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 Since the late 1980s, considerable research
has been undertaken in the United States and abroad on the security
implications of environmental change. One widely discussed and studied
hypothesis is that certain forms of environmental change have negative
social effects which reinforce or create conditions for instability and
violent conflict. Many variations of this hypothesis have been examined
the past decade, brining attention to a broader range of
environmentally-induced human insecurities as well as to processes of
adaptation to environmental stress. The events of September 11th have
given attention to one of these hypotheses- that environmental change may
create conditions conducive to certain forms of terrorism. Additionally,
we believe these events will have a much broader impact on the field of
environmental studies.
 For example, we must now examine
vulnerabilities to terrorism and other security threats embedded in our
natural and built environments. Just as certain forms of infrastructure
can be used as delivery vehicles for terror (such as the postal service
and air transportation), water and agricultural systems and other natural
structures may present threat opportunities that have not been assessed.
We need to examine ways in which these vulnerabilities may affect urban
and regional planning and development. We need to examine the extent to
which disaster preparedness plans are sufficient for the possible damage
that could be caused by terrorism and other transnational threats. We need
to reconsider our transportation and health care systems in light of
transnational threats and vulnerabilities. We need to ask whether our
regulatory, monitoring and enforcement systems can provide information and
support to efforts to reduce vulnerability to transnational threats. We
need to ask whether our economic need for natural resources such as oil
contributes to the enmity aboard that undergirds terrorism, and, if so,
what might be done to reduce both the need and the enmity.
We believe that individuals with extensive
expertise in certain areas of environmental studies- such as
transportation, water, energy, and natural disasters-have perspectives on
the new security challenges facing the United States and the rest of the
world that are extremely important.
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Related
Documents and Publications |
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Matthew, Richard, Bryan McDonald and George
Shambaugh. (2008). "Post-9/11 America: Conventional Wisdom Versus Popular
Pragmatism."
Democracy & Society, Vol. 5 No. 2 (Spring 2008).
Silver, Roxane Cohen and Richard A. Matthew
(2008). "Terrorism."
In V. N. Parrillo (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Social Problems.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Richard
Matthew and George Shambaugh. "The Limits of Terrorism: A Network
Perspective."
International Studies Review Vol. 7 No 4 (December 2005).
Richard
Matthew and George Shambaugh. "The Pendulum Effect: Explaining Shifts in
the Democratic Response to Terrorism." ASAP:
Analyses of Social
Issues and Public Policy Vol. 5 No. 1 (2005).
Richard A.
Matthew and Bryan McDonald. "Networks
of Threat and Vulnerability: Lessons from Environmental Security Research."
Environmental Change and Security Project Report 10 (2004).
Bert B. Tussing, Lieutenant
Colonel, USMC(RET), "Sharing Information for
Homeland Security," January 2004.
Timothy W. Luke,
"Postmodern Geopolitics in the 21st Century:
Lessons from the 9.11.01 Terrorist Attacks," November 2003.
Martin van Creveld,
"How Not To Fight Terrorism,"
September 2003.
Matthew, Richard A. &
George Shambaugh. 1998. "Sex, Drugs and Heavy Metal: Transnational Threats
and National Vulnerabilities." Security Dialogue 29 (2).
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