New calculation: Air pollution causes more than 500,000 premature deaths in Europe every year. Although it might feel like we heard this accounting of subjective violence before.
What also bears repetition is that climate change creates conflict and that the Middle East risks a water wars.
His body was bloodied, swollen, and just lying there… we’d never seen this level of violence. Thirst forces men to this horror of war.
Fatuma Ali Mahmoodi, widow, quoted in Seven reasons the Middle East could be heading towards a war over water
When you look at source of conflict – shortages of water, and those kind of things – those are all sources of conflict. So, it is very much something that we take into account in our planning as we anticipate when, where and how we may be engaged in the future and what capabilities we should have.
General Joe Dunford, quoted by THE CENTER FOR CLIMATE & SECURITY
Lest we forget
Today marks the 100th anniversary of the armistice that led to the end of the first world war. One war that was not a war over natural resources as such – although no doubt the mine field of conflicting interests that built it no doubt includes several resource conflicts and the strategical and tactical developments of the war no doubt also had resource driven decisions (getting steel, oil, rubber etc.). A great resource for information about the WWI is the YouTube channel called THE GREAT WAR, which has run week by week WWI news programs – one century delayed. Don’t miss this week’s episode.
They went with songs to the battle, they were young.
Ode of Remembrance
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.