Intensification – Anne McClintock – Uncanny Kin and Earth System Animacies – e-flux.com

 

Report on the Intensification of Global Environmental Crises and the Imperative for Sustainable Development

Introduction: A Confluence of Crises and the 2030 Agenda

This report examines the concept of “intensification,” referring to the accelerating and interconnected nature of planetary crises, including climate change, resource depletion, and social inequity. These phenomena present a direct and urgent challenge to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The analysis synthesizes geological, atmospheric, and social data to underscore the necessity of an integrated approach to the 2030 Agenda, framing environmental stability as a prerequisite for sustainable human development.

Climate System Destabilization: A Direct Challenge to SDG 13 (Climate Action)

The stability of the global climate system is foundational to numerous SDGs. Current trends indicate a severe destabilization, with cascading impacts on ecosystems and human societies, directly threatening progress on SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), and SDG 15 (Life on Land).

Geological and Atmospheric Indicators

Historical and contemporary geological events serve as critical indicators of Earth’s climate sensitivity. These events highlight the profound interconnectedness of planetary systems and the need for robust climate monitoring and mitigation strategies as outlined in SDG 13.

• Volcanic Activity and Climate Forcing: Major volcanic eruptions, such as those of Krakatoa (1883) and Samalas (1257), have historically demonstrated the capacity to alter global atmospheric conditions and trigger significant climate shifts like the Little Ice Age. Recent activity in Iceland (Fagradalsfjall) serves as a contemporary reminder of these powerful Earth system dynamics.
• Atmospheric Data: The study of atmospheric phenomena, including the discovery of jet streams following volcanic eruptions, reinforces our understanding of global climate connectivity. This knowledge is vital for refining climate models and informing international policy aligned with SDG 13 targets.

Cryosphere Collapse and Sea-Level Rise

The rapid melting of the world’s glaciers and ice sheets is one of the most visible manifestations of climate change, with severe implications for global sea levels and the communities they threaten. This crisis directly impacts efforts to achieve SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) and SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation).

1. Accelerated Ice Loss: Ice caps like Vatnajökull in Iceland are diminishing at an unprecedented rate, contributing significantly to global sea-level rise. This loss disrupts freshwater supplies and threatens the existence of unique ecosystems.
2. Coastal Vulnerability: The consequences are particularly acute for low-lying coastal regions, such as Southern Louisiana, which face existential threats from land subsidence and rising seas. This situation underscores the urgent need for climate adaptation and resilience strategies to protect vulnerable populations and infrastructure, a core tenet of SDG 11.
3. Planetary Impact: The sheer scale of ice melt and subsequent water redistribution has been shown to alter the Earth’s gravitational field and even shift its axis, demonstrating a profound human impact on planetary systems.

Resource Management and Planetary Boundaries: Interlinking SDGs 6, 11, and 12

Sustainable resource management is central to the 2030 Agenda. The intensification of pressure on key resources like water and the challenge of waste management highlight the interdependence of SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).

The Global Water Crisis

Beyond the issue of melting glaciers, the management of liquid freshwater presents a critical challenge. The unsustainable extraction of groundwater is a global problem with planetary consequences.

• Groundwater Depletion: Rampant pumping of groundwater for agriculture and urban use has contributed to shifting the Earth’s rotational axis, illustrating a critical transgression of planetary boundaries.
• Water Security: Ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water for all, as mandated by SDG 6, requires a fundamental rethinking of water as a finite and precious resource within the Earth system.

Waste Systems and Urban Sustainability

As urban populations grow, the management of waste becomes a key indicator of sustainable development. Moving beyond linear “take-make-dispose” models is essential for achieving the circular economy principles embedded in SDG 12.

• The Waste Commons: Conceptualizing waste management as a collective responsibility, or a “waste commons,” offers a framework for developing more equitable and sustainable systems.
• Circular Economy: This approach aligns directly with the targets of SDG 12, promoting reduced consumption, resource efficiency, and the minimization of waste generation to build resilient and sustainable cities (SDG 11).

Social Equity and Indigenous Knowledge in Climate Action: Upholding SDGs 10 and 16

Effective and just climate action cannot be achieved without addressing systemic inequalities and incorporating diverse knowledge systems. This approach is fundamental to realizing SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

Addressing Historical Inequities

The impacts of climate change are not distributed equally. Communities burdened by historical legacies of colonialism and marginalization are often the most vulnerable. Acknowledging these dynamics is a prerequisite for equitable climate solutions that “leave no one behind,” fulfilling the core promise of the SDGs.

Integrating Diverse Knowledge Systems

Western scientific knowledge, while crucial, is not the only valid system for understanding and responding to environmental change. Integrating Indigenous wisdom is essential for holistic and effective stewardship.

1. Local and Indigenous Knowledge: Indigenous communities often possess deep, place-based knowledge about ecological systems, such as the relationship between glaciers, water, and local climate, which can inform more effective adaptation strategies.
2. A Politics of Dwelling: Incorporating perspectives that view humanity as part of, rather than separate from, the natural world can foster a more profound sense of responsibility and stewardship, aligning with the holistic spirit of the 2030 Agenda.

Conclusion: A Call for Integrated Action on the 2030 Agenda

The intensification of interconnected environmental and social crises demands a commensurate intensification of global efforts. A siloed approach to the Sustainable Development Goals is insufficient. Achieving a sustainable future requires recognizing the deep interdependencies between climate stability (SDG 13), resource management (SDGs 6, 12), urban resilience (SDG 11), and social justice (SDGs 10, 16). The evidence compels a rapid transition towards integrated policies and actions that respect planetary boundaries and uphold human dignity for all.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

Based on the provided article, which consists primarily of footnotes referencing various scientific and literary works, the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are addressed:

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: The article references issues of water management, specifically “rampant groundwater pumping” (Footnote 13) and the overall importance of water systems as discussed in works like “Planet Aqua” and “The Three Ages of Water” (Footnote 14). This connects to the sustainable management of water resources.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The article highlights the vulnerability of human settlements to environmental and climate-related disasters. This is shown through the example of a 19th-century Icelandic village threatened by a glacier (Footnote 23) and the contemporary “lethal threat” that the loss of southern Louisiana’s wetlands poses to its communities (Footnote 30).
• SDG 13: Climate Action: This is the most prominent SDG in the article. Numerous footnotes point directly to climate change, its historical context, and its consequences. References include Amitav Ghosh’s “The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable” (Footnote 2), the link between volcanic activity and the “Little Ice Age” (Footnote 21), the onset of global warming (Footnote 40), sea-level rise (Footnote 28), and the melting of glaciers in Iceland, described as a “glacier graveyard” (Footnote 33).
• SDG 14: Life Below Water: The article’s focus on sea-level rise and the degradation of coastal areas, such as the wetlands of southern Louisiana (Footnote 30), directly relates to the health and protection of marine and coastal ecosystems.
• SDG 15: Life on Land: The discussion of melting glaciers (Footnotes 23, 33, 35) and the loss of wetlands (Footnote 30) pertains to the protection and restoration of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems, particularly mountain and wetland environments.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

The article’s content, derived from its footnotes, points to several specific SDG targets:

1. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

   • Target 6.4: By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater. The mention of “Rampant Groundwater Pumping” (Footnote 13) directly highlights the issue of unsustainable freshwater withdrawals.
   • Target 6.6: By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes. The reference to the vanishing wetlands in Louisiana (Footnote 30) and the melting glaciers (Footnote 33) underscores the degradation of these critical ecosystems.

2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected… caused by disasters, including water-related disasters… The article points to the vulnerability of communities to such disasters, citing the “lethal threat” to southern Louisiana (Footnote 30) and the historical threat of a glacier to an Icelandic village (Footnote 23).

3. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Target 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries. The entire discussion of sea-level rise, melting glaciers, and the specific threats to Louisiana implies the urgent need for increased resilience and adaptation.
   • Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning. The article itself, by citing numerous scientific reports, journalistic pieces, and books on climate change (e.g., Footnotes 2, 28, 40), contributes to awareness-raising on this topic.

4. SDG 14: Life Below Water

   • Target 14.2: By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts… The warning that “the tipping point has already happened” for Louisiana’s coastal wetlands (Footnote 30) directly relates to the failure to protect these vital ecosystems.

5. SDG 15: Life on Land

   • Target 15.1: By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular… wetlands, mountains… The description of Iceland becoming a “glacier graveyard” (Footnote 33) and the loss of Louisiana’s wetlands (Footnote 30) are clear examples of the degradation of mountain and wetland ecosystems.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not explicitly name official SDG indicators, but it implies or directly mentions phenomena that are used as indicators to measure progress:

1. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

   • Implied Indicator: Level of water stress (related to Indicator 6.4.2). The phrase “rampant groundwater pumping” (Footnote 13) implies a high rate of freshwater withdrawal relative to available resources, which is the basis for measuring water stress.
   • Implied Indicator: Change in the extent of water-related ecosystems over time (Indicator 6.6.1). The discussion of the vanishing wetlands in Louisiana (Footnote 30) is a direct reference to the negative change in the extent of these ecosystems.

2. SDG 13: Climate Action

   • Implied Indicator: Rate of glacier and ice sheet melt. The references to Iceland becoming a “glacier graveyard” (Footnote 33), the importance of melting ice (Footnote 35), and NASA’s GRACE-FO mission which tracks ice sheet changes (Footnote 29) all point to this key physical indicator of climate change.
   • Implied Indicator: Rate of global mean sea-level rise (related to indicators for Target 13.1). The article directly references the issue in a source titled, “Why Our Intuition About Sea-Level Rise Is Wrong” (Footnote 28), establishing it as a measurable consequence of climate change.

3. SDG 14 & 15: Life Below Water & Life on Land

   • Implied Indicator: Coverage of protected areas in relation to marine and terrestrial ecosystems (related to Indicators 14.5.1 and 15.1.2). The article’s description of the irreversible loss of Louisiana’s wetlands (Footnote 30) implies a failure in protecting these critical areas, which can be measured by tracking the extent of protected vs. degraded land.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

SDGs	Targets	Indicators (Mentioned or Implied in the Article)
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation	6.4: Ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater. 6.6: Protect and restore water-related ecosystems.	Rate of groundwater withdrawal (implied by “rampant groundwater pumping”). Change in the extent of wetland ecosystems (implied by the “loss of southern Louisiana”).
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities	11.5: Reduce the number of people affected by disasters.	Vulnerability of coastal communities to land loss and sea-level rise (implied by the “lethal threat” to Louisiana).
SDG 13: Climate Action	13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards. 13.3: Improve education and awareness-raising on climate change.	Rate of glacier melt (mentioned as Iceland becoming a “glacier graveyard”). Rate of sea-level rise (mentioned in the context of scientific understanding). Public and political awareness of climate change (implied by references to scientific reports and historical warnings).
SDG 14: Life Below Water	14.2: Sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems.	Extent of coastal wetland degradation (implied by the statement that Louisiana’s “tipping point has already happened”).
SDG 15: Life on Land	15.1: Ensure the conservation and restoration of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems.	Loss of glacier mass (implied by “melting ice” and “glacier graveyard”). Loss of wetland area (explicitly referenced for Louisiana).

Source: e-flux.com