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Climate Change Society
Climate Change Society: What affect will climate changehave on
our society as we know it? This question posesconsiderable
analytical problems for governments around
the world. We all watched the events of HurricaneKatrina unfold
on our TV screens as the storm developedover the Gulf of Mexico. We
saw how this stormintensified and struck the coast of the USA with
theferocity unparalleled in recorded memory. These eventsunfolded
before our eyes and we were shocked at the
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aftermath, where we saw civil society breakdown intowhat some
called total anarchy. Now imagine the sameevent only 10 times
worse, that is what the world couldbe facing if the trends in
climate change continue.
We are increasingly a coastal species, 44% of the
world'spopulation (6.75 billion) or 2.9 billion people live
within150 km (ca.100 miles) of the coast. This is more peoplethan
inhabited the entire planet in 1950. In 1995 alone,an estimated 50
million people migrated to the coastalzones of the United
States.
Mass migration to the coasts will continue in the decadesahead.
Most of this population growth is concentrated inlarge coastal
cities. As coastal population grows, alongwith the activities that
accompany this growth, thecoastlines are radically altered.
Clearing, landreclamation, and channeling for flood and tidal
watersdestroy coastal wetlands. Port development, roadbuilding,
coastal construction, tourist resorts and the
mining of beach sand for construction material
obliterateshorelines. These activities often increase coastal
erosionand damage habitats, for example, seagrass beds aredestroyed
by boat propellers and coral reefs poisoned,often away from the
development site.
Much of our scientific research has focussed on trying
tounderstand the way that Climate Change and GlobalWarming affects
the planet. Recently, we are also turningour attention to the human
cost that these changes arehaving on our society. One area of
research that hasattracted considerable attention has been what
effectweather has on crime and social disorder. We are also
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beginning to understand the connectionbetween biodiversity and
human well-being, particularlyas ecosystems change as a result of
human activities.
If the predictions of Global Warming and ClimateChange are
correct then society should be urgentlyworking towardsdeveloping
adaptation and mitigation strategies tocombat these dramatic
changes. Hurricane Katrinaprovides us with a window into the
aftermath of extremeweather events and allows us to look other
social
problems such as crime, health, and mentalhealth enabling us
address these issues.
Finally, when considering 'climate change society', whatdo we
think about the moral responsibility of variousnations towards
climate change, and does this varybetween countries? Global warming
and extreme weatherconditions may have calamitous consequences
for
the human rights of millions of people. Will climatechange
impact differently on men and women?
The UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon and many othersare
convinced we are confronting a climate emergency towhich we must
respond. However, the response byleaders of their respective
countries atthe Bali and Copenhagen Conferences does not bode
wellfor global cooperation. Climate change society
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