Politics - Climate change

Misinformation

unintentional false

disinformation

deliberately misleading

Climate change

long-term shifts in the Earths temperature and weather patterns over many decades.

Anthropogenic

things made by people or resulting from human activity

Tragedy of the commons

individuals have access to a common pool of resources and ultimately overuse and deplete them

Short term causes of climate change

1. Burning fossil fuels

2. Deforestation

3. Transportation (29% total GHG by US)

4. Consumption (60% GHG Worland 23)

Australia's energy % renewables

Renewables generated 43% Australia's total electricity grid (2025) climate council

Amazon rainforest destruction rate

1 football field a minute

Why is climate change a global issue

transcends national boundaries

causes and consequences are globally interconnected

natural phenomena role in causing CC

• volcanic activity, solar variation and natural climate cycles historically contributed to changes in global temperature however cannot alone account for rapid rate of warming since industrial revolution

social factor causing CC

Household consumption causing 60-70% of global GHG

economic factor causing CC

fossil fuel consumption

Political factor causing CC

Woodside energy donated over $2 million to political parties since 2015

Environmental factor causing CC

natural phenomena and anthropogenic

Ideological factor Causing CC

capitalism - prioritisation of limitless growth

Cultural factor causing CC

Technological factor causing CC

Global Interconnectedness

Refers to the intricate web of interactions and interdependencies that link countries, societies and individuals across the world

Positive impacts of global interconnectedness

• facilitates international cooperation

• Intergovernmental organisations like UN

• knowledge sharing (BBC news)

negative impacts of global interconnectedness

• Increase in transportation of goods and services

• Proliferation of free trade agreements

• accelerated the economic model of comparative advantage (pollution haven effect)

International Transport Forum (2021)

GHG emissions from freight transport will increase 2.3 fold (2015-2050)

UNFCCC

United Nations framework convention on Climate Change

The Paris Agreement temperatures

limit temperature increase from predicted 4 degrees to 2.1-2.8 degrees

Required GHG reductions to remain in line with paris agreement

43% by 2030, 60% by 2035

UK declared a climate emergency

1 May 2019

Extinction rebellion protest

Pink Boat Action (2019), large pink boat with "Tell the truth" on it, middle of Oxford Circus in London

Extinction Rebellion what % of British adults oppose their distruptive tactics

54%

How much does United Arab emirates make from fossil fuels

30% of its GDP

Risk factors that make states more susceptible to consequences of climate change

• high-level dependence on agriculture

• recent history of conflict

• discriminatory political institutions

Climate change migration

People leaving their homes due to extreme weather events and other conditions caused by climate change, most climate-related migration occurs internally

UN High Commissioner for Refugees on Climate migrants

21.5 million people have been forcibly displaced by weather events caused by CC each year since 2008

World Bank estimates internal climate migrants could increase to

143 million by 2050

Who is most susceptible to forced migration

States in South Pacific region, tend to be low-lying, most susceptible to impacts of CC including coastal, erosion, flooding and rising sea levels

State with estimated 2-3 decades before submerged in water

Tuvalu

Lake Chad (conflict)

• Once Africas largest freshwater body, provided source of livelihood for about 30 million people

• Since 1960 diminished by 90% due to overuse and CC

• Reduction in lake contributed to poverty, making people more susceptible to recruitment by paramilitary groups such as Boko Haram and competition over, land, water and pastures

Conflict idea

historical links between an increase in temperature and the incidence of civik war

Lake Chad (conflict) amnesty international statistic

More than 3600 people died as part of conflicts between farmers and herders from beginning of 2016 to late 2018

Food insecurity

• Climater change has led to heatwaves, heavy rainfall and drought, reducing crop yields

• South Asia and South-East Asia is most at risk foor crop failures and hunger

• Predricted that within the next 30 years, food insecurity from CC will increase if little to no action is taken to address CC

Climate change currently realism approach

Climate change requires cosmopolitan approach

Data centres

produce 1% of global energy related GHG emissions and consume significant water for cooling

AI growth has accelerated these impacts with power demands expected to double by 2026

national security threats

threats to sovereignty, territory and population stability