STUDENT 1: For this week's forum, I have decided to focus on Qatar. When searching for an area to research, I found that, according to National Geographic, Qatar's per capita carbon emissions are the highest in the world and three times as high as that of the United States (National Geographic 2019). The citizens of Qatar are provided with free water and electricity, which contributes to tremendous energy demands as the water has to be desalinated and air conditioners are excessively used (National Geographic 2019). In fact, the energy demand in Qatar grows by 7 percent each year to run the desalinators, air conditioners, and natural gas production equipment that the economy depends on (National Geographic 2019). Current projections assert that if every person on Earth lived like Qataris, the Earth would need 5 times the resources it currently has to sustain that sort of lifestyle (National Geographic 2019). While the country experienced tremendous economic growth and increases in education as a result of the exploitation of resources/environmental degradation, the citizens face a serious health threat from air pollution (Lanouar et al. 2016, 1). Qatar's level of air pollution far exceeds the World Health Organization's recommended standards (Lanouar et al. 2016, 2). Asthma in particular is highly prevalent in Qatari children (Lanouar et al. 2016, 2). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, among many other respiratory diseases, can affect the population due to these excessive levels of air pollution (Lanouar et al. 2016, 2). These threats of air pollution, excessive energy consumption, and environmental degradation, therefore, contribute to the increased economic insecurity of Qatar by threatening the ecosystem, sustainability, survival, and quality of life for Qataris (APUS 2019). They pose grave concern for the amelioration of natural resource scarcity, the maintaining a healthy environment, the amelioration of environmental degradation, and could be a cause for social disorder or conflicts with other gulf states (Glenn et al. 1998, 19). As we read about, environmental strains transcend a state's borders/sovereignty (Tuchman-Mathews 1989), and given Qatar's close proximity to a number of states (some of which it already has existing tensions with), the environmental security of Qatar is of upmost concern and needs to be addressed for the sake of its citizens' wellbeing, the conservation of resources, and preventing escalation with other states. Devin References APUS. "Lesson 1: An Overview of Environmental Security." APUS, 2019. https://edge.apus.edu/portal/site/406274/tool/cab9c42a-523d-4c0f-a59c605f5f0d6257/ShowPage?returnView=&studentItemId=0&backPath=&errorMessage=&clearAttr=&sour ce=&title=&sendingPage=3115422&newTopLevel=false&postedComment=false&addBefore=&itemId=1 1718606&path=push&addTool=-1&recheck=&id=. (accessed May 7, 2019). Glenn, Jerome, Theodore Gordon, and Renat Perelet. "Defining Environmental Security: Implications for the U.S. Army." Army Environmental Policy Institute, (December 1998): 1-45. https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a593191.pdf. (accessed May 7, 2019). Lanouar, Charfeddine, Afnan Yousef Al-Malk, and Khloud Al Karbi. "Air Pollution in Qatar: Causes and Challenges." College of Business and Economics, Qatar University, Vol. 1, Iss. 3, (2016): 1-7. http://www.qu.edu.qa/static_file/qu/colleges/cbe/documents/research/Charfeddine_2016.pdf. (accessed May 7, 2019). National Geographic. "Ten Countries with the Biggest Footprints: Qatar." National Geographic, 2019. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/sustainable-earth/pictures-ten-countries-with-thebiggest-footprints/. (accessed May 7, 2019). Tuchman-Matthews, Jessica. "Redefining Security." Foreign Affairs, Vol. 68, Iss. 2, (1989). https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/1989-03-01/redefining-security. (accessed May 7, 2019). STUDENT 2: Good afternoon class! For our first forum for this class, we have been asked to pick a state or region and discuss three serious threats to the environmental security of inhabitants. In our lesson, it speaks about environmental security is one of the issues that requires transnational cooperation. The United Nations recognize that climate change is one of the defining issues of the world at this time and are attempting to take drastic action to help the world we know today, to become a better world tomorrow (United Nations). I would like to focus on Alaska for the three serious threats. The first threat of climate change that is playing a role on Alaska is the continuous thawing of the Arctic. The last four years have been the hottest years on record, and the winter temperatures in the Arctic has raised 3 degrees Celsius since 1990 (United Nations). With the melting of the ice caps in the Arctic, it has contributed directly to the coastal erosion, sea ice retreat and permafrost melt. A fourth impact of the higher temperatures have been wildfires in Alaska. Wildfires have destroyed more forest in Alaska than any other decade on recorded, and these numbers are estimated to double by 2050 (Moss). The coastal erosion caused by the ice melt is affecting the coastal storms. The ice that was once there as a buffer against the waves, no longer is. The fishing in Alaska is also being affected, in particular the crabbing season, that is now shorter by a month on both ends of the season (Livingston). The threat behind the permafrost melting, which is the always-frozen ground that underlies much of Alaska, is the release of the carbon from the plants underneath the ice. Scientists have estimated that the process of permafrost thawing could contribute as much as 1.7 degrees Fahrenheit to the already prevalent global warming (Fountain). Best of luck with the first week of class, class! I hope you all have a great weekend! Tyler AMU. IRLS409 Lesson Week 1. 2019. "UNITED NATIONS Climate Change - Summit 2019." United Nations. Accessed May 09, 2019. https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/. Moss, Tyler, Caitlin Morton, Tyler Moss, and Caitlin Morton. "14 Places Disappearing Because of Climate Change." Condé Nast Traveler. April 20, 2018. Accessed May 09, 2019. https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/10-places-to-visit-before-theyre-lost-to-climate-change. Livingston, Ian. "In Alaska, Climate Change Is Showing Increasing Signs of Disrupting Everyday Life." The Washington Post. May 08, 2019. Accessed May 09, 2019. https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/05/08/alaska-climate-change-is-showing-increasingsigns-disrupting-everyday-life/?utm_term=.8ffb739db668. Fountain, Henry. "Alaska's Permafrost Is Thawing." The New York Times. August 23, 2017. Accessed May 09, 2019. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/08/23/climate/alaska-permafrost-thawing.html. STUDENT 3: Hello Professor Ruff and Class, We have been tasked to discuss a set of situations that we deem prevalent on the topic of environmental security. I have been having problems with the log in, so I am taking things from memory in hope that I recollect accurately enough. Then when I tried to verify which reference belonged to one I was using, it popped up a window with a big padlock on it. Apparently that was not the one, but there are umpteen listed and the name doesn’t seem to coincide with any I find matching the link. I am correct in knowing it does belong to the situation and too many details to explain further. I chose Haiti as a country in distress based on some past information while studying my Peacekeeping Logistics class. The approach was about logistics, but the concerns were still there in that there were strategies that had to be dealt with in regard to helping countries and how to go about it. In the case of Haiti, there were a lot of natural catastrophes from earthquakes. In turn this affected the economy greatly. It also affected the culture. The approach to my other paper to do with Haiti was similar and contrasting. In terms of natural catastrophe, to do with our topic is more to do with climate change being the most prevalent and associative point relating to the economic and cultural business. I derive quite a bit of information through reading our first week’s lesson along with the Chapter 12 reading of Human Security (American Public University System, 2019). I am roughly putting this topic into a capsule form when mentioning climate change, economic growth and culture effects, of course. To summarize, climate change is mentioned in the above-mentioned reading of Chapter 12, that changes of too much rain, or too little, result in floods or drought; that in turn effects economic growth due to agricultural practices, slowing of crops, food production, sales and trade. Another example how it is affected is when stock has to be sold or dies due to drought. Naturally stock is sold if it can be understood in time by the farmer that he cannot continue to keep the stock because of the environmental conditions of water shortages, or lack of food. The third unseen, but felt consequence occurs is the cultural changes that people are put through when conditions like drought or floods cause a migration to other areas that bring a disconnection from the familiar social culture people are accustomed to. It is considered of great importance that people are allowed to maintain their own culture and to have it returned to them as soon as feasibly possible. Also people move from rural to urban areas for better working and living conditions, from Chapter 12 FAQ12.4 (Adger, et al., pp 761-775). Haiti had so many earthquakes natural catastrophes that it has kept their people in an upheaval. Neighboring states would have people come in to work but they would return to their state. The economic flow went out of the country rather than ever being able to stimulate the weakened and vulnerable economy. In turn, another thing that occurs due to a weakened state situation is divisions of groups and government policies slowing processes that also affect conflict resolution. There was a lot of corruption going on in Haiti. Some of it was also to do with human trafficking, if I correctly recall (Oswald-Spring, 2011). To sum it up from here, this week’s study encompasses the basis of our course with regard to how humans are affected with the environment and with their security within it. As mentioned, I chose climate change, economic growth and cultural effects, or simply cultures as the main three, although not the only three things going on in these matters by any means. Climate Change seems to be a primary source that effects so many other things. In that is shown that it effects economic growth exampled with too much rain, floods or not enough, causing drought and wind erosion, thus, effecting the agriculture, food, and making a living. In turn, these affect the living circumstances of economic change and also of migration that moves people from one area to another. The migration of people from their local homes and groups of culture are affected (Adger, et al., pp 761-775; American Public University System, 2019; Oswald-Spring, 2011). Regards, R. Kathie McClung Bibliography Adger, W. N., J. M. Pulhin, J. Barnett, G. D. Debelko, G. K. Hovelsrud, M. Levy, U. O. Spring, and C. G. Vogel. Human Security. In: Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Part A: Global and Sectoral Aspects. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA: Cambridge University Press, 2014. Chapter 12: Human Security pp. 755-791 American Public University System. "WEEK 1: An Overview of Environmental Security: Defining and Contextualizing Environmental Security." Lecture, IRLS409 - Environmental Security, American Military University/American Public University System, Charlestown, West Virginia, May 2019. Oswald-Spring, Ursula. Human, Gender and Environmental Security: A HUGE security. 2011.
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