The World, Agreements, Politics and Earthly Change

There are a finite number of resources available on Earth. Rising materialistic demands, increases in international trade, economic struggle and population explosion have impacts on the environment. Environmental issues play both direct and indirect roles in both political disputes and violent conflicts; especially in third world countries in which resources are scarce or trans-boundary.

A global awareness of environmental struggle has increased within the last 25 years. As a result, multi-lateral international environmental agreements (MLA), multinational environmental organizations and numerous conferences have been constructed and occurred to help mitigate environmental impacts.

Examples of MLA’s include but are not limited to the Montreal Protocol, Basel Treaty and the Kyoto Protocol. Changes in country respective politics, economic status and interdependency, social pressures, a rise in terrorism and other security and stability issues cause constant challenges for successful implementation, enforcement and acceptance of processes that reduce environmental impact and/or increase the standards of living. This is includes the United States.

Themes within these agreements and ongoing environmental issues include land degradation, desertification, water scarcity, biological diversity, air pollution, resource management, enforcement and penalties and consequences of climate change.

Since 1997, 38 countries have joined a think tank called the Millennium Project. The think tanks believes that national security is intermixed with the environment. The project centers on the prevention and repair of military damage to the environment, prevention and response to environmentally caused conflicts and the overall environmental protection.

The United Nations prepares for UN Framework Convention on Climate Change conference. This event has representation from 194 (possibility of change) governments and identifies solutions for global warming. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference states that it recognizes that the climate system is a shared resource.

Ongoing technological and social advances will help the environment. Even though many people are returning to wild ways, utilizing advances in technology combined with a base of environmental justice, conservation and remediation will help mitigate our impact.

All of the above international endeavors strive to reduce mans dependence on finite resources, increase standards of living and in some ways, produce stability.

Recycling, sustainable practices, smaller production and the creation of new environmentally friendly technology, like nanotechnology, that can potentially produce energy from small organisms, will potentially reduce our dependence on finite or throw resrouces and products.

Multinational private and public research and investment into new ideas, methodology and materials is vital for success. If environmental endeavors are stifled on a large scale, start small, start local, start with ourselves.

Be the change.

All nations will continue to struggle for balance between the environment, politics, security, industrialization and growth. Environmental management and security issues will remain an international affair as the world continues to integrate.