Beyond sandbox environmentalism
Beyond sandbox environmentalism Author: Wiktor Zaremba Originally Published at Peace and Conflict Monitor on: 03/01/2011 The recent toxic stain on the Gulf of Mexico and BP’s reputation and President Obama’s repeated calls for a renewable energy push stand as perfect examples of the tremendous disparity between our technological and social opportunities and the sad […]
Climate Change and Socio-Economic Development in Africa
The paper traces the predicament of climate change in Africa from the industrial era, through the 1950’s when African nations started regaining freedom from their colonial masters, to the present day of persistent socio-economic underdevelopment. It compares the greenhouse gases generated in Africa to the rest of the world and identifies through literatures the expected impacts of climate change in Africa.
Keywords: Climate change, Africa nations, impacts, poverty and socio-economic development.
Emerging Socio-Economic and Political Conflicts in Tanzania
Emerging Socio-Economic and Political Conflicts in Tanzania Author: William John Originally Published at Peace and Conflict Monitor on: 02/02/2011 Tanzania is known as a paradise of peace in the troubled continent of Africa. The country neither experienced civil wars, religious conflicts, ethnicity nor coups since independence (Hirschler, 2004; Rubanza, 2001). In effect, Tanzania facilitated […]
Re-Valuating Gender and the Environment: Paradigm Shifting toward a Human Rights Based Approach to Development
In her highly nuanced academic analysis, UPeace alumna Ani Colekessian delves into the historical-theoretical links between concepts of gender and the environment. She calls for a gendered, human rights based approach to development as the means to overcome the dangers of relegating both women and the environment to the misplaced patriarchal construct of an undervalued “feminine” at the disposal of the dominant “masculine”.
Reflections on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
The following excerpts were taken from reflection papers written by the Responsible Management and Sustainable Economic Development class at the University for Peace during a course on Social Responsibility.
Compiled by Professor Nika Salvetti.
Beyond Tradition: Welcoming the New Year and the Environment
James Lovelock, author of Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth, smartly points out that, “for each of our actions there are only consequences”. While we understand this concept at face value, rarely do we stop to consider the multifaceted impacts of our actions. Reflecting on the manufacturing, transportation, combustion and solid waste associated with fireworks celebrations, Stephanie Weiss challenges us to consider the following: What kind of consequence does welcoming the New Year with fireworks have on our environment?
Air Pollution and Climate Change: China’s Policy Options
The Beijing Olympics have become a focus point for environmental policy discussions, including the enormity and complexity of the global climate change challenge. In this article, David Chalmers discusses China’s contribution to climate change and the human security implications of the carbon tariffs that seem likely to result.
Africa for Sale: The Land Grab Landmine
A new phenomenon is taking shape across the developing world, threatening to heighten resource-related conflict, particularly in Africa. Referred to as land leasing, land selling or land grabbing, it affects Africa more than any other region, where land is more than a factor of production, but a lifeline to an individual’s wellbeing, the family unit, the community at large and the stability of the state. In this article, Patrick Mugo Mugo exposes the extent of the land grab phenomenon, arguing that while we debate over whether it is land grabbing, leasing or selling, African countries are already stepping on a potential landmine.
Examining the tragedy of New Orleans using Classical Realism, Green theory, and Marxism to champion Climate Debt and Environmental Justice
August 23, 2005 remains in history as a turning point for many of us and specifically for the residents of New Orleans. On this day, the infamous Hurricane Katrina was born in the Bahamas. It swiftly transformed itself into a category one hurricane and crossed over to South Florida, killing some people and caused some floods before it grew into a dangerous monster as it transcended the Gulf of Mexico. Landing as a category three storm in New Orleans, it unleashed extensive terror, environmental and economic damage all the way into Central Florida and Texas. Some critics argued that it was act of God. Others say it was God’s way of “cleaning” New Orleans. Others pondered that it was time for business. While this remains contested, it is undeniable that this tragedy was both a climate problem and extensively theorized.
Main words: Climate debt, climate justice, green theory, Marxism, classical realism.
Lost in Assimilation: The Tragedy of Traditional Ecological Knowledge
The field of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), which captures the worldviews and ways of living of indigenous communities in relation to their environments, has become a glamorous concept in the lexicon of development theorists. The paper seeks to critically engage with the possibility and challenges of ‘successful integration of indigenous knowledge and ethics into modern science and culture’, highlighting two challenges in particular: the itemization and alienation of beliefs and understandings to fit within a functional and mechanistic worldview (a tragedy of parts), and the broader negative consequences of distorting cultural epistemologies of profound wisdom and relevance to the survival of our species (a tragedy of the whole).