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Thomas Hartmann April 7, 2014 “War and Sustainability”

Cairns Jr, J. (2003). War and Sustainability. //International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology//, //10//(3), 185–193.
 * 1.) Full Citation**

John Cairns Jr. is a professor of environmental biology and director at the University Center for Environmental and Hazardous Materials Studies at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He received a PhD and MS from the University of Pennsylvania. He is involved in a very (VERY) large number of organizations such as the Ecology Society of America, the EPA, and the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. He has written many (65) books such as //Earth’s Biosphere in Peril// and //My Quest for Sustainable Use of the Planet//.
 * 2.) Where does the author work, what else has s/he written about, and what are her/his credentials?**

Cairns, J. (n.d.). Biographical Sketch. Retrieved April 7, 2014, from []

Cairns’ article describes in detail many of the negative consequences of war and these make it impossible to become sustainable and to protect the environment. In particular, he describes how war and sustainability are fundamentally incompatible. War is meant to be destructive and wasteful while sustainability requires careful protection and conservation of the environment, resources, and infrastructure. Cairns also argues that society’s perception of the relative risk of threats such as terrorism and war is inaccurate, which makes it impossible to make decisions that are in its best interests. Further, Cairns describes the many social stability and population distribution problems that are caused by war and how they negatively impact the environment and sustainability.
 * 3.) What is the main topic or argument of the text?**

Cairns argues that war and resource scarcity tend to form a positive feedback loop. Because humans are obsessed with continuous growth, they are willing to go to extremes in competing for resources that allow this growth to be maintained and to prevent others from gaining the advantage. Cairns describes how this leads to both wars directly over resources such as oil in the middle east and preventative wars such as the invasion of Iraq that was (supposedly…) based on the suspicion that they had weapons of mass destruction. As a result, these wars require a huge amount of resources such as metal and fuel for the war itself and construction materials for rebuilding infrastructure after the war is over.
 * 4.) Describe at least three ways that the main topic or argument is fleshed out.**

Cairns also argues that this cycle forces public infrastructure to be rebuilt rather than simply maintained, which would require significantly less resources. Eventually, this cycle will continue to the point at which human living conditions become poor, society becomes unstable, and the stress that is put on the environment interferes with natural cycles.

Further, Cairns argues that refugees displaced by wars are a significant side effect that are not usually taken into consideration. Refugees tend to flock to specific areas that are not able to sustain them for a long period of time. As a result, the resources in these areas can be stretched beyond their limits. This either causes famine and disease, or requires the transportation of foreign resources into the area, which is more energy intensive and unsustainable.

Cairns describes the positive feedback loop of war and resource scarcity when he says, “Instead of protecting resources as they become increasingly scarce, these wars (usually poorly masked as terrorist, religious, or cultural conflicts) use natural capital, such as oil, in an attempt to obtain more than would have been possibly by peaceful means.”
 * 5.) What three quotes capture the critical import of the text?**

Cairns expands on this idea by describe how, “A tipping point occurs when the forces that create stability are overcome by the forces that create instability, and the ship, vehicle, or system tips into disequilibrium…. In order to achieve sustainability, humankind must be at peace with natural systems (i.e. cease destroying them).”

Further, Cairns explains how the increased resources and effort to rebuild affects society and culture when he says, “Moreover, cultural development occurs primarily when basic needs (e.g. food, shelter, health care, warmth) have already been met. Even education suffers when people must use all their energies just to survive. Social capital (e.g. sense of community) requires time, which is less available when maintaining basic needs is a struggle. Cultural capital (e.g. museums, symphony orchestras, art galleries) can be badly damaged or destroyed by wars, either directly by explosives or indirectly by looters, when the social contract (e.g. respecting cultural organizations) has broken down.”

This article provides information and examples of how war messes with the balance of culture, society, and nature, which is important to fully understand in my research on how war is connected to the dimensions of earth and humanity such as society, culture, economics, natural resources, and the environment.
 * 6.) Explain how the argument and evidence in the text supports your research focus.**

I used Cairns’ idea of war and resource scarcity as a positive feedback loop. As resources become scarcer, the motivation for war becomes stronger. This can spiral out of control, making sustainability impossible.
 * 7.) List at least two details or references from the text that you have used in your presentation and wiki post**.

I also used Cairns’ argument that society’s inaccurate perception of the relative risk of things such as terrorism, war, chemical disasters, and smoking prevents humans (in terms of death count) from making decisions that are most beneficial.