Global Justice, Natural Resources, and Climate Change

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan Blomfield
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Global Justice ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
The Face ◽  
Human Conflict ◽  
Political Communities

It is commonly recognized that in pursuit of climate justice we must navigate many conflicting claims over natural resources. This has long been obvious in the case of fossil fuels and greenhouse gas sinks including the atmosphere and forests; but it is ever more apparent that responses to climate change also threaten to spur new competition over land and extractive resources. This makes climate change an instance of a broader, more enduring and—for many—all too familiar problem: the problem of human conflict over how the natural world should be cared for, protected, shared, used, and managed. This work develops a new theory of global egalitarianism for natural resources, rejecting both permanent sovereignty and equal division, which is then used to examine the problem of climate change. It formulates principles of resource right designed to protect the ability of all human beings to satisfy their basic needs as members of self-determining political communities, where it is understood that the genuine exercise of collective self-determination is not possible from a position of significant disadvantage in global wealth and power relations. These principles are used to address the question of where to set the ceiling on future greenhouse gas emissions and how to share the resulting emissions budget, in the face of conflicting claims to fossil fuels, climate sinks, and land. It is also used to defend an unorthodox understanding of responsibility for climate change as a problem of global justice, based on its provenance in historical injustice concerning natural resources.

scholarly journals Climate change and its impacts: growing stress factors for human societies

2010 ◽  
Vol 92 (879) ◽  
pp. 557-568 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Beniston
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Life Support ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
First Century ◽  
Stress Factors ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
The Face ◽  
Water Quality And Quantity

AbstractThe realization that human beings need to be concerned about the only ‘life-support system’ that the Earth and its environment provides stems perhaps in part from the fact that, until fairly recently, the evolution of humankind was largely dependent on the quality of the environment and the resources it provides in terms of water, food, and favourable health conditions. These are as vital as ever, despite current levels of technology and apparent resilience in the face of often degraded environments in many parts of the world. Today, the conditions for human sustainability (i.e. water quality and quantity, food security, and health) are potentially under threat as a result of numerous human-induced factors; among these, climate change is certainly one of the more durable aspects of anthropogenic disruptions to natural resources. This article will therefore focus on the possible evolution of climate in the course of the twenty-first century and on a number of key climate impacts that may determine the future course of human societies, as well as issues that may confront them such as rivalries over natural resources and possible environmentally driven conflicts and migrations.

Indigenous Peoples in Europe and Their International Protection vis-à-vis the Threat of Climate Change

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-65
Author(s):  
Alexandra Tomaselli
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Human Rights ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Indigenous Rights ◽  
International Protection ◽  
Climate Change Effects ◽  
Holistic Management ◽  
The Face

Indigenous peoples are among the most vulnerable sectors of society in the face of climate change because they generally have a profound and spiritual relationship with the(ir) land. Paradoxically, they are among those who have maintained and promoted a holistic management of the(ir) land and the environment, and have caused less climate change effects. The Inuit petition against the US at the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights has prompted the debate and an increased international attention on climate change effects and human (and indigenous) rights. However, the nexus between human rights and climate change raises several conceptual issues. Against this background, this article pursues a threefold goal. First, it aims to introduce the international debate, scholarly approaches, and conceptual and analytical questions that have arisen and still arise about the human rights-climate change nexus. Second, it tries to ascertain how the exploitation of non-renewable natural resources, such as fossil fuels (e.g. oil and gas), are contributing to climate change and how (some of) its adverse effects may—directly or indirectly—represent a threat for indigenous peoples and their rights in the Russian Federation and in Northern Europe (Denmark-Greenland, Finland, Norway, and Sweden). Third, it seeks to identify which indigenous international law instruments may offer (some) protection to these indigenous peoples against (few) climate change-related harms.

scholarly journals Remarks on ISRU and ISFR Technologies for Manned Missions on Moon and Mars

2012 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 243
Author(s):  
A. Concas ◽  
G. Corrias ◽  
R. Orrù ◽  
R. Licheri ◽  
M. Pisu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Novel Technologies ◽  
Space Colonization

Space colonization and exploitation of extra-terrestrial natural resources could help humanity in facing various Earth problems. In this regard, production of energy and materials starting from Moon and Mars natural resources as well as the transportation of humans in space could be considered the long term remedy to issues such as overpopulation, depletion of fossil fuels, climate change as well as reduction of available natural resources. Along theses lines, two recently filed patents related to use of novel technologies for the in situ exploitation of natural resources available on Moon and Mars have been developed.

scholarly journals Algaeculture: An Alternative to Solving Energy Sustainability Crises in Developing Countries

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ojo-Awo Adeyinka ◽  
A. Phillip
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Agricultural Crops ◽  
Energy Sustainability ◽  
Bioenergy Feedstock ◽  
Oil Resources ◽  
The World ◽  
Conventional Oil

There is an impending need to reduce the dependency on fossil fuels in these areas of the world considering the ever depleting conventional oil resources and climate change, induced by greenhouse gas emissions. Algae are currently being prompted as a potential next generation bioenergy feedstock due to the fact that they do not compete with food or feed crops. They also produce much higher areal oil yields than the current agricultural crops. They can be produced on barren lands and have broad bioenergy potentials as they can be used to produce liquid transportation and heating fuels such as biodiesel and ethanol, or anaerobically digested to produce biogas. Algae are fast growing organisms capable of fixing high amount of carbondioxide through photosynthesis to produce biomass. Diverse technologies are currently being pursued to produce algae for bioenergy applications. The successful culture of algae could serve as a solution to the impending energy crises in both developed and developing countries.

scholarly journals Accumulation by Dispossession

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 31-45
Author(s):  
Sydney Myles
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Developing Nations ◽  
Bilateral Investment Treaties ◽  
High Demand ◽  
Accumulation By Dispossession ◽  
The Face ◽  
Investment Treaties ◽  
Debt Repayment ◽  
Socioeconomic Consequences

This paper reviews the negative socioeconomic consequences of neoliberal debt repayment loan policies and bilateral investment treaties (BITs) proceeding financial downfalls in postcolonial nations. Amidst this era of globalization, many corporations residing in Western, capital exporting nations have taken advantage of flexible borders and financially weakened nations to capitalize on natural resources, such as water. In tandem, as climate change strengthens its grip on scarce natural resources in many developing nations, so do western corporations privatizing dwindling supplies in the face of high demand.

scholarly journals Adaptive Heritage: Is This Creative Thinking or Abandoning Our Values?

Climate ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 128
Author(s):  
Jim Perry ◽  
Iain J. Gordon
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Creative Thinking ◽  
Monitoring And Evaluation ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Biosphere Reserves ◽  
World Heritage Sites ◽  
Heritage Sites ◽  
The Face ◽  
Wet Tropics ◽  
Natural World Heritage Sites

Protected areas, such as natural World Heritage sites, RAMSAR wetlands and Biosphere Reserves, are ecosystems within landscapes. Each site meets certain criteria that allow it to qualify as a heritage or protected area. Both climate change and human influence (e.g., incursion, increased tourist visitation) are altering biophysical conditions at many such sites. As a result, conditions at many sites are falling outside the criteria for their original designation. The alternatives are to change the criteria, remove protection from the site, change site boundaries such that the larger or smaller landscape meets the criteria, or manage the existing landscape in some way that reduces the threat. This paper argues for adaptive heritage, an approach that explicitly recognizes changing conditions and societal value. We discuss the need to view heritage areas as parts of a larger landscape, and to take an adaptive approach to the management of that landscape. We offer five themes of adaptive heritage: (1) treat sites as living heritage, (2) employ innovative governance, (3) embrace transparency and accountability, (4) invest in monitoring and evaluation, and (5) manage adaptively. We offer the Australian Wet Tropics as an example where aspects of adaptive heritage currently are practiced, highlighting the tools being used. This paper offers guidance supporting decisions about natural heritage in the face of climate change and non-climatic pressures. Rather than delisting or lowering standards, we argue for adaptive approaches.

A Changing Dynamic: The Need for Collaboration on Talent Development and Climate Change in the E&P Industry

2007 ◽  
Vol 01 (03) ◽  
pp. 05-10
Author(s):  
_ Talent & Technology
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Sequestration ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Talent Development ◽  
Oil And Gas Industry ◽  
Gas Industry ◽  
Critical Issues

Feature - In late June, 2007 SPE President Abdul-Jaleel Al-Khalifa hosted an executive industry wide summit with 75 global leaders to advance cross-sector collaboration on two critical issues facing the oil and gas industry. Talent scarcity has been a pressing and recurring item on company agendas for several years. On the technology front, the heightened focus on climate change and greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions from fossil fuels is expected to influence many areas including media, legislation, and policymaking. The oil and gas industry has been actively involved in various technology projects to promote carbon sequestration. The summit provided a venue to frame and boost an industry position on this critical and widely publicized subject.

The Significance of Historical Injustice Concerning Natural Resources

2019 ◽  
pp. 193-219
Author(s):  
Megan Blomfield
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Global Justice ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
Climate Justice ◽  
Resource Exploitation ◽  
Important Lesson ◽  
Historical Injustice ◽  
Climate Policies ◽  
Climate Vulnerability

This chapter develops an alternative defence of the climate debt claim via a broader discussion of how historical wrongdoing concerning natural resources could be relevant to climate justice. It first examines climate change as a problem of global justice, arguing that theorists should consider why some groups are more vulnerable to climate impacts than others and to what extent unequal vulnerability could be a result of historical injustice. Focusing on colonial resource exploitation as a significant example of natural resource injustice, it is argued that the legacies of such exploitation will likely be a significant contributor to present-day vulnerability in countries that have since gained formal independence. Such legacies have important implications for our understanding of climate vulnerability; render some climate duties a matter of rectificatory justice, vindicating the climate debt claim; and provide an important lesson in how similar wrongs could be perpetrated through future climate policies.

Impact of renewable energy deployment on climate change in Nigeria

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 125-134
Author(s):  
Udochukwu B. Akuru ◽  
Ogbonnaya I. Okoro ◽  
Edward Chikuni
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Environmental Effects ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Industrial Growth ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

It is well known fact that the rate of industrial growth of any country is a function of the amount of energy available in that country and the extent to which this energy is utilized. The burning of fossil fuels to generate energy is a dirty process. Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions result when fossil fuels are produced and consumed and these emissions contribute to climate change. Nigeria as a country is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change because its economy is mainly dependent on income generated from the production, processing, export and/or consumption of fossil fuels and its associated energy-intensive products. Hence, it is on this premise that this paper is researched to review the energy sources being used in Nigeria and investigate its impact to climate change. Findings reveal Nigeria’s over-dependence on fossil-generated energy with associated adverse environmental effects, among other things. Recommendations for the integration of renewable energy into Nigeria’s energy mix, beyond other measures, have been offered, especially with reference to the salient environmental benefits that accrue to it.

scholarly journals The Dynamics of Public Perceptions and Climate Change in Swat Valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4464
Author(s):  
Muhammad Suleman Bacha ◽  
Muhammad Muhammad ◽  
Zeyneb Kılıç ◽  
Muhammad Nafees
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Local Adaptation ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Public Perceptions ◽  
Adaptation Strategies ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Prime Concern

With rising temperatures, developing countries are exposed to the horrors of climate change more than ever. The poor infrastructure and low adaptation capabilities of these nations are the prime concern of current studies. Pakistan is vulnerable to climate-induced hazards including floods, droughts, water shortages, shifts in weather patterns, loss of biodiversity, melting of glaciers, and more in the coming years. For marginal societies dependent on natural resources, adaptation becomes a challenge and the utmost priority. Within the above context, this study was designed to fill the existing research gap concerning public knowledge of climate vulnerabilities and respective adaptation strategies in the northern Hindukush–Himalayan region of Pakistan. Using the stratified sampling technique, 25 union councils (wards) were selected from the nine tehsils (sub-districts) of the study area. Using the quantitative method approach, structured questionnaires were employed to collect data from 396 respondents. The study reveals varying public perceptions about different factors contributing to the causes and impacts of climate change and the sources of information in the three zones of the study area. The primary causes of climate change are deforestation, industrial waste, anthropogenic impurities, natural causes, and the burning of fossil fuels exacerbated by increased population. Changes in temperature, erratic rainfalls, floods, droughts, receding glaciers, and extreme weather events are some of the impacts observed over the past decades. While limiting the indiscriminate use of fossil fuels combined with government-assisted rehabilitation of forests can help combat climate change, the lack of proper education and economic, social, and governance barriers are hindering the local adaptation strategies. In addition, reduce environmental pollution (air, water, soil, etc.) and plantation polluted areas with suitable plants, are the two main actions in combating climate change. This study recommends policy interventions to enhance local adaptation efforts through building capacity, equipping local environmental institutions, discouraging deforestation, and ensuring sustainable use of natural resources.

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