There are some flashpoints in the world that could involve major powers. Numerous resource-rich islands in the Western Pacific, for instance, have recently fueled tensions between China and its neighbors.
But large nations have diplomatic sophistication, and numerous reasons not to allow their conflicts to escalate to the point of violence. Not so on a smaller scale. Where people live near the edge of starvation anyway, the use of violence to gain access to resources is often the only option.
Today, clashes in rural Kenya have killed at least 38 people . Over 50 more were killed last month. Some goat-herds needed grazing land and water that farmers want for their crops. That's all. 88 deaths as a result.
The connection between resource scarcity and war has the potential to grow beyond impoverished zones of developing nations. As this century progresses, will larger nations find the need to feed their people and power their countries so compelling that they will resort to war? Solving resource challenges solves a bigger problem as well: it reduces the threat of military conflict. And in a world with weapons of mass destruction, that is vitally important.
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