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The opinion that the climate change is causing the conflict in Syria is quite speculative bordering to total whack concpiratory theory. The weather might be a

by kpil 11y ago

The opinion that the climate change is causing the conflict in Syria is quite speculative bordering to total whack concpiratory theory. The weather might be a extremely tiny part in the events, but the whole situation is the result of political-, clan-, ethnical- and religious struggles for power that's been going on for thousands of years, and fueled by empire building super powers the last 200 years.

arethuza 11y ago
Well the article referenced does say: The authors acknowledge that many factors led to Syria's uprising, including corrupt leadership, inequality, massive population growth, and the government's inability to curb human suffering. But their report, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, compiled statistics showing that water shortages in the Fertile Crescent in Syria, Iraq, and Turkey killed livestock, drove up food prices, sickened children, and forced 1.5 million rural residents to the outskirts of Syria's jam-packed cities—just as that country was exploding with immigrants from the Iraq war. (Related: "Half of Syrians Displaced: 5 Takeaways From New UN Report.")
- akiselev 11y ago
  The fertile crescent is one of the most geoengineered regions on this planet, with a long history of ecological collapses and recoveries going back five thousand years. The most major one is thought to have brought about the fall of Babylon and resulted in mass desertification. The construction of many dams along the Tigris/Euphrates/Nile and rapid salinifcation of the soil over the last hundred years also had a very drastic impact on agriculture. Then there's also the effects caused by the collapse and splintering of the Ottoman empire, including less investment and cooperation in repairing aging infrastructure and ethnoreligious conflicts that have been very destructive. I have little doubt that climate change has contributed to these changes over the thousands of years, but it's just one of many confounding factors that have led to the fertile crescent death spiral, one that I'd wager is relatively irrelevant (at least for now) when compared to everything else we humans have done in that region.
deleted 11y ago
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stcredzero 11y ago
The opinion that the climate change is causing the conflict in Syria is quite speculative bordering to total whack concpiratory theory. [sic] Actually, climate change has often been cited by academics as an underlying cause of conflict. Jared Diamond wrote an easily digestible book on this. (General climate change, not just the current issue.)
- Houshalter 11y ago
  High food prices caused by drought decreased the stability. The drought might have been caused by climate change, or it might have happened eventually anyway. But there were much deeper underlying problems with their country, and the current conflict is long since divorced from that issue. Now it's fueled by ideologies and outside influence.

by kpil 11y ago

arethuza 11y ago

Well the article referenced does say: The authors acknowledge that many factors led to Syria's uprising, including corrupt leadership, inequality, massive population growth, and the government's inability to curb human suffering. But their report, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, compiled statistics showing that water shortages in the Fertile Crescent in Syria, Iraq, and Turkey killed livestock, drove up food prices, sickened children, and forced 1.5 million rural residents to the outskirts of Syria's jam-packed cities—just as that country was exploding with immigrants from the Iraq war. (Related: "Half of Syrians Displaced: 5 Takeaways From New UN Report.")

akiselev 11y ago
The fertile crescent is one of the most geoengineered regions on this planet, with a long history of ecological collapses and recoveries going back five thousand years. The most major one is thought to have brought about the fall of Babylon and resulted in mass desertification. The construction of many dams along the Tigris/Euphrates/Nile and rapid salinifcation of the soil over the last hundred years also had a very drastic impact on agriculture. Then there's also the effects caused by the collapse and splintering of the Ottoman empire, including less investment and cooperation in repairing aging infrastructure and ethnoreligious conflicts that have been very destructive. I have little doubt that climate change has contributed to these changes over the thousands of years, but it's just one of many confounding factors that have led to the fertile crescent death spiral, one that I'd wager is relatively irrelevant (at least for now) when compared to everything else we humans have done in that region.

deleted 11y ago

[deleted]

stcredzero 11y ago

The opinion that the climate change is causing the conflict in Syria is quite speculative bordering to total whack concpiratory theory. [sic] Actually, climate change has often been cited by academics as an underlying cause of conflict. Jared Diamond wrote an easily digestible book on this. (General climate change, not just the current issue.)

Houshalter 11y ago
High food prices caused by drought decreased the stability. The drought might have been caused by climate change, or it might have happened eventually anyway. But there were much deeper underlying problems with their country, and the current conflict is long since divorced from that issue. Now it's fueled by ideologies and outside influence.