Understanding the Surge of Global Conflicts Amidst Climate Crises

The 2020s have unfolded as a decade of overlapping crises — pandemics, political instability, economic shocks, and a sharp resurgence of war. But beneath the headlines lies a deeper question: are wars genuinely more common today, and if so, are climate pressures and diminishing resources part of the cause?

Conflict research suggests the answer to the first question is yes. The second is more complicated.

Recent data from global conflict monitors shows that state‑based wars have reached their highest levels since World War II, driven by major conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Myanmar. Wars and armed conflicts have become significantly more common and deadly since 2020, reaching their highest levels since World War II. This marks a clear break from the relative stability of the early 2000s and 2010s.

The New Landscape of War

The post‑2020 conflict environment is defined by several striking shifts:

  • Record-high active state conflicts
  • Annual battle deaths exceeding 240,000
  • Foreign interventions doubling since 2008
  • Global military spending rising to $2.9 trillion

These trends point to a world where diplomacy is weakening, geopolitical rivalry is intensifying, and international norms are eroding.

One particularly alarming metric is that peace agreements are failing, with only 4% of conflicts ending via treaties compared to 23% in the 1970s.

The machinery of peace is breaking down. There seems to be less will for peace and greater investment in sustained conflict.

Climate Change: Not the Spark, but the Fuel

Climate change and resource scarcity are often cited as causes of modern conflict. Yet the evidence shows they are not primary drivers — they are risk multipliers.

Climate as a Threat Multiplier

Climate change rarely ignites wars directly. Instead, it destabilises societies already under strain:

  • Droughts destroy crops and livelihoods
  • Floods displace communities
  • Desertification pushes pastoralists into farming regions
  • Extreme weather undermines fragile governments

Climate change does not typically cause direct inter-state warfare. Instead, it worsens underlying social and economic vulnerabilities.

When livelihoods collapse, recruitment by armed groups becomes easier. When governments fail to respond, grievances deepen. When desperation rises, violence follows.

Scarcity — and Abundance — of Resources

Resource scarcity fuels localised conflicts, especially in fragile regions:

  • Water shortages
  • Loss of arable land
  • Competition between herders and farmers

But abundance can be even more dangerous.

The global race for lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare minerals — essential for green technology — has intensified geopolitical competition. In places like the DRC, resource wealth funds armed groups and prolongs war.

The War–Climate Feedback Loop

The relationship between war and climate is not one‑directional. It is a destructive cycle.

Global militaries account for roughly 5.5% of all global greenhouse gas emissions… war heavily accelerates climate change.

Conflict destroys infrastructure, burns cities, and releases massive emissions. Rebuilding after war produces even more.

Climate change increases conflict risk. Conflict accelerates climate change. A vicious loop.

Some might argue that the real drivers of Post‑2020 conflict are as follows – but these assumptions lead to more questions than answers

Despite environmental pressures, the perceived influential drivers of modern war remain political:

  • Weak governance and corruption
  • Breakdown of diplomacy
  • Major powers ignoring international norms
  • Foreign interventions escalating local conflicts
  • Rising authoritarianism and geopolitical rivalry

Climate change amplifies these forces, but for me increasing wars and fights for resources were very much predicted to be on the cards years ago as an output due to climate crisis, global warming and a hunt for resources.

Conclusion: A Hotter World, A Colder Politics

Wars are more common in the 2020s — not because the planet is simply running out of resources, but because political systems are failing to manage the pressures of a warming, crowded, unequal world.

Climate change doesn’t start wars. But it makes them easier to start, harder to stop, and far more devastating.

The 2020s show us a world where environmental stress and geopolitical instability now move in tandem. Understanding this relationship is essential if we hope to break the cycle.

To infinity or Totnes and beyond!

So I did celebrated hitting my 50th year by spending a long weekend in Totnes in Devon. Catching up with some great friends whilst also meeting some new people too.

I had a few Guinness

Started most mornings there with a croissant and coffee (not a Guinness) and on my birthday had an almond and cherry croissant to start the day, it was lush.

Then after meeting a friend in the day had a few beers and finally settled on a curry in the evening which was h a chicken madras and mushroom bhaji and pilau rice again really good quality grub.

The accommodation was a great choice and right in the centre of town with everything on its door step.

Stereophonics – Song For The Summer

🎉 Fifty Years On: A Birthday Reflection on a Changed Britain and a Changing me

A Huwspace.com birthday essay — July 12, 2026

Today marks fifty years since I arrived in the world on 12 July 1976 — a hot summer, a turbulent decade, and a Britain that feels almost like another country. Turning fifty isn’t just a personal milestone; it’s a vantage point. Half a century gives you enough distance to see the long arc of change, to recognise what’s been gained, what’s been lost, and what still feels unfinished.

This is a birthday reflection not just on my life, but on the life of the UK itself — the country that shaped me, challenged me, frustrated me, and continues to surprise me.

🇬🇧 1976: The Britain I Was Born Into

Britain in 1976 was a place of strikes, power cuts, and industrial muscle. It was a country where:

  • Heavy industry still defined whole towns
  • Unions were powerful
  • Inflation was out of control
  • Technology meant a rotary phone and three TV channels
  • Immigration was modest and society more uniform, racism was more prevalent – ‘No blacks, no dogs no Irish!
  • The class system was rigid but predictable – although if like my dad you were clever and willing and able to learn new opportunities did exist in an ever changing Britain.
  • The idea of “global Britain” meant the memory of empire, not the reality of influence -which was also reflected in cultural expression and taught in history lessons and laughed at though our sense of humour such as monty python.

It was a Britain that felt old even then — worn down by post‑war exhaustion, unsure of its future, and still clinging to structures built for a world that no longer existed.

But it was also a Britain with a strong social fabric or ethical ethos, clear identities, and communities that hadn’t yet been enriched or fractured by globalisation, deindustrialisation, and digital life or a climate crisis.

🚀 The UK Today: A Completely Different Country or most certainly alive in a different time.

Fast‑forward fifty years, and the UK has transformed in almost every dimension.

1. Society is bigger, more diverse, more fluid

The population has grown by more than 11 million since I was born. Cities are multicultural mosaics. Family structures have changed. Identity is more open, more contested, more expressive.

2. Work has shifted from factories to laptops

The industrial Britain of my birth has given way to a service‑driven, digital economy. Unions have shrunk. Gig work has grown. Job security is no longer guaranteed. The idea of a “career for life” feels like a relic as does a pension for retirement. The issue of wealth and where it should lie and why is still a fluid topic open to change and new ideas and power plays.

3. Technology has rewritten daily life

From no internet to living online. From letters to instant messages. From three TV channels to infinite content. From paper maps to satellite navigation. From analogue everything to AI everywhere.

The pace of change has been dizzying — and relentless.

4. Politics has become more polarised and less trusted – or at least that is what we are paid and digitally printed to believe. By keeping us arguing amongst ourselves we tend to not get to grips with the real actors on the stage such as the uber wealthy and those that turn the wheels of an economy that is swiftly or slowly killing biodiversity on and heating up a planet.

The post‑war consensus collapsed. Thatcher reshaped the economic model. New Labour reshaped the social one. Austerity reshaped public services. Brexit reshaped the national story.

Trust in politics has fallen to historic lows. The country feels more divided, more anxious, more uncertain about its place in the world or anxiety about the world within which we live that we now leave to the next generation.

5. Culture has exploded in creativity

Music, fashion, film, literature — Britain has produced wave after wave of cultural reinvention. From punk to rave, Britpop to grime, analogue art to digital creation. The UK’s cultural output has been one of its greatest strengths.

6. Public services have strained under the weight of change

The NHS, transport, housing, local government — all transformed, all challenged. Some improvements, many pressures, and a sense that the old systems are creaking under modern demands. Also the expectation that everyone except me should be taxed and all things should be available to all people at no expense whatsoever. No one is able to calculate the cost of a well run society and no one is prepared to pay that price either.

🌱 What It Means to Turn Fifty in a Changed Britain

Reaching fifty in 2026 means having lived through:

  • The end of the industrial age
  • The rise of globalisation
  • The birth of the internet
  • The financial crash
  • Austerity
  • Brexit
  • A pandemic
  • The arrival of AI

It means carrying memories of a Britain that no longer exists — and navigating a Britain still trying to define what it wants to be.

It means recognising that change is constant, but direction is a choice.

It means understanding that nostalgia is comforting, but renewal is necessary.

🔭 What Comes Next

If the first fifty years of my life were defined by transformation, the next decades will be defined by reinvention.

Britain has the raw ingredients for renewal: creativity, diversity, scientific talent, cultural influence, and a deep well of resilience. What it lacks is coherence — a shared mission, a long‑term plan, and a political culture capable of thinking beyond the next election cycle.

But birthdays are for optimism. And fifty is a good age for clarity.

The UK and myself has changed dramatically since 1976 — sometimes painfully, sometimes brilliantly and in found memories beautifully too. The next chapter can be better than the last, if we choose to make it so.

🎂 A Final Birthday Thought

Fifty years teaches you that life is not about resisting change, but understanding it. The same is true for countries. Although I do not throw caution to the wind and then through all that has gone down the river of life.

There a simple little truths learned along the way that although not always convenient have helped me stay true to who I am and help me calve out my place in this world.

Simple things like being honest where and when you can, listen to what you hear and think on what you do.

So here’s to the next chapter — for me, for Britain, and for whatever comes after this milestone morning in July 2026.

Bob Dylan – Blowin’ in the Wind (Official Audio)

Navigating Aggressive Encounters at a Local Pub

I’m writing this having a nap after a few beers in my belly after having got home from a night out. I was out at a local pub and had been told by local friends that I person in the pub was being aggressive and hostile to singers (including me) as they sang, unnecessarily criticising them like he was Simon Cowell on a professional night of judgement which I thought was was unfair and unnecessary.

 I  did not see the said person that was doing this but knew the person saying this was happening was being truthful and honest. So I joined in and had a go at him and challenged his behaviour . It got to the point where he was asking me to ‘step outside’ which is completely pointless I’m not that kind of guy. We finally shook hands and agreed to disagree after a heated discussion. I was told after said discussion that people would have intervened if needed while challenging this guy who hated people singing in the pub and let people know it.

If he had turned on me its likely we could have had a stupid fight but luckily he didn’t, the discussion I had with him saying everyone that gets up and sings on the night that I know sings from the hearts and there for he should not judge them for their singing ability resulted in the guts partner leaving and then he left after some heated discussion with me too.

I did feel bad for him after he left and we left on ok terms and shook hands instead of fists, but he is and will continue to be unpleasant to others in his head or under his breath or out loud1. But I feel I should not have stepped up and make his opinions my problems. I do feel right now a little set up to step into this situation and ultimately there were no winners with me stepping in and he looked old but very ready for a fight with me and I feel old and did not enjoy fighting in my teens let alone tonight. It was a car crash of a situation to be involved in and I do fee l feel relieved to now be home at last after this.

Celebrating 50: A Birthday Getaway in Totnes

A week on Sunday and I will be in a Devon Town called Totnes for a birthday get away. It’s my 50 birthday and so I wanted to do something different and hopefully memorable in a positive way. It will be the first time that I have stayed as a guest on holiday since going to Ireland with my Dad in 2024 for St Patricks day. Although its just a train ride down the track rather than a flight or a ferry it means a lot to me to try and get away and do something a little different.

Totnes is a historic and vibrant market town in South Devon, England, located on the River Dart. Renowned for its bohemian counterculture and focus on sustainability, the town features a steep High Street lined with independent boutiques, ethical restaurants, and wholefood cafes, sitting in the shadow of a medieval castle.

I’m really looking forward to getting there. I went and did a little recce (reconnaissance) a few weeks ago to decide whether or not I really wanted to go and stay there and loved the place and area and even took a look and had a meal and a pint at the pub that I will be staying in. Though it will be hot I hope to find places to keep my cool while there.

I have also ordered a t-shirt that I hope arrives in time to take with me which is a dragon singing design that I am having made up.

Front of new designed t-shirt
Back of new ordered t-shirt

Being the first holiday with out my dad will be strange and also running into my 50 year while there will be strange to. if any one asked me how life is I could turn around and say yes not to bad thank you. I am grateful to presently have good mental health and not to bad physical health. I enjoy the company of good friends and also have close friends to call on when I need or want to. Social life is pretty good and though work can be a challenge I work with good people that help me get the job done.

Nothing is perfect nor should it be but it would have been nice to have had a chance to have another relationship / partner or something like that by now – the thought still somewhat terrifies me but it would still be nice to try again. I really think I would never have the energy or mental well being to have had children but most people that I meet that are single and want to mingle have been there and got the t-shirt of parenthood already so that pressure is not really on me or any potential partner.

Some friends have been busy getting in and out of relationships or sorts this year and I have been happy for them but also hoping I get to give it a try again at some time too but most likely will continue to tick along as I am. I am a nightmare hoping for the right person at the right time in the right place. Well we do live learn and love!

Don’t you worry child (Radio Edit) – Swedish House Mafia, John Martin

The British Press Crisis: Disconnect and Accountability

The Cost of Noise: How and why the British Press Lost the Public

Introduction: A System That No Longer Serves

There is a growing disconnect in Britain-between the public and the press that claims to inform it.

Once positioned as the “fourth estate,” the British press was meant to challenge power, expose wrongdoing, and provide citizens with the information needed to make informed decisions. Today, many critics argue it has drifted far from that role.

Instead, it increasingly reflects a system driven by corporate concentration, political alignment, and commercial survival, often at the expense of truth and public interest.

This isn’t just a media issue. It’s a democratic one.

A Concentrated Voice: When Few Control the Narrative

Britain’s press may look diverse, but structurally it is anything but.

Just three major corporations control around 90% of national print circulation and a significant share of online reach.

This level of concentration gives enormous influence to a small number of proprietors, including billionaire-owned media groups and large public corporations.

Why this matters

When ownership is concentrated:

  • Editorial direction becomes centralised
  • Certain political or economic perspectives are amplified
  • Others are marginalised or ignored

The result is not outright censorship—but something subtler: a narrowing of the national conversation.

Case Study: Phone Hacking and the Limits of Accountability

One of the clearest examples of systemic failure in the British press is the phone-hacking scandal.

The now-defunct News of the World, part of News UK, was shut down after widespread illegal surveillance of individuals, including celebrities and ordinary citizens.

The consequences were significant:

  • Over £1 billion paid in legal settlements by News UK
  • Public inquiries into press ethics
  • Exposure of close relationships between media and political elites

Yet despite this, critics argue the structural issues remain unchanged:

  • Self-regulation continues to dominate
  • Legal action remains inaccessible to most citizens
  • Cultural incentives within media organisations have not fundamentally shifted

The lesson is stark: even the most high-profile scandal did not fully reform the system.

Sensationalism and the Attention Economy

Modern journalism is no longer shaped purely by editorial judgement—it is shaped by clicks, shares, and engagement metrics.

The shift toward digital media has intensified this pressure, encouraging:

  • Outrage-driven headlines
  • Simplified, polarised narratives
  • High-volume, low-depth reporting

This has led to a growing reliance on “clickbait” and emotionally charged content, often at the expense of accuracy and nuance.

Example: Health Misinformation

The document highlights research linking media misinformation to increased NHS costs, with tens of millions spent on preventable hospitalisations.

This demonstrates a key point:

When the press prioritises engagement over accuracy, the cost is not just informational—it is financial and societal.

Political Alignment: Reporting or Campaigning?

Many British newspapers openly align with political ideologies. While this is not new, its impact has intensified due to concentrated ownership and declining trust.

Publications frequently:

  • Support specific parties or policies
  • Frame issues to reinforce ideological narratives
  • Selectively omit inconvenient facts

Example: Brexit Coverage

While perspectives varied, critics have argued that sections of the press:

  • Promoted simplified or emotionally charged narratives
  • Downplayed complex economic realities
  • Framed political choices as inevitable rather than debatable

This aligns with findings in your document that economic issues are often presented without sufficient nuance, limiting public understanding.

The result is a public discourse shaped less by evidence—and more by narrative.

The Quiet Harm: Ordinary People Without Protection

The impact of a failing press is not limited to politics—it affects individuals directly.

Under the current system:

  • Legal action against media organisations is prohibitively expensive
  • Independent arbitration mechanisms have been weakened
  • Citizens have limited recourse against false or intrusive reporting

Real-world impact

For ordinary people, this means:

  • Reputational damage with little chance of correction
  • Invasion of privacy without meaningful consequences
  • A sense of powerlessness against large media institutions

This imbalance reinforces the idea of “virtual impunity” within the press.

Democracy Under Pressure

A functioning democracy relies on an informed public.

When the press fails in its role, the consequences ripple outward:

1. Reduced Scrutiny of Power

Political decisions face less challenge, allowing:

  • Poor policy-making
  • Wasteful public spending
  • Potential corruption

2. Economic Misunderstanding

The document highlights a lack of economic literacy in reporting, leading to:

  • Oversimplified fiscal debates
  • Misleading narratives around public spending

3. Social Division

To drive engagement, media increasingly:

  • Amplifies cultural conflicts
  • Promotes polarising viewpoints
  • Circulates fringe or misleading narratives

The result is a fragmented society, where agreement on basic facts becomes difficult.

When Truth Becomes Secondary

Perhaps the most damaging shift is the erosion of truth itself.

Truth is often:

  • Distorted through selective reporting
  • Replaced by emotionally driven narratives
  • Undermined by weak correction mechanisms

Example: Corrections That Don’t Correct

Even when inaccuracies are acknowledged:

  • Corrections are often buried
  • Published long after the original story
  • Fail to reach the same audience

By then, public opinion has already been shaped.

The Bigger Picture: A System Built for Itself

Taken together, these issues point to a deeper structural problem.

The British press is no longer simply flawed—it is incentivised to behave this way.

  • Commercial models reward outrage
  • Ownership structures reward alignment
  • Weak regulation enables repetition

This creates a system where:

The pursuit of truth is often secondary to the pursuit of influence and revenue.

Conclusion: What Is Lost

This is not just a critique of journalism—it is a warning.

When the press fails:

  • Citizens lose access to reliable information
  • Power operates with less scrutiny
  • Society becomes more divided

Ultimately, the cost is not just economic or political.

It is the erosion of a shared reality—the foundation on which democracy depends.

Unique Red Dragon T-Shirt Inspired by Fantasy Art

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/4515994213/red-dragon-reading-at-typewriter-t-shirt?sr_prefetch=1&pf_from=shop_home&ref=shop_home_active_1&logging_key=c3707b5926850bb6c0a4638b76a506df8267a0eb%3A4515994213

So I had been thinking about printing a T-shirt for myself with one of the images that I have created for my website and have designed a T-shirt with the following T-shirt design.

They are made and shipped out from the USA and I have been experimenting with other possible designs to maybe do to. I have ordered one for myself so I can see what the qulaity is like and how long it takes to get from the US to the UK.

I love the red dragon not just because I am a Welshman and the dragon is on our national flag but I have always loved mythical creatures and fantasy art.

If all goes well here are a few other ideas I have too. Or again I mght just make one up for myself.

I love the designs and think its so clever that computer designs can put into picture ideas that you have in your mind.

Queen – Dragon Attack (Official Lyric Video)

It’s been a beautifully busy month (time)

One idea ticking away on my brain this morning is the concept of time. I sometimes wonder too much about what time is how does it exist and what should I do with it. In many ways time is an illusion. In my mind there is no past now, for it has already happened and there is no future for it has not yet happened the only time that we ever live within is now.

So what time is it well the time is always now. I find this kind of acknowledgment of time as being now not yesterday or tomorrow as reassuring too. As yesterdays trauma is not now and tomorrows worries are also not now and so to focus in the now results in a better ability to make the most out of the time I actually have.

There are also certain things I always try and make time for firstly time to write my blog and express my views on the world and explore my views and interpretations on what is happening.

Secondly time for family and friends – to see them and talk to them and listen to them and if possibly be helped or help them.

Thirdly time for work and play. Work to pay my way and play to recharge my batteries and allow me to fight another time or day.

Fourthly time to vote (I don’t think I have missed an election yet and so long as I can make it to the voting booth I will continue to do so – why have a say if you dont have a vote?

Buffalo Springfield – For What It’s Worth (Official Audio)

Amazons Epson Epic printer fail

Big Amazon fail. Not delivered and took two weeks for them to pay refund and their still telling me to return to refunded item to them. Due to poor customer services on Amazon’s part when things go wrong they go really wrong. Have to now phone them for forth time informing them that item never arrived. I have since bought an alternative from John Lewis with a 2 year manufacturing guarantee which actually arrived when they said it would. The Amazon item is still lost in post and there asking me to return it to them or pay for it.

When trying to post the above review for an Amazon purchase they inform me that they could not post your review of Epson EcoTank ET-2860 In…

Please edit and resubmit your review   Hello Mr. Huw Edwards,

We could not post your review because it focuses on one or more of these topics:

Sellers
Delivery
Packaging
Pricing
Availability

Why isn’t that allowed?
These aspects vary by order and won’t be relevant to all customers. That said, we want your feedback about sellers and packaging, just not in product reviews.

Please edit and resubmit your review. Before you do, make sure it meets all of our community guidelines.  
} Your review   Epson EcoTank ET-2860 Ink Tank Printer | Busy Home Use | Wireless | A4 | Print, Copy, Scan | Includes up to 3 Years of Ink   Amazon delivery and customer services fail   Big Amazon fail. Not delivered and took two weeks for them to pay refund and their still telling me to return to refunded item to them. Due to poor customer services on Amazon’s part when things go wrong they go really wrong. Have to now phone…

So I went back to Amazon posting the following review which will likely also not be posted by them.

Amazons, Epson epic printer fail – buyer beware. Refused a review due to talking about seller – which is Amazon, Delivery – (never arrived also by Amazon, Packaging – unknown never delivered but also by Amazon, Not allowed to talk about pricing (since when can a review not talk about pricing) – also Amazon. Availability mostly down to Amazon. Not sure there is anything left to review?

The voters have spoken across the UK

But have the politicians in power listened? Members of Parliament in the Labour Party this evening are starting to put wheels into motion to remove the Labour Prime Minster, Keir Starmer from office as the head of the UK government. The necessary evil about politics and human nature is people do not like to speak out, protest or show dissent unless or until they feel what is politically happening directly affects them it appears this even relates directly to Labour members of Parliament.

Abstract red rose with fragmented, shattered petals on a textured gray background

If Starmer goes he will be a casualty of not only his own poor policy decisions and a straight jacketed poor election manifesto which promised to not increase peoples income tax whilst trying to fix austerity of the Conservative years of government mismanagement and cut backs. The billion pound elephant in the room is always the need to tax wealth of the rich which will potentially destabilise financial markets whilst make enemies of the wealthy press and media empires of the world whilst tackling the genuine black holes of multimillionaires absorbing wealth and financial assets and turning them merely into digits on a spread sheet which society is locked out of benefiting from until we tax it back.

Sadly the Labour Party does not seem ready for the challenges that the UK really needs to face up to but who is ready to if not them? I wrote a blog post below back in November 2024 about Labours’ downfall from what it appeared to be good policies at the time and sadly things went and got a lot worse for them even quicker than they might have thought. Well in the UK many buisness are presently going bust due to UK economic and the global economic climate, it seems parties and Prime Ministers can go bust too.

Sowing the seeds of descent from the fruits of victory