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Friday 7 April 2017

Climate change: National Security and the Accelerating Risks of Climate Change

A couple of years ago, this blog looked at the 'powers behind' what's happening in the world of carbon emissions:
Futures Forum: Climate change: Ralph Nader and the 'Kingpins of Carbon'

This blog has received a message about one of the articles covered in that piece: 

THE CARBON KINGPINS’ WAR ON DEMOCRACY

SEPTEMBER 26TH 2014

BY 

National security leaders get it and are saying it clearly and repeatedly: Both the 2010 National Security Strategy and the U.S. Quadrennial Defense Review of 2014 describe global warming as a top national security threat. 

ALEC sees mass exodus of companies leaving the group

The extract above contains a dead link:
2010 National Security Strategy

But the person contacting this blog has kindly indicated an alternative location for the information:

This document is still highly relevant, as pointed out at the time:
Pentagon Calls Climate Change Impacts "Threat Multipliers," Could Enable Terrorism | DeSmogBlog

But recently, in the United States, talking about these things has become a lot harder:
Climate Change Policies and Federal Funding Cuts Could Impact Military, Developing Nations
Trump’s Climate Order Makes it Harder to Prepare for Natural Disasters

However, again, it is the military which has no problem talking about these things:

The Age of Consequences

By PBS International, Jared P Scott
Updated March 20, 2017 20:29:00
The Age of Consequences - Monday 20 March 2017
"We are not your traditional environmentalists." Gen. Gordon Sullivan (Retd), Fmr. Chief of Staff, U.S. Army
Four Corners brings you the views of distinguished former members of the US military and senior policy makers who warn that climate change is not only real, it's a threat to global security.
"I'm here today not only representing my views on security implications of climate change, but on the collective wisdom of 16 admirals and generals." Rear Admiral David Titley (Retd), U.S. Navy
They say climate change is impacting on vital resources, migration patterns and conflict zones.
"Climate change is one of the variables that must be considered when thinking about instability in the world." Gen. Gordon Sullivan (Retd), Fmr. Chief of Staff, U.S. Army
Rear Admiral David Titley spent 32 years in the US military. He was the US Navy's chief oceanographer and led the Navy's Task Force on Climate Change. He argues climate change must be acknowledged.
"Our collective bottom line judgement is that climate change is an accelerating risk to our nation's future." Rear Admiral David Titley (Retd), U.S. Navy
The film analyses the conflict in Syria, the social unrest of the Arab Spring, and the rise of groups like ISIS and how these experts believe climate change is already acting as a catalyst for conflict.
"This is the heart of the problem in many ways. Climate change arrives in a world that has already been destabilised." Dr Christian Parenti
Director Jared P Scott explores how water and food shortages, drought, extreme weather and rising sea-levels can act as accelerants of instability.
"We realised that climate change would be a threat multiplier for instability as people become desperate, because they have extreme weather and the seas are rising, and there are floods in one area and droughts in another, fragile states become more unpredictable." Sherri Goodman, Fmr. Dept Undersecretary of Defense
These Pentagon insiders say a failure to tackle climate change, conducting 'business as usual', would lead to profound consequences.
"It's a very dangerous thing to decide that there is one and only one line of events heading into the future and one and only one best response for dealing with that." Leon Fuerth, Fmr. National Security Adviser, White House '93-'01
The Age of Consequences, from PBS International, directed by Jared P Scott and presented by Sarah Ferguson, goes to air on Monday 20th March at 8.30pm EDT. It is replayed on Tuesday 21st March at 10.00am and Wednesday 22nd at 11pm. It can also be seen on ABC News 24 on Saturday at 8.00pm AEST, and at ABC iview.

The Age of Consequences - Four Corners
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