Very often we forget that our social evolution into what we
term modern societies has its foundation rooted in the stable climatic regime
that the Earth gifted us. The various political and legal instruments that are
in place to ensure success of entities as nation states, have a climate defined limit (CDL). Since
climate and ecosystem services were taken as granted, no constitution or
regulation ever carried any explicit mention of CDLs.
With our present understanding of climate change, the
contours of possible CDLs have become more luminous. It is now more easy to
visualize how the laws that govern our social behavior have a valid climate space.
In other words, an individual's social behavior is likely to alter
under a changed and unpredictable climatic regime. Sheer desire to ensure
survival and transfer of genes will make biological evolutionary force to exert
and compel individuals to disobey rule of law.
It may begin as seemingly disconnected instances of localized
food/ water riots. However, such isolated instances have the potential to rapidly
coalesce and scale up to cannibalism that epitomizes survival of the fittest.
Do we need to wait for the jerk to react? Would it be too
late to continue to repose faith on our friends, who like us would likely be a
cannibal by then? Perhaps Korowais may be able to teach us how to adapt to live
in a changed planet!
I doubt if it would be sheer muscle power than any
institution.
