Climate change, security concerns related, says Jax researcher

pope polar ice caps climate change

The potentially historic U.N. summit on climate change later this month in Paris, expected to draw President Barack Obama and other world leaders, will be scaled back due to security concerns following the terror attacks Friday that left 129 people dead across the French capital.

But the talks are going forward, although concerts, a planned march, and other festivities will likely be canceled.

Climate change and its long-term impacts have been moved to the back burner for the moment as the world’s attention shifts to the rampages of the Islamic State. However, activists around the issue say the talks have the potential to look at the intersection between the warming of the planet and the growing threat of radicalism.

“The concerns that remain are now- how can the talks continue in light of the attacks? And how can we show that we’re not afraid to work on international cooperation on climate change issues?” said Josh Gellers, assistant professor at UNF.

Gellers is a research fellow at The Earth System Governance Project, the largest network of social scientists working on governance and global environmental change issues. Gellers has been working with the Global Network on Human Rights and the Environment to draft a set of principles on climate change and human rights in advance of the Paris climate talks.

“The pope recently made comments that climate change is an issue that involves all of humanity. Despite the events that occurred in Paris, I fully expect that human rights will be part of the conversation. The question is how much? And will that discussion find its way into the ultimate treaty?”

Gellers spoke during an appearance on WJCT’s First Coast Connect. He’s known for creating the Enviro Rights Map, a Google maps-based resource which catalogs constitutional environmental rights throughout the world.

Noting the partisan divide over climate that has surfaced on the 2016 presidential campaign trail, Gellers says it’s a false choice to ask presidential candidates to choose between issues like terrorism or climate change as their top concern. Bernie Sanders, for example, is currently being ridiculed by conservatives for saying climate change remains his top worry.

“It’s not inaccurate that climate change poses a security concern for the United States and other countries throughout the world. The issue is to what degree. We’ve seen that there is a demonstrable connection between the Syrian refugee crisis and climate change.”

As the Florida-based PolitiFact recently pointed out, a March 2015 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found evidence that climate change led to an extreme drought in Syria’s breadbasket between 2006 to 2009. That, in turn, contributed to growing Syrian unrest, which played a role in the country’s uprising and current refugee crisis.

“We have to think in broader terms about issues like climate change and security. Not whether terrorism is the primary concern or climate change is the primary concern- they’re interrelated,” Gellers said.

Meanwhile, the 2015 Paris Climate Conference, with 195 participating countries, has set a clear-cut goal: to achieve a legally binding agreement, with universal participation among all nations, to keep global warming below what most scientists say is the critical threshold of 2 degrees Celsius. More than 40,000 delegates will be on hand at the largest conference the French government has ever organized, a sure test of strength and solidarity so soon after such a tragic event.

Melissa Ross

In addition to her work writing for Florida Politics, Melissa Ross also hosts and produces WJCT’s First Coast Connect, the Jacksonville NPR/PBS station’s flagship local call-in public affairs radio program. The show has won four national awards from Public Radio News Directors Inc. (PRNDI). First Coast Connect was also recognized in 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014 as Best Local Radio Show by Folio Weekly’s “Best Of Jax” Readers Poll and Melissa has also been recognized as Folio Weekly’s Best Local Radio Personality. As executive producer of The 904: Shadow on the Sunshine State, Melissa and WJCT received an Emmy in the “Documentary” category at the 2011 Suncoast Emmy Awards. The 904 examined Jacksonville’s status as Florida’s murder capital. During her years in broadcast television, Melissa picked up three additional Emmys for news and feature reporting. Melissa came to WJCT in 2009 with 20 years of experience in broadcasting, including stints in Cincinnati, Chicago, Orlando and Jacksonville. Married with two children, Melissa is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism/Communications. She can be reached at [email protected].


2 comments

  • mememine69

    November 18, 2015 at 6:50 pm

    Who’s ignorant of science?
    You eager “believers” exaggerate and abuse vague climate science like cowardly drama queens and deny the last 34 years of climate action delay, debate and global disbelief.
    So what is stopping another 34 years?
    Is this how you doomers want your kids remembering you?

    • Josh Gellers

      November 20, 2015 at 5:03 pm

      Thank you for your comment! Do you have any scientific evidence to back up your claim that there has been “climate action delay(?)” for the past 34 years? Remember, climate change is a decadal-millennial phenomenon, so you have to look at recent trends in the context of the entire history of humanity. This is the same reason why a single season of higher than usual snow doesn’t mean climate change isn’t happening. “Change” refers to variation that is out of step with natural cycles. Take care!

Comments are closed.


#FlaPol

Florida Politics is a statewide, new media platform covering campaigns, elections, government, policy, and lobbying in Florida. This platform and all of its content are owned by Extensive Enterprises Media.

Publisher: Peter Schorsch @PeterSchorschFL

Contributors & reporters: Phil Ammann, Drew Dixon, Roseanne Dunkelberger, A.G. Gancarski, Anne Geggis, Ryan Nicol, Jacob Ogles, Cole Pepper, Gray Rohrer, Jesse Scheckner, Christine Sexton, Drew Wilson, and Mike Wright.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @PeterSchorschFL
Phone: (727) 642-3162
Address: 204 37th Avenue North #182
St. Petersburg, Florida 33704




Sign up for Sunburn


Categories