sustainability, and the preservation of individual freedoms. Climate change is causing weather patterns to become far more extreme and unpredictable. Increasing temperatures encourage intense rainfall for longer and more intense periods of time, contributing to the unpredictability we are witnessing across climate systems.
On the other side of the planet, North America has been experiencing prolonged wildfires for more than a month. Additionally, ocean temperatures on the east coast have reached 32 degrees Celsius, a concerning development. Scientists speak of this multi-year period of rising planet temperatures, and we are already seeing the outcomes first-hand. However, there seems to be little urgency in countering this imminent threat.
Climate change is often considered a mere environmental concern, but it has far-reaching effects beyond melting glaciers and rising sea levels. These outcomes often fail to gain the same empathy as those that affect us as social beings. Climate change has the power to highlight social inequalities, especially for those in vulnerable demographics. Altered weather patterns not only disrupt ecosystems but lead to displacement, food and clean water scarcity, alongside various health crises. These challenges disproportionately affect developing economies or otherwise marginalised communities that lack the basic socio-economic infrastructure to accommodate ecological crises such as this.
The Russo-Ukraine war has come as a shock to many, and the after-effects are unimaginable. Thousands of families are fleeing war-torn Ukraine without basic access to shelter and food. Unfortunately, environmental degradation coupled with pre-existing resource depletion has encouraged a stunted food supply chain throughout Eastern Europe. This instance is not a rare occurrence - the ongoing climate crises and prolonged armed hostilities undoubtedly coincide to damage both us and the planet.
As more and more people become vulnerable to these issues, climate change will play a heavy hand in threatening democratic ties and cooperation. The increasingly finite nature of natural resources will threaten our very livelihoods and an increase in arms and perpetual chariness is a feature of our future that we simply cannot ignore.
Therefore, it seems that collective action and sovereign jurisdiction have come to crossroads - one that is essential to addressing the broader effects of the climate emergency.
We are at the apex of interconnectedness in all forms, and so mass migration, broken supply chains, and access to clean water and food are detrimental to the security that human rights legislation and state sovereignty have provided us thus far. The future seems bleak with degrading ecological prosperity, energy scarcity, and increased economic inequality hanging in the balance between corporate priorities. The disunity between economic and humanitarian requirements has never been greater, so balancing the need for environmental protection alongside the preservation of personal freedoms is a critical challenge for societies worldwide.
