Energy,the Environment,and Migration in East Asia.pptVIP

Energy, the Environment, and Migration in East Asia SOSC 228 1. KEY POINTS Growing demand for energy as a strategic problem for East Asia Efforts to solve energy problems lead to major environmental problems throughout the region, due to nuclear plants, coal production and burning, deforestation and loss of arable land. Environmental issues have a strong transnational component. Environmental movement primarily grass roots movement, promoting democratization, but also leads to governments becoming more sensitive over time to problems of environment. External pressures have some, but limited, utility in resolving environmental problems in East Asia. Key pressures must come from within the region. Migration as interregional, intra-regional and internal due to war, brain drains, development, and regional economic variations. 2. Energy and Security in East Asia Rapid growth and limited supplies add political and security dimension to search for natural resources. Sea lanes for the shipping of oil become important security focal point. This makes Indonesian instability and possibility of Aceh separatism a threat to the entire region. For Calder, the root of Asia’s energy security problem is China’s shift from oil exporter to major oil importer and its continued economic growth in automobiles, industry, air transport. Energy competition creates conflict over control of South China Sea and Senkaku Islands where Japan and China have competing claims. Insuring energy supplies key force behind Japanese aid patterns—especially towards China—and its concept of “comprehensive security.” Need to protect sea lanes could lead to greater Japanese investment in “blue water” navy, while energy hunger pushes China in same direction. 3. Nuclear Energy Alternative is nuclear energy, with Japan getting 30%, South Korea getting 40% of their energy from nuclear plants. China (and Taiwan) plan to increase the role of nuclear energy in its power production. East Asia comprising 14% of gl