Question

Why is there a need of environmental concern in world politics?

Hint:

A key concept to use when discussing global environmental politics is the "tragedy of the commons." It effectively explains why international cooperation is necessary to prevent the depletion of shared resources like the oceans or the atmosphere.

Answer 1

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Environmental issues have moved from being a local or national concern to a central issue in world politics because they are global in scale, transboundary in effect, and deeply intertwined with international security, economy, and justice.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
There is a pressing need for environmental concern in world politics for several reasons:
1. Transboundary Nature of Environmental Problems:
- Environmental degradation does not respect national borders. For example, greenhouse gas emissions from one country contribute to global warming that affects the entire planet. Acid rain caused by pollution in one country can fall in another, damaging its forests and lakes. This requires international agreements and cooperation for any effective solution.
2. Management of Global Commons:
- Certain resources, known as "global commons," lie outside the sovereign jurisdiction of any single state. These include the Earth's atmosphere, the oceans, Antarctica, and outer space.
- If each country acts only in its self-interest, these shared resources can be over-exploited and degraded (a phenomenon known as the 'tragedy of the commons'). World politics provides the arena for creating international laws and regimes to manage these resources sustainably for all of humanity.
3. Link to International Security and Economy:
- Environmental scarcity can be a source of conflict. Disputes over shared water resources (e.g., rivers that cross borders), competition for arable land, and climate-induced migration can lead to instability and even war.
- Furthermore, environmental disasters can disrupt global supply chains, affect agricultural output, and have massive economic costs, making environmental protection a matter of global economic stability.
Step 3: Final Answer:
Environmental concern is vital in world politics because environmental problems cross borders, require collective management of shared global resources, and directly impact international security, economic stability, and the well-being of all nations.