Is the Ecological Crisis the Human Rights Concern of the Century Essay

The ecologic crisis has directly become an distinguished take without the years. Even so, toward the end of the last degree centigrade, the issues of such c spread outs became a focal talking point of g all(a) everywherenments, international organisations and scholars. This near uniformly is, as Leigh (2005) discusses, an permute magnitude acceptance that such ecological disasters claiming mankind has been one of the much or less critical turning points that the innovation has ever encountered. Such crises ar experienced when our milieu is modified in instructions which undermine our continued existence.As the milieu and its ecosystems atomic number 18 in a constant state of macrocosm damaged, its quality is vastly ruined and this has study cause on the lives that ar dependent on it. Magdoff and Foster (2011) suggest that for the ecological crisis to be understood, it moldiness be looked at in the sense of the boundaries of the major(ip) artificial satellit e. They go on to assign that ultimately the demesne has several thresholds which it must remain in in order to preserve the gentle conditions that the Earth has experienced in the historic century.These thresholds accommodate loss of biodiversity, mode miscellany, a depleting ozone layer, world- broad(a) freshwater and chemical defilement. Unfortunately, the planet has already passed cardinal of these, including loss of biodiversity and temper change due to our prejudicial activities that cause environmental disparities. Until recently, the ecological crisis and its subsequent put togethers permit been discussed gener entirelyy in the scientific disciplines as merely an environmental issue. It has similarly been do into an economic concern.However, it is now more(prenominal) than ever in the twenty-first century cosmos debated and referred to as a subject for kind-heartedity near fields. This essay seeks to judge the issue of the involve of the ecological cri sis, its serviceman rights implications, and how it has come to be considered the forgiving rights concern of the century. The Ecological Crisis The end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st has seen a remarkable increase in the number of environmental catastrophes that the Earth has experienced.These disasters pay non been just modified to one eographic region that they withstand bear on nearly either single part of the planet. virtually run through included humor change, which in turn has been touch on by the greenhouse transaction and bodgees the advent of peak embrocate loss of biodiversity and hence diminished quantities and quality of food supplies plus disforestation, chemical pollution and oil spills. These in turn have had a knock-on effect on the way of living for man and caused such issues as rising sea levels, floods, decreased food re beginnings, droughts, and polluted air and water supply.As mentioned, the Earths threshold for climate ch ange and biodiversity loss has been passed and this has already been cause irreparable harm to the planets ecosystems and the environment. It is nevertheless possible, however, to stop such effects from permanent harm to the environment, which is why the ecological crisis has become such an important matter for discussion today. Climate potpourri Of all the environmental issues that have emerged in the past decades, global climate change has been the nigh unspoilt and al more or less difficult to manage (Dessler and Parson, 2006).Like with the above quote, it is theme by many scientists and scholars that climate change is and pass on be the extendedgest curse to the environment mainly because of its potential to bring about such brutal destruction. Oxfam supranational (2008) stated that some of the 23 richest countries in the world (comprising Canada, Australia and USA) where just 14 percent of the replete(p) world population inhabits, produced almost sixty percent of the planets carbon emissions since the 1800s. The Earths climate is changing. In fact, it has always been varying from judgment of conviction to time.However, the degree of change is now the big worry. The Great Warming (2006) defines climate change as an alteration in the long-term climate of a particular argona. It is further stated that creation contribute to this climate change by discharging greenhouse gases and sprays up into the strain while also modifying the visit we live on. Dessler and Parson (2006) debate the forecasts for climate change in the 21st century are more or less unclear, nonetheless, this uncertainty washbowl work either way in that the climate may increase or decrease.The prospect of such unknowns makes this brain a lot graver. Many of the activities that individuals carry out on a workaday basis has contributed signifi whoremastertly to the greenhouse effect, the depletion of the ozone layer, and therefore climate change. As The Great Warming (2006) regorge it, the inhabitants of the Earth are endlessly ruin fossil fuels for heating of houses, for production of electricity and to run machines and vehicles. All of these activities have been adding to the warming effect on the atmosphere.The UNDP (2007) embrace on fighting climate change commited that since the start of the industrial age, the temperature of the Earth has risen by about 0. 7 degrees Celsius and this increase seems to be speeding up with time. The report went further in determining that if a threshold of 2oC is broken, we hazard the intellect of crackinger irreparable damage to the environment. Magdoff and Foster (2011) quotes the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stating that by the end of the century in 2100, the most probable temperature increase worldwide pass on be in the 2. to 4. 6oC range.This, we can see, is far higher than the previously mentioned threshold of 2oC, and as the authors mention, is a major cause for concern and panic. Such drastic climate change can ultimately occur to ice caps melting, sea levels rising, droughts, forced migration of peoples, a decline in food produce, and danger to coastal regions. This can lead to trim back health and welfare of the population while also causing estimable issues with atmospheric pollution. Other forms of the Ecological CrisisClimate change has not been the single crisis the environment has faced. There has also been widespread degradation with other human-driven activities. Goodhart (2009) explains that the ecosystem has been affected by severe exhaustion of its resources. This includes deforestation which has led to erosion and trim down slippage and thus pushed people out of their habitat. Oils spills have been a major source of concern, according to Goodhart, which has threatened the survival of certain oceanic species that are a vital source of food for man.The ecological crisis will affect the entire world population if nothing is done to stop the effec ts of all these contributory factors. This has led international organisations such as the United Nations (UN) to establish dissimilar agencies and protocols that will guide international actors in dealing with the crisis. These include the IPCC, as well as the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. The UN has also held several conferences over the years to tackle the problems including the Earth Summit in Brazil and the United Nations Framework Conference on Climate Change (UNFCCC) .As will be seen in the next section, some of these mechanisms have begun placing more emphasis on and framing the environmental issues as human rights concerns. Relationship between the Ecological Crisis and charitable Rights As the world label the 60th anniversary of the UDHR, High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay points out that a wide range of universally recognized rights including food, demeanor, water and adequate housing are under a direct threat as a progeny of climate change (OHC HR, 2008a). The destruction of the environment and its consequent effects on humans is leading to grave human rights concerns.In its resolution on climate change, the UN Human Rights Council stated their concern for climate change represent a direct danger to communities in the world, further suggesting that this ecological crisis has consequences for the copious enjoyment of human rights (HRC, 2008) . Framing of the issues in human rights terms has been a actually useful tool for creating greater awareness of its impacts and ensuring that the subject reaches reinvigorated actors and activists, ultimately influencing the process for the better. Human rights are now frequently referred to as universal and indivisible.For this reason, Hawkins (2010) suggests that every human being is entitled to every basic right by virtue of their homo. As climate change is possibly the biggest ecological concern of late, many scholars refer to it the most when focusing on the human rights impli cations. However, there are still very deep human rights concerns for the other contributors to the crisis. Depledge (2007) mentioned that there are, at present, no organisations such as the UN that blatantly suggests a right to a healthy environment. Nevertheless, he proposes that the human right to health covered under the UDHR directly implies a link to the environment.This is because the way in which the environment is kept can and does affect the shelter of people. Therefore, we see truth in Commissioner Navi Pillays words in mentioning these rights. Hunter (2009,p. 7) also suggests that climate change can have an impact on the right to self-determination. One example of the effect of the crisis on this right is that of the Inuit people of Alaska who in 2005 submitted a petition to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights suggesting that their way of feeling was being hindered by climate change which in turn influences their continued existence and culture.Climate change , if continued on its original path will increasingly raise the Earths temperature. This will further affect the water sources, our food, and cause major disease outbreaks. These activities are bound to pull up stakes in significant human rights violations under the miscellaneous charters and treaties. Firstly, the right to health will see a drastic rise of malnutrition in children. There will also be a threat of major increases in droughts and flooding almost the world (Oxfam, 2008). Another right that needs to be preserved during this process is the all-important right to life and security.Article 3 of the UDHR asks for the right to life, liberty and security of person. These rights are in serious danger of being recrudesceed from the issues of the ecological crisis. Goodhart (2009) maintains that the depletion of environmental resources like clean water and oil has been a cause of violent infringe in several areas somewhat the world and this is of extreme distress because of the circumstance of, say, peak oil. Climate change can greatly affect the security of people around the world.As a result of the rising sea levels, the increased temperature and therefore the damage to land, inhabitants of the Earth will experience more flooding, droughts and fires, heat waves and higher occurrence of storms. All of these can ultimately lead to death and an increase in amount. Another important right affected by this crisis has been the right to food as stipulated in Article 11(1) of the ICESCR . modern trends are not a good sign for peoples right to food under this treaty. Oxfam (2008) suggests that any further warming of the planet is bound to expose fifty million more people to aridness by the year 2020.Within another 30 years in 2050, that number could vastly increase to 132 million. These are extremely high numbers that would be detrimental to the survival of many regions and populations. The Oxfam report cites the case of Africa, where land for cultivat ion is being reduced by climate change causing the season for growing harvest to decrease thereby producing less crop for food. The International Council on Human Rights Policy (ICHRP) categorically mentions that climate change creates violations of human rights due to the constant harm that we are inflicting on the environment (ICHRP, 2008).The most serious effects of the ecological crisis will usually and alas be experienced by the people whose rights and protections are currently not being respected and so occurrences like climate change, tar sands, and pollution will have a greater impact on the more disregarded populations. This includes the poor and usually indigenous peoples around the world. As Havermann (2009) put it, the indigenous peoples around the world are some of those that are most susceptible to these crises while being the ones who have the smallest responsibility for them.For example, the oil and gas expansion by multinational corporations around the world is hav ing severe effects on climate change and the environment, leading on to issues for human rights particularly with indigenous peoples. As Karliner (1991) historied, oil and its excavation has an overwhelmingly negative effect on the economic stability of these groups. Also a huge concern, as a result, is their health which tends to suffer from these activities. The problems faced by many countries with deforestation have also been exacerbating the situation for the realisation of human rights around the world.Many of the forests are disappearing at an alarming rate. The boomerang effect is thus a reduction in the all-important biodiversity that the forests contain and that is requirement for the continued livelihood and survival of those dependent on it. This includes, according to ICHRP (2008), the over fifty million tribal inhabitants of forests around the globe who are constantly affected with their food safety harshly curtailed.If the present rates at which such deforestation a nd the previously mentioned rises of climate change, oil spills and pollution continue, it is thought that a majority of the rainforests on the Earth will have vanished flush before the 21st century has ended. Concern of the Century? Many environmentalists and human rights defenders have framed the ecological crisis as one with a human rights dimension. This is because most see it now as a serious inhibitor to development, to the daily living of man and to fulfilling the rights that have been laid out in the various international instruments.The ecological crisis has seen a large number of environmental problems over the years and its effects are now being debated fiercely on the world stage. Some world leaders, scientists and the general population are all trying to engage in finding solutions to the problem while others still question and underestimate the gravity of the phenomenon. The issue has become a major concern, not just for the planet physically, but also in a human righ ts context because the ecological crisis single-handedly affects a range of various human rights as seen above.In many instances, its effects can breach more rights than some of the other current rights violators. In addition, while most abuses of human rights can generally be halted voluntarily, if these environmental problems are allowed to lag untreated then at some point in time the destruction of the environment would have become irreversible. This in turn would result in more human rights violations. As Hawkins (2010) argues, the resources of the planet are limited and so to continue with the existing trend will place humanity in peril.Also, the atmosphere cannot distinguish between the greenhouse gases that affect climate change by the region it comes from (UNDP, 2007). Climate change, for example, is non-discriminatory and unlike other rights violations being perpetrated around the world, it can affect just about anyone. This is why such a huge international human rights a dvocacy process has now been implemented. In a statement in 2007, UN Secretary General illegalize Ki Moon referred to climate change as the greatest emergent humanitarian challenge of our time which is menacing the whole human family.As the UNFCCC acknowledged in the framework, the universal reach of the effects of climate change requires the widest possible co-operation from all countries (UNFCCC, 1992). It is evident that the human rights implications of the ecological crisis is a great concern for many people especially in the recent efforts by NGOs to publicise the matter, while a number of measures have been put in place by international organisations such as the UN to tackle the problems through summits, conferences and protocols like the Kyoto protocol.In 2008, a resolution was passed by the Organisation of American States (OAS) on human rights and climate change (ICHRP, 2008). The commitments set forth in the 1997 Kyoto protocol are soon to end in 2012. Neglecting to meet these obligations will cause us to reach even closer to further crisis. In December 2011, Canada officially pulled out of its commitments to the protocol (Carrington and Vaughan, 2011). The backlash and criticism from world leaders and actors was astounding and this showed the level that the ecological crisis and its implications for human life have reached in this century.Conclusion Going forward without confronting this global challenge that is the ecological crisis with the seriousness that it deserves will result in countless human rights violations around the globe. The climate change, deforestation, oil spills and rising sea levels will cause a massive increase in the destruction of habitats, reduced water supply, island and coastal regions vanishing, and greater health concerns. These in turn are destabilizing many peoples rights to food, health, security, life and livelihood.It is imperative that the principles and norms of human rights are continuously applied to these cri ses so as to halt the irreparable destruction of the environment and the future of humankind. As noted by the UNDP (2007), the 20th century saw leadership disasters resulting in two world wars in which masses of people suffered. In this the 21st century, the bad nature of the ecological crisis has become the new and preventable disaster.