scholarly journals Climate Change as a Threat to Regional Peace and Security and the Role of the UNSC: An India-EU Perspective in Context

Politeja ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4(73)) ◽  
pp. 123-144
Author(s):  
Sujata Arya ◽  
Aparajita Mohanty ◽  
Sayantan Bhattacharyya
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
The United States ◽  
United Nations Security Council ◽  
Security Threat ◽  
Legal Principles ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

Climate change has increasingly come to be viewed as a security threat, as well as a ‘threat multiplier’. The impact of this has become a cause for major international concern, especially in light of national contributions to climate change, by virtue of heavy industrial dependence on polluting processes. To address this issue, certain national lobbies have suggested that the United Nations Security Council should be made legislate on the issue, given its bearing on international security. This approach has been supported by nations and blocs like the United States, the EU, the Pacific Islands, etc. An alternate lobby, comprising states like India, have argued against this approach due to the UNSC’s fractured mandate, and expressed their wish to keep deliberations more representative. This paper shall evaluate the context of climate change, the legal principles underlying it, and argue in favor of the Indian stand that the UNSC is not the appropriate institution to make policy decisions on this matter.

scholarly journals Power, the Pacific Islands, and the Prestige Press: A Case Study of How Climate Reporting is Influenced by UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Summits

2021 ◽  
pp. 194016122110180
Author(s):  
Meghan M. Shea ◽  
James Painter ◽  
Shannon Osaka
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Emotional Appeals ◽  
Issue Attention ◽  
Quantitative Results

While studies have investigated UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meetings as drivers of climate change reporting as well as the geopolitical role of Pacific Islands in these international forums, little research examines the intersection: how media coverage of Pacific Islands and climate change (PICC) may be influenced by, or may influence, UNFCCC meetings. We analyze two decades of reporting on PICC in American, British, and Australian newspapers—looking at both volume and content of coverage—and expand the quantitative results with semi-structured interviews with journalists and Pacific stakeholders. Issue attention on PICC increases and the content changes significantly in the periods around UNFCCC meetings, with shifts from language about vulnerability outside of UNFCCC periods to language about agency and solutions. We explore the implications of these differences in coverage for both agenda setting and the amplification of emotional appeals in UNFCCC contexts.

scholarly journals Perspectives of artist–practitioners on the communication of climate change in the Pacific

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 323-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart Capstick ◽  
Sarah Hemstock ◽  
Ruci Senikula
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Climate Impacts ◽  
Climate Change Communication ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Change Communication ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Research Interviews ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This study aims to investigate the role of the visual arts for communicating climate change in the context of the Pacific islands, through the perspectives of artists and climate change practitioners. Design/methodology/approach As part of an “Eco Arts” project carried out in Fiji, semi-structured research interviews were undertaken with artists and climate change practitioners. Findings Participants’ motivations to produce art reflected their personal concerns about, and experiences of, climate change. There was an intention to use art-based approaches to raise awareness and promote action on climate change. The artwork produced drew on metaphors and storytelling to convey future climate impacts and aspects of climate change relevant to Fijian and Pacific communities. Research limitations/implications The study reports the perspectives of participants and discusses the potential uses of arts communication. Conclusions cannot be drawn from the findings regarding the effectiveness of specific artwork or of arts communication as a general approach. Practical implications The research offers suggestions for the inclusion of creative approaches to climate change communication within education and vocational training. A consideration of the perspectives of artist–practitioners has implications for the design and conduct of climate change communication. Social implications The involvement of artist–practitioners in the communication of climate change offers the potential for novel discussions and interpretations of climate change with individuals and within communities, which complement more formal or scientific communication. Originality/value The present study identifies the motivations and objectives of artist–practitioners involved in climate change communication. The authors highlight the role of personal experience and their use of artistic concepts and creative considerations pertinent to the geography and culture of the Pacific region.

scholarly journals Energy Security Problem amid Global Energy Transition

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 772-784
Author(s):  
Yury V. Borovsky
Keyword(s):  
Energy Security ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
The United States ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Security Threat ◽  
The Us ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

In the early 2020s the worlds transition from carbon-intensive to climate-neutral energy use has already become a discernible and a difficult-to-reverse process. With Joe Bidens election as US president, the United States have returned to the Paris Climate Agreement and have become a key driver of this process (along with the EU and China). As a result, the international community has reached a consensus on the ongoing energy transition. This process will require considerable effort and may take several decades. Nevertheless, the impact of energy transition on traditional approaches to energy security, which emerged largely as a result of the global oil crises of the 1970s and 1980s and are centered around the supply of fossil fuels, is already a relevant research topic. This problem is examined relying on the relevant terminological, theoretical and factual material. The article concludes that energy transition will ultimately undermine the carbon paradigm that has underpinned energy security policies since the 1970s. Rapid development of renewable and other low-carbon energy sources will certainly remove key energy security risks of energy importers and, possibly, allow them to achieve energy independence. However, a post-carbon era may also generate new risks. For countries that rely heavily on oil, gas and coal exports, energy transition will result in the loss of markets and revenues. It may present an energy security threat for them as well as it will require a costly and technologically complex process of the energy sector decarbonization. Some exporters, especially those with high fuel rents and insufficient financial reserves, may face serious economic and social upheavals as a result of energy transition. The EU and the US energy transition policies reflect provisions of all three fundamental international relations theoretical paradigms, including realism. This means that the EU and the US policy, aimed at promoting climate agenda, may be expected to be rather tough and aggressive. China as the third key player in energy transition is still following a liberal course; however, it may change in the future.

Promoting Peace Through Climate Change Adaptation

2019 ◽  
pp. 462-488
Author(s):  
Peni Hausia Havea
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Pacific Island ◽  
Island Region ◽  
Impact Of Climate Change ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The Impact

Climate change has affected people's peace in the form of impact on livelihoods, health, and/or well-being. Most of these peace impacts, however, are felt significantly by people who are living in the low-lying communities in the Pacific, who are within and/or close to the Ring of Fire. This chapter is based on a study of peace and climate change adaptation that was conducted in the Pacific island region in 2016. It took place in five communities in Suva, Fiji: Vatuwaqa, Raiwaqa, Raiwai, Samabula, and Toorak. It highlights the impact of climate change on peace, and then it indicated how peace can be promoted in the form of climate change adaptation for these communities. Based on the results of this research, the author recommends that peace should be incorporated into the Pacific islands national adaptation plan.

scholarly journals SolarSPELL Assessment: Impact of a Solar-Powered Digital Library as a Teaching-Learning Resource on Climate Change

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (16) ◽  
pp. 6636
Author(s):  
Laura Hosman ◽  
Marcela Georgina Gómez Zermeño ◽  
Lorena Alemán de la Garza
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Digital Library ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Educational Innovation ◽  
Sustainable Community Development ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Solar Powered ◽  
Teaching Learning ◽  
The Impact

Inclusive and quality education can provide nations with the tools to solve global problems. However, some barriers prevent equal access to this education. These obstacles include the lack of basic resources such as electricity and internet availability, which prevents appropriate training in the skills necessary for sustainable community development. Therefore, we have responded with the Solar-Powered Educational Learning Library (SolarSPELL) initiative, which offers a solar-powered digital library and provides an internet-like experience through its offline WiFi network. This educational innovation has been implemented in rural schools across the Pacific Islands, including in some of the more remote islands of Fiji, an area strongly affected by climate change. The objective of the study was to understand the impact of SolarSPELL on teaching and learning about climate change in the schools where it was implemented. This research used a case study method in which quantitative tools were applied to understand the characteristics of the schools and the impact of this educational innovation. The results showed that the SolarSPELL library was an impactful pedagogical resource in the schools where it was implemented. It served as support for teachers and motivated the students, promoted the democratization of knowledge in vulnerable areas, and provided appropriate educational resources to generate knowledge about problem-solving actions that can respond to climate change. The importance of this educational innovation lies in presenting strategies and best practices that help improve the quality of education, making it more inclusive and eliminating barriers to the acquisition of knowledge.

The Role of Regulatory Impact Assessment in Fighting Climate Change and the Economic Downturn: A EU-US Perspective

2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 251-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacopo Torriti ◽  
Ragnar Lofstedt
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
The United States ◽  
Regulatory Competition ◽  
Economic Downturn ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The Us ◽  
Regulatory Impact ◽  
The Eu

In times of low economic growth and post-Copenhagen climate talks, a number of reasons for regulatory competition and cooperation between the United States and the European Union coexist. This paper discusses the role of Impact Assessment between the US and the EU on responses to the economic downturn and climate change. It is argued that, in the future, IAs will be an instrument through which it will be possible to read the level of cooperation and competition between the US and the EU, particularly on economic trade and environmental regulation.

The Negotiations for the Future Political Status of Micronesia (1980-1984)

1984 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
pp. 484-497
Author(s):  
Arthur John Armstrong ◽  
Howard Loomis Hills
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Foreign Relations ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Free Association ◽  
The United States ◽  
United Nations Security Council ◽  
Marshall Islands ◽  
Political Status ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
New States

Fourteen years of Micronesian political status negotiations culminated in 1983 with the final signature of the Compact of Free Association between the United States and the Governments of Palau, the Marshall Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). Upon being approved in accordance with its terms and the constitutional processes of the signatory Governments, the Compact will establish bilateral relationships between the United States and the new states emerging from the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. Approval of these future political status arrangements will also provide the basis for termination of the Trusteeship Agreement between the United States and the United Nations Security Council. The Compact defines an international political partnership between the United States and the freely associated states that is without precise precedent in international law or U.S. domestic practice. Under the Compact, each freely associated state will enjoy control over its internal affairs and its foreign relations, including competence to enter into international agreements. Mutual security arrangements, set forth in the Compact and its separate agreements, provide for a U.S. defense umbrella during the life of free association and long-term exclusion of third-country military forces, should any or all of the freely associated states opt for independence at some future date.

Hidden Island

2019 ◽  
pp. 201-230
Author(s):  
Nicholas Evan Sarantakes
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
The United States ◽  
Air Power ◽  
American Military ◽  
Pacific World ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Military Units ◽  
Political Negotiation

The Pacific world of the early twentieth century, dominated by Europe, Japan, and the United States, is gone. The region’s control by outsiders has been succeeded by increasing economic importance, broader political negotiation, and wider cultural acceptance. Whether considering transoceanic communication, popular understanding of air power, the limits to training a continental Asian army, local uses of food, the role of “special” military units, the understanding of nuclear weapons, or the impact of American military occupation, these essays shed light on the volatile Pacific as a whole. The chapters in War in the American Pacific and East Asia, 1941–1972illustrate how the mid-twentieth-century world set the stage for the Pacific of our own era, offering important waypoints for explaining the transition to the twenty-first century.

scholarly journals Postglacial migration across a large dispersal barrier outpaces regional expansion from glacial refugia: evidence from two conifers in the Pacific Northwest

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
MC Fernandez ◽  
FS Hu ◽  
DG Gavin ◽  
G deLafontaine ◽  
KD Heath
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Glacial Refugia ◽  
Conifer Species ◽  
Changing Climate ◽  
Modern Species ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Postglacial Migration ◽  
The Impact

AbstractUnderstanding how climate refugia and migration over great distances have facilitated species survival during periods of past climate change is crucial for evaluating contemporary threats to biodiversity. In addition to tracking a changing climate, extant species must face complex, anthropogenically fragmented landscapes. The dominant conifer species in the mesic temperate forests of the Pacific Northwest are split by the arid rain-shadow of the Cascade Range into coastal and interior distributions, with continued debate over the origins of the interior populations. If the Last Glacial Maximum extirpated populations in the interior then postglacial migration across the arid divide would have been necessary to create the current distribution, whereas interior refugial persistence could have locally repopulated the disjunction. These alternative scenarios have significant implications for the postglacial development of the Pacific Northwest mesic forests and the impact of dispersal barriers during periods of climate change. Here we use genotyping-by-sequencing (ddRADseq) and phylogeographical modeling to show that the postglacial expansion of both mountain hemlock and western redcedar consisted largely of long-distance spread inland in the direction of dominant winds, with limited expansion from an interior redcedar refugium. Our results for these two key mesic conifers, along with fossil pollen data, address the longstanding question on the development of the Pacific Northwest mesic forests and contrast with many recent studies emphasizing the role of cryptic refugia in colonizing modern species ranges.Statement of SignificanceUnderstanding whether habitat fragmentation hinders range shifts as species track a changing climate presents a pressing challenge for biologists. Species with disjunct distributions provide a natural laboratory for studying the effects of fragmentation during past periods of climate change. We find that dispersal across a 50-200-km inhospitable barrier characterized the expansion of two conifer species since the last ice age. The importance of migration, and minimal contribution of more local glacial refugia, contrasts with many recent studies emphasizing the role of microrefugia in populating modern species distributions. Our results address a longstanding question on the development of the disjunct mesic conifer forests of the Pacific Northwest and offer new insights into the spatiotemporal patterns of refugial populations and postglacial vegetation development previously unresolved despite decades of paleoecological studies.

scholarly journals Emerging Marine Biotoxins in Seafood from European Coasts: Incidence and Analytical Challenges

Foods ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo Estevez ◽  
David Castro ◽  
Ana Pequeño-Valtierra ◽  
Jorge Giraldez ◽  
Ana Gago-Martinez
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Food Safety ◽  
Marine Environment ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Marine Biotoxins ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Recent Emergence ◽  
A Priority ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

The presence of emerging contaminants in food and the sources of the contamination are relevant issues in food safety. The impact of climate change on these contaminations is a topic widely debated; however, the consequences of climate change for the food system is not as deeply studied as other human and animal health and welfare issues. Projections of climate change in Europe have been evaluated through the EU Commission, and the impact on the marine environment is considered a priority issue. Marine biotoxins are produced by toxic microalgae and are natural contaminants of the marine environment. They are considered to be an important contaminant that needs to be evaluated. Their source is affected by oceanographic and environmental conditions; water temperature, sunlight, salinity, competing microorganisms, nutrients, and wind and current directions affect the growth and proliferation of microalgae. Although climate change should not be the only reason for this increase and other factors such as eutrophication, tourism, fishery activities, etc. could be considered, the influence of climate change has been observed through increased growth of dinoflagellates in areas where they have not been previously detected. An example of this is the recent emergence of ciguatera fish poisoning toxins, typically found in tropical or subtropical areas from the Pacific and Caribbean and in certain areas of the Atlantic Sea such as the Canary Islands (Spain) and Madeira (Portugal). In addition, the recent findings of the presence of tetrodotoxins, typically found in certain areas of the Pacific, are emerging in the EU and contaminating not only the fish species where these toxins had been found before but also bivalve mollusks. The emergence of these marine biotoxins in the EU is a reason for concern in the EU, and for this reason, the risk evaluation and characterization of these toxins are considered a priority for the European Food Safety Authorities (EFSA), which also emphasize the search for occurrence data using reliable and efficient analytical methods.

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