Oceans Rise Empires Fall
Gerard Toal
Abstract
Abstract Oceans Rise Empires Fall: Why Geopolitics Hastens Climate Catastrophe discusses how geopolitics affects climate change by highlighting its catastrophic effects. Even though states would prefer to reduce emissions in the abstract, they would always prioritize access to carbon-based fuels necessary for generating economic growth to compete with rival states. Thus, geopolitical competition ramps the difficulty of implementing effective climate change policies. Oceans Rise Empires Fall discusses how the Ukraine and Russia conflict exposed priorities such as territorial control and fossil fuel acquisition over a zero-carbon future. It explains that competitive territorial, resource, and technological dramas have obscured the deterioration of the planet’s life-support systems.