War for Resources

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the links between aggression and environmental stress, in that damage to the environment often leads to conflict over resources and then to war. The paper specifically discusses the views of Richard Matthew, who argues in "Conserving the Peace" that the links between environmental stress and conflict can be distilled into four categories: unsustainable use of resources, inequitable access to resources, use of resources to finance conflict and incompatible uses leading to conflict.

Table of Contents:
Introduction
Unsustainable Use of Resources
Inequitable Access to Resources
Use of Resources to Finance Conflict
Incompatible Uses Leading to Conflict
Water
Solutions in Progress
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"If we do not respond to environmental problems, social disintegration, war and famine will increasingly plague the planet. To have peace, we need sustainable development. Peace is not simply the absence of war, violence, and hostility--it is reconciliation, human flourishing, and natural beauty. We have the ability to provide basic and adequate resources for everyone living on Earth so that no one is trapped in poverty while others enjoy abundant wealth. We can change social policies that dispossess the poor of their land and ignore their property rights. "For the first time in history, technology and science enable us to understand Earth's ecology and our impact on it, to control population growth, and to increase the carrying capacity in ways never before imagined" (Steven A. LeBlanc cited in Coles, 2004). If we make a systematic effort, we can restore balance and nurture an environment conducive to peace."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Breaking the habit (2004). The Nation (Feb 9), 178 (5), 11-14.
• Brown, V. J. (2004). Battle scars: Global conflicts and environmental health. Environmental Health Perspectives, 112 (17), 994-1003.
• Coles, C. (2004). Resources for peace. The Futurist (Jan/Feb), 38 (1) 6.
• Conserving the Peace: Resources, Livelihoods, and Security (2002). IUCN/IISD E&S Task Force. Johannesburg: World Summit on Sustainable Development.
• Dannenmaier, E. (2001). Environmental security and governance in the Americas. New Orleans: Tulane University.

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