20
C. W. Ayre et al.
The Causes and Impacts of War
War
Historically, it appears that war has always been part of the human experience, yet
it seems that humanity does not readily learn the lessons history has to teach. Given
the devastating human, ecological and financial implications of war, it is difficult to
understand why alternative solutions to political unrest have not been more intentionally pursued and implemented. For nations and peoples who regard themselves
as “civilized”, war seems a particularly barbaric way of settling differences. The
causes of wars, both in a general and a particular sense, have long been debated in
a variety of fora, and at the risk of over-simplification, a significant factor would
certainly relate to variations in political relationships and the power of larger nations
(Vasquez 2012). That concentration of power is in turn fed by attitudes apparent in
contemporary society, including extreme nationalism, along with the lure of greed
or the desire for power and domination. This appears especially so, when resources
are unexpectedly depleted by climate change (Nunn 2007; Zhang et al. 2007).
Wars have been fought over access to important minerals, including fossil fuels
such as oil. Furthermore, there is a very real possibility that in the foreseeable future
this could be extended to include conflict over essential resources such as water
(Farinosi et al. 2018). Another contributing factor is the propensity for intolerance of
those who may be perceived as different (Swinton 2012). There appears to be little
logic behind many of the “isms” prevalent in contemporary discourse, such as racism,
which brings the focus to ethnic diversity, and sexism, which encompasses gender
issues—or classism, ageism, ableism, etc. These “isms” are in direct opposition to the
spiritual principle of Imago Dei, which “supports the inherent worth and value of all
human beings as created in the image of God” (Hills et al. 2019, p. 12). The desperate
need for a change of course away from the potentially destructive path humanity
finds itself walking is highlighted (Karkkainen 2013; Volf 1996; Bhagwan 2020).
The causes of any given war may be defined by the unique historical circumstances.
Whether the rise of ancient empires or the world wars of the twentieth century are
being examined, underlying factors such as political control and territorial expansion
remain largely constant. Even so, one major change, especially since the second
half of the twentieth century, is that wars may nowadays threaten far-flung nuclear
annihilation (Caldicott 2017; Bhagwan 2020; Brewer et al. 2020). It must therefore
be questioned whether wars really resolve anything, and pondered if they create at
least as many problems as they might solve (BAS 2020).
Ecology
Most people have some understanding of ecology. At first consideration, it may seem
little different from a more general concept such as nature, with available definitions
C. W. Ayre et al.
The Causes and Impacts of War
War
Historically, it appears that war has always been part of the human experience, yet
it seems that humanity does not readily learn the lessons history has to teach. Given
the devastating human, ecological and financial implications of war, it is difficult to
understand why alternative solutions to political unrest have not been more intentionally pursued and implemented. For nations and peoples who regard themselves
as “civilized”, war seems a particularly barbaric way of settling differences. The
causes of wars, both in a general and a particular sense, have long been debated in
a variety of fora, and at the risk of over-simplification, a significant factor would
certainly relate to variations in political relationships and the power of larger nations
(Vasquez 2012). That concentration of power is in turn fed by attitudes apparent in
contemporary society, including extreme nationalism, along with the lure of greed
or the desire for power and domination. This appears especially so, when resources
are unexpectedly depleted by climate change (Nunn 2007; Zhang et al. 2007).
Wars have been fought over access to important minerals, including fossil fuels
such as oil. Furthermore, there is a very real possibility that in the foreseeable future
this could be extended to include conflict over essential resources such as water
(Farinosi et al. 2018). Another contributing factor is the propensity for intolerance of
those who may be perceived as different (Swinton 2012). There appears to be little
logic behind many of the “isms” prevalent in contemporary discourse, such as racism,
which brings the focus to ethnic diversity, and sexism, which encompasses gender
issues—or classism, ageism, ableism, etc. These “isms” are in direct opposition to the
spiritual principle of Imago Dei, which “supports the inherent worth and value of all
human beings as created in the image of God” (Hills et al. 2019, p. 12). The desperate
need for a change of course away from the potentially destructive path humanity
finds itself walking is highlighted (Karkkainen 2013; Volf 1996; Bhagwan 2020).
The causes of any given war may be defined by the unique historical circumstances.
Whether the rise of ancient empires or the world wars of the twentieth century are
being examined, underlying factors such as political control and territorial expansion
remain largely constant. Even so, one major change, especially since the second
half of the twentieth century, is that wars may nowadays threaten far-flung nuclear
annihilation (Caldicott 2017; Bhagwan 2020; Brewer et al. 2020). It must therefore
be questioned whether wars really resolve anything, and pondered if they create at
least as many problems as they might solve (BAS 2020).
Ecology
Most people have some understanding of ecology. At first consideration, it may seem
little different from a more general concept such as nature, with available definitions