International Relations: Environmental and Energy Security

Running head: INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
International Relations
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1INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Environmental security
The relation between environment and security and intertwined and with the passage of
time, the relation between the two have started to be incorporated into the policy frameworks of
international environment policy (Kutz 2018). Environment should be taken up as an essential
focus of transnational concern in line with the emerging concerns of national security along with
peace and human rights (Collins 2016). Preservation of nature should be an international concern
as the nature is seen to be submerged with issues of consumption and lack of conservation.
Environmental security should be equated with national security as they take into account both
international and national frameworks which form the basis of domestic laws as they have social
as well as economic implications on the people of the state (Mathew 2015). It is mandatory for
every state to follow the principles of sustainable development so as to preserve the nature and
the resources for the future generations (Dalby 2017). Humans have started to neglect the
importance of environment and have started to take the life supporting systems like water,
medicine, clean air for granted which has resulted in regional, national and international conflict.
Environmental security has a direct impact on humans and it is the responsibility of the state and
the nations to institute policies so that are aimed at preserving the nature (Dalby 2017).
Environmental security is needed in cases when the environment is facing degradation
and there is a scarcity of resources. The scarcity can be determined by the change in
environment, the population size as well as growth and also an unjustified and unequal
distribution of resources. The threat to environmental security can be adjudged in years and in
the near future, the security changes will be highly impacted. The aim of the Government shall
be to device plans and strategies to make sure that the challenges that are faced by humans on a
yearly or quarterly basis are monitored (Culshaw et al 2015).

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Energy security
In the early 1970s, energy security was thought to be a way of cutting down the
dependence on oil consumption as well as imports which was viewed majorly in the oil
importing countries. With time, it has been perceived that there has been an increased
consumption of oil and energy thereby leading to a growth of inflation and price related issues.
Therefore, if the countries are aiming to reduce oil consumption, it is essential that the countries
start to make indigenous energy resources and also bring into play other methods of energy
consumption. Energy security has been an alarming cause of concern in the recent decades and
therefore it is essential to make the regulations flexible so that there is lesser conflict and also a
reduction of strategic reserves. Energy is very important to humans and in cases where there is a
reduction or shortage of supply of energy, the humanity will be at the receiving end (Graeger
1996). Whenever there is an impediment to the supply of energy, it will be seen that there are
serious financial concerns as well as economic and social loss. There has been a sharp increase in
suppliers and they have resulted in more stocks and reserves. As a result of that trade has started
to flourish and it has also become free. When it comes to ensuring that energy is reserved, it also
essential to take into consideration the fact that stand by equipment need to be installed so as to
compensate the shortages in electricity and thereby the cost of operation has also increased
(Deudney 1990).
Energy and environmental insecurity
Energy security is the need of the hour and it has been taken up as a priority. The energy
scarcity is scaring the industrial era and it confronted with various complexities that range from
global economy to shortage in oil prices (Detraz and Betsill 2009). Inflation is a big issue that is
plaguing the economy and there has been also a sharp rise in the food prices that have transferred

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to other oil exporting regimes. Energy is directly related to environment as greenhouse emissions
along with ozone layer depletions are major concerns that need to be taken care of by the
countries (Floyd 2008). The inter-relationship between nations is getting strained due to the
concerns arising out of pollution and the nations are forcing major shifts in the policies
governing energy mandates.
Insecurity is the lacuna that is felt by the Government while enforcing any policy or
regulation and which does not get properly implemented causing threat to humanity. One of the
major reasons for growing insecurity in the world is due to the environmental issues that is
affecting the globe (Trombetta 2008). The insecurities that have become so rampant are mostly
due to environmental issues, like greenhouse emission, ozone layer depletion, desert
encroachment and so on and so forth. Environment gradually degrades the globe and it also
adversely affects people’s source of income and basic agronomy. When environment starts to
affect the farmlands and the water supply chain, people start to get agitated and thereafter there is
widespread violence and conflict. Many environmentalists have shown their concern over the
increasing environment degradation and they have stated that the best way the Government can
come around these issues is to ensure that the policies will indicate better measures. Environment
is highly polluted by oil exploitation as well as over use of man-made resources. Insurgency and
insolvency are parts of the problem which are induced by environmental degradation as fertile
lads are turning into barren lands, taking away the livelihood of many farmers who rely on
agriculture as their source of earning.
Environmental security and climate change
Environmental issues should be considered to be security issues as they are impacting
key security matters and they are also slowly transforming the security practices. Matters of

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security are grave concerns and they demand that proper international frameworks are in place to
mitigate issues. Security issues that raise more confrontational logic of security and are also
affecting international practices gather more concern like matters of peace and war. Sadly,
environmental issues and degradation are not considered to be matters of enough relevance to be
out at par with issues of peace and war and therefore their security issues are not given enough
importance. The scholars and academicians fail to treat environmental issues as grave and
therefore they treat them as ‘securitization’ which is again a flaw as it does not enunciate on the
basics and in depths of security practices. Alternative measures are being employed but did does
not emphatically talk about the non-traditional sectors and also does not apply the cogent logic
needed to deal with the issues of security at hand (Dalby 2002).
By trying to implement proper issues of security change, it is essential to state that these
are good attempts made by the Government to take into account the growing needs for
environmental issues. The climate security is a very good attempt to introduce environmental
concerns into the prospective security agenda of the world (Barry 1998). Though there are many
gaps that need to be bridged in terms of security concerns and environment. Environment is an
important element that needs to be part of every agenda and policy and with the growing need to
protect the Environment it is highly important that new policies are implemented that ensure that
Environment should be placed on the top of all priorities. In the 1970s, there was a sudden cry to
protect Environment so that new suggestions are made and new protection techniques are
implemented (Booth 1991). There are many security implications that arise when environment is
not given its due credit. World Commission on Environment and Development was one of the
first endeavors into marking the inception of environmental security. With the growing concerns
over ozone level depletion and other pollution issues, it came to be known that the issues of

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environment were becoming very serious. In the beginning of the inception, it was seen that
environmental security became more about talking about issues that really mattered and were
considered important by the law makers. There was no universal policy to address the issues of
environmental security. The politicians were not involved and therefore the policy makers had to
take up the matters at their individual discourse and as a result of which it did not gain enough
momentum. With the emergence of emergencies related to environment, it came to be decided
that environment debates should be made at international level so that big nations with greater
resources come into action. Humans are highly dependent on the nature and therefore the
concern of the environmentalists should be make more efforts to understand the essence of
planetary biosphere as these are the essential supports on which the humans are surviving and
living. The viewpoint of making environment security a matter of concern, it has received mixed
reviews where some say that it is essential and should be protected whereas there is another view
which says that environment cannot be equated with other concerns like identity, territoriality as
they are of immense importance. Matters of territoriality, sovereignty and identity are bigger
concerns for developing nations where they are looking for help from developed nations and
therefore they do not have the resource to pay attention to matters like environment as they seem
very trivial to them. To equate matters of great concern like war and peace and stability with
governance and ecology and habitat, it does not receive any assent from the poor countries (Paris
2001).
Conflict as well as tensions arise because different countries have different set of
principles to deal with matters of concern and they devise plans to counter them. The best way to
find a solution to these conflicts is by showing solidarity and shared responsibility. Every
country tries to maximize their economy by banking upon their best interests and by doing so