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Environmental crises can arise from many sources - a widespread lack of awareness, corporate greed, and lack of prioritization of environmental protection to name a few. However, the relationship between the status of the environment and political wellbeing of a nation is a crucial factor behind the future of our environment. Environmental damage is almost always a byproduct of political conflicts, depleting natural resources and leaving entire landscapes of a nation in disarray in the hands of escalating armed conflict. Inversely, possessing a lack of these exploited resources such as oil and minerals has shaped and shattered international relations across borders. The relationship status between the environment and political connections is as follows: it’s complicated. That being said, here are a few points that more or less break it down: Refugees / Displacement of Peoples Often seen in times of war, thousands of millions of families are put in the position of leaving their home country in search of safety and stability. This mass displacement of families and their possessions can have an array of environmental consequences including deforestation, waste accumulation, and poaching as families fend for themselves and utilize natural resources and land to survive the journey across nations. According to the UNHCR, the majority of these refugees already come from countries with high climate vulnerability, in which inconsistent weather patterns “shocks” and land degradation are already pre-existing threats to their journeys. The Creation of Global Food Networks and Regional Treaties As the climate condition worsens, nations have become more collaborative on ways to reduce carbon emissions and safeguard food supplies in case of unforeseeable climate emergencies. An example of this includes initiatives taken by ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and their focus on combating food insecurity and providing greater economic support for farmers to ensure more consistent crop production to better sustain the populations of member nations. Numerous documents lay the framework for similar measures, including the ASCC blueprint (2025) and the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Environment (AMME). Regional communication between nations experiencing similar climate patterns can produce a more hopeful future for the environment while simultaneously progressing foreign relations through teamwork toward a common goal. Weapon Production As nations continue expanding and maintaining their military arsenals and defensive systems in preparation for future conflict (or use in a present one), we must consider the destructive toll this mass production takes on the environment in every stage. Production in factories can add to the worsening water and air pollution. Aside from that, the actual use of these weapons are beyond detrimental - such as huge, carbon monoxide-emitting tanks or deployment of bombs that form chunky craters in a country’s landscape. Environmental destruction can leave warring states in shambles and produce severe economic consequences, particularly when governments must produce funds for post-war rebuilding efforts and allocate funds towards war veterans and people who lose their jobs due to the conflict. Although the historic SALT agreements aid in the regulation of nuclear weaponry (one-hundredfold the damage of normal weaponry), even the maintenance of current weaponry poses a tremendous threat to both ecosystems while keeping shaky political tension intact. Animal Exodus The mass transportation of animals across nations is a fascinating concept that substantially alters environments across the world. A notable example of this resulted as a byproduct of Pablo Escobar’s million-dollar animal sanctuary in Columbia. Although many of the animals, including rare species of tigers and giraffes, were exported to various nations such as India and Mexico, they failed to export four hippos. These four hippos over time produced an exponential growth in the species’ population in Columbia, and in many towns, hippos are found running free, too massive in number to effectively control. These hippos have developed an environmental monopoly over their prey, posing a threat to competing animal species that would normally thrive and increasing the competition for resources. This environmental instability is not only threatening to people who live nearby but has also grown out of governmental control. Similar situations are prevalent in nations around the world, and (in my opinion) a more efficient framework for animal treatment and protection protocol must be developed between nations. These are just a few factors showing the intersectionality between our environment and international relations. As both factors are thrust on an unpredictable course for the future, it’s important to take measures to increase consciousness of this relationship on both a personal and global level to pave a path of growth in both fields. Sources https://www.unhcr.org/what-we-do/build-better-futures/climate-change-and-displacement https://asean.org/our-communities/asean-socio-cultural-community/environment/ https://adra.org/world-refugee-day-adra-calls-on-nations-to-bring-hope-to-all-people-fleeing-from-conflict-and-persecution

Corals are often mistaken for exotically vibrant plants, but they are actually animals! Corals are made up of tiny living organisms called polyps. Polyps form hardened limestone exteriors – calicles – around their soft sac-like bodies and build off of each other, forming a colony of millions of miniscule creatures that act as a single organism. Over hundreds of thousands of years, these colonies are conjoined, which create the extravagant structures that we see today. Aside from their visual beauty, coral reefs play a diverse role in our ecosystem. They serve as crucial defenders of coastlines, protecting them from storms and erosion, as well as providing job opportunities and recreational spaces. Additionally, coral reefs act as essential sources of sustenance for over half a billion people, supporting the livelihoods of coastal communities and the fishing industry, and in aiding medical research as well. These underwater ecosystems sustain 25% of ocean life, underscoring their significance in the preservation of marine biodiversity. Corals provide shelter, food, reproduction sites, and havens, for various organisms, particularly fish, demonstrating the complex interdependence within these dynamic underwater ecosystems. Zooxanthellae Corals are naturally translucent. However, they get their array of colors from their symbiotic relationship with zooxanthellae, or a type of algae, that live in their tissue. (Similar to fruits, the pigment of the zooxanthellae’s chlorophyll determines the host organism's natural color). These algae take in sunlight through their chlorophyll to produce sugar for energy. A portion of this generated energy is then passed on to the polyps. In return, coral polyps supply the algae with carbon dioxide and a protected habitat. Beyond algae, polyps utilize their stinging tentacles to catch unsuspecting micro-organisms – zooplankton – as well, but zooxanthellae are still their primary source of energy. However, when corals are threatened by pollution or other environmentally stressful factors, they either expel the algae or the algae leaves the polyps tissues, exposing the coral’s naturally white exterior. This process is called coral bleaching. By losing their primary source of food, corals are left vulnerable and more susceptible to diseases, thus endangering their survival. Summarized Life Cycle of Coral Energy Investment: Fully developed corals invest energy in the creation of reproductive cells through the process of meiosis. Gamete Release: When the environment is suitable, corals release egg and sperm cells into the water. External Fertilization: A fertilized zygote (egg) is formed externally in the water. Miotic (Cell) Division: The zygote undergoes mitosis, a type of cell division, generating multiple cells and initiating embryo development. Transformation to Planula: The developing embryo undergoes a transformation, becoming a planula larva, which is essentially coral plankton. Settlement and Development: Using its cilia (tail) for propulsion, the planula drifts until it locates a suitable solid surface to attach itself to. Lastly it begins forming its hard exoskeleton. When multiple polyps attach to each other, coral is formed. Then Versus Now Scientists are still trying to figure out where these corals came from in evolution. Fossils show that corals appeared in the Middle Triassic period, and they were more diverse than expected. Molecular biology supports the idea that these corals might have come from soft-bodied ancestors that survived mass extinction. Most living coral reefs are less than 10,000 years old, but corals have been found in fossil reefs as old as 500 million years. Scientists are applying various methods to conserve corals such as Replantation: Lab-grown coral replanted into aquatic ecosystems (this method is successful but could potentially reduce genetic diversity), and Genetic Engineering: Artificially crossbreeding species to create breeds with a wider range of tolerance (there is a risk of creating an invasive species with this method). What Can You Do? To support coral reef conservation, you can: Scuba dive responsibly, avoiding coral and coral reefs Choose reef-friendly sun protection to avoid releasing harmful ingredients in the waters Dispose of trash properly, especially plastic Participate in community cleanups. Consider environmentally friendly transportation to reduce fossil fuel emission. Spread awareness by sharing information with your community! Work Consulted "Corals Get Their Food from Algae Living in Their Tissues or by Capturing and Digesting Prey." Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, floridakeys.noaa.gov/corals/coralseat.html. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023. "The Evolution of Modern Corals and Their Early History." Science Direct, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0012825202001046. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023. "In What Types of Waters Do Corals Live?" National Ocean Service, oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/ coralwaters.html#:~:text=Reef-building%20corals%20cannot%20tolerate%20water%20tem peratures%20below%2064%C2%B0,as%20104%C2%B0%20Fahrenheit%20(40%C2%B0%20Celsius)%2 0for%20short%20periods. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023. "Life Cycle." Khaled Bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, www.livingoceansfoundation.org/education/portal/course/life-cycle/ #:~:text=CORAL%20CYCLEs-Let's%20recap%20the&text=Coral%20polyps%20become%20sexua lly%20mature,and%20forms%20a%20coral%20polyp. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023. "7 Bold Ways Scientists Are Saving the Coral Reefs." The Hill, thehill.com/ changing-america/sustainability/ 464414-7-bold-ways-scientists-are-saving-coral-reefs/ #:~:text=Scientists%20hope%20they%20can%20help%20increase%20resilience%20among,In surance%20...%207%207.%20Fight%20climate%20change%20. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023. "What Is Coral Bleaching?" National Ocean Service, oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/ coral_bleach.html#:~:text=When%20the%20symbiotic%20relationship%20becomes,is%20mo re%20susceptible%20to%20disease. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023. "What You Can Do to Help Protect Coral Reefs." United States Environmental Protection Agency, www.epa.gov/coral-reefs/ what-you-can-do-help-protect-coral-reefs. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.