Benjamin Chipman

Conflict & Adaptation: The Geopolitical Implications of Climate Change

As each day passes, the impacts of climate change make themselves more and more apparent; however, as such a dense topic, it can be difficult to understand all the ways in which climate change threatens political, social, environmental, and economic order. For my capstone, I am focusing on the geopolitical implications of climate change, meaning the ways in which geography and international relations overlap due to changes in the environment. I aim to explain and underscore the importance of preparing to respond to these new, unprecedented conditions through a research paper and accompanying powerpoint presentation. In this exploration of climatic geopolitics through the associated changes with rising seas, international conflict, increases in extreme weather patterns, and the role of supranational organizations for the protection of people, cultures, and history, I have found the need for immediate action and discovered that preparing for and slowing climate change most likely requires an image overhaul, shifting from environmental stresses and moving towards more tangible expression.