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According to the latest news the devastating earthquake in Haiti has left more than 140 000 people dead, but the death toll is going to rise. Europeans, who are not so much affected by the effects of climate change, sigh and go to the closest shopping mall in order not to miss the incredible sales or queue in cinemas to buy a ticket for Avatar movie, which in fact contains a hidden message, what the people's greed could lead to – destruction of the Earth and other planets sometime in the future, if we are not going to change our lavish, wasteful way of life. This morning I picked up an article of the founder of the neorealist theory of international relations Kenneth N. Waltz "Explaining War", where he linked international conflicts with human nature/behavior (one of three aspects):
The focus of the important cause of war is found in the nature and behavior of man. War result from selfishness, from misdirected aggressive impulses,, from stupidity. (…) If these the primary causes of war, then the elimination of war must come through uplifting and enlightening men or securing their psychic-social readjustment. (…) Education becomes the remedy of war.
Realists point to egoistic, bellicose nature of a man, overlooking such features as philanthropy, self-sacrifice etc. The aim of a man is to survive in anarchy, striving for power. If these premises are true then the humans are deemed to extinct along with the Earth.
If you still have not seen Avatar movie, I recommend you to see these video stories first, which correlate to its main idea:
One more recent movie comes to my mind – 2012. On my friend's question, why I still have not seen that movie, I answer that you should not go to the cinema to understand the devastating effects of the men made climate change. Here are some examples:
Surrounded by water, a Buddhist temple is one of the last remnants of a Thai village that has vanished beneath the sea -- a scene being repeated across Asia and the world
Haiti has been plagued by the numerous environmental, economic and political problems for years. Unlike the Dominican Republic, people of Haiti destroyed more than 90% of the land's forests, leading to numerous ecological (floods, droughts) and health problems. People did not think about sustainable development of their land, taking from it as much as they could and having a short-term thinking. Look at the photo story from Haiti "Hunger and Rage: and this picture in particular. The recent earthquake is just a culmination of what has happened over the last decades.
The situation in Haiti could be viewed as a model of development of our planet if we continue to live like we used to live – without sustainable thinking and caring for the future generations. Although I know little about Haiti, its historical development and have never been to this country, nevertheless I presume that the main problem, which leads to the degradation of the land and people's lives, is a lack of education. "Education is the remedy of war," say realists. "Education is the remedy of environmental disaster" - should be stressed not only by environmentalist, but also by our political and opinion leaders.
The UNHCR has already urged the world leaders to take the climate refugee problem seriously (here are some articles: Climate Change could become the biggest driver of displacement: UNHCR Chief, In Search of Shelter: Mapping the Effects of Climate Change on Human Migration and Displacement ) If Europe wants to prevent the inflow of climate refugees, mainly from African countries, it should invest more into the education of local people, sharing not only knowledge, but also new technology.
Here are some good examples:
But you should not wait for the world leaders to make the first step and bring knowledge to the people from developing nations. If you a frequent flyer of SAS Airlines, then you have a chance to donate your Euro Bonuses to the Save the Children and make a difference. For more information, click here.
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