Cleo Paskal, one of our TEDxIBYork speakers, has been recognized with an Award of Special Merit by the Grantham Prize for her book Global Warring (previously mentioned and heartily recommended in this blog). The Grantham Prize for Excellence in Reporting on the Environment was established in 2005 to recognize the work of a journalist or team of journalists for exemplary reporting on the environment.
It was a big year for Canadians in this category. In addition to Cleo winning the Award of Special Merit, Alanna Mitchell, former Globe and Mail reporter, took home the big prize ($75,000!) for her book Sea Sick: The Global Ocean in Crisis. The jury described her as 'reporting it like a demon and writing like an angel'. This is now officially on my must-read list.
Showing posts with label Global Warring. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Global Warring. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
The Geopolitics of Environmental Change
You heard me describe a wonderful book I read back in May. I'm so pleased that we have been able to attract Cleo Paskal, the author of Global Warring: How Environmental, Economic and Political Crises Will Redraw the World Map to speak at our TEDx conference. I'm really pumped to have her insight on many of the events that have happened since the publication of her book.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Global Warring
How Environmental, Economic and Political Crises Will Redraw the World Map
This is a chilling book about global warming. The world is already undergoing dramatic geopolitical change. Western industrialized nations (read the US) are weakening, while emerging nations (read China and India) are gaining strength. These changes are going to acce
lerate due to the dramatic climate change we're experiencing. And Paskal makes the point that most don't see the coming challenges, don't acknowledge them, and aren't undertaking strategic actions to address the changes.
Paskal investigates several hot spots where climatic change can disrupt current international relationships. China and India both depend on Himalayan glaciers for their water supply, and those glaciers are melting (the pace may be controversial, but not the fact that they're melting). The monsoons are failing. Northern China is desperately short of water, and Chinese development is aggressively polluting their available water supply. The desperation for water will influence their relationship and their strategic goals in the world.
The Arctic is warming the fastest of anywhere on earth, and the Northwest Passage will likely sonn be navigable, fulfilling the dream of explorers of the past. This will open up the Arctic Ocean as a valuable shipping route, and also open up the treasure house of resources. But who will control these resources? Canada has the best claim, but virtually no navy and or ice breaking capability. The US argues that it should be declared international waters, opening it up to the avaricious eyes of the Russians (with their powerful icebreakers and increasing presence). Paskal argues that the best strategic move for the US would be to support Canada, and include the Arctic in its vision of a North American defense system, but when talking about continental defense, the US is still fixated on defending just two oceans.
Even the very definition of a state is under assault. How would you suggest we treat a nation whose Pacific atoll has just submerged under the rising ocean levels? Does it still have a vote in international fora? Does it still have rights to the resources in what used to be its maritime boundaries? These are just a few of the difficult questions facing us in the future.
Events like Katrina show just how dismally unprepared developed nations are to deal with harrowing climate events - and there are more of them coming.
Paskal, a Montrealer by birth, has around the world and is currently based in London. She has a penetrating
and analytical mind, and a compelling writing style. Enjoyable is perhaps not the word to describe this powerful book, but you cannot read Global Warring without adjusting your view of the world's future.
This is a chilling book about global warming. The world is already undergoing dramatic geopolitical change. Western industrialized nations (read the US) are weakening, while emerging nations (read China and India) are gaining strength. These changes are going to acce
lerate due to the dramatic climate change we're experiencing. And Paskal makes the point that most don't see the coming challenges, don't acknowledge them, and aren't undertaking strategic actions to address the changes.Paskal investigates several hot spots where climatic change can disrupt current international relationships. China and India both depend on Himalayan glaciers for their water supply, and those glaciers are melting (the pace may be controversial, but not the fact that they're melting). The monsoons are failing. Northern China is desperately short of water, and Chinese development is aggressively polluting their available water supply. The desperation for water will influence their relationship and their strategic goals in the world.
The Arctic is warming the fastest of anywhere on earth, and the Northwest Passage will likely sonn be navigable, fulfilling the dream of explorers of the past. This will open up the Arctic Ocean as a valuable shipping route, and also open up the treasure house of resources. But who will control these resources? Canada has the best claim, but virtually no navy and or ice breaking capability. The US argues that it should be declared international waters, opening it up to the avaricious eyes of the Russians (with their powerful icebreakers and increasing presence). Paskal argues that the best strategic move for the US would be to support Canada, and include the Arctic in its vision of a North American defense system, but when talking about continental defense, the US is still fixated on defending just two oceans.
Even the very definition of a state is under assault. How would you suggest we treat a nation whose Pacific atoll has just submerged under the rising ocean levels? Does it still have a vote in international fora? Does it still have rights to the resources in what used to be its maritime boundaries? These are just a few of the difficult questions facing us in the future.
Events like Katrina show just how dismally unprepared developed nations are to deal with harrowing climate events - and there are more of them coming.
Paskal, a Montrealer by birth, has around the world and is currently based in London. She has a penetrating
and analytical mind, and a compelling writing style. Enjoyable is perhaps not the word to describe this powerful book, but you cannot read Global Warring without adjusting your view of the world's future.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)