U.S. Military Considers Climate Change a 'Threat Multiplier' That Could Exacerbate Terrorism

[RollingThunder]

A new pentagon report on the national security threats posed by AGW/CC came out this last week. It should provide a lot of cognitive dissonance to the military-respecting rightwingnut AGW/CC deniers on this forum.

Pentagon Report: U.S. Military Considers Climate Change a 'Threat Multiplier' That Could Exacerbate Terrorism
Newsweek
Zoe Schlanger
10/14/14
(excerpts)
A report released Monday indicates the Department of Defense has dramatically shifted its views towards climate change, and has already begun to treat the phenomenon as a significant threat to national security. Climate change, the Pentagon writes, requires immediate action on the part of the U.S. Military. The report is a roadmap of the Departments future needs and actions to effectively respond to climate change, including anticipating that climate change may require more frequent military intervention within the country to respond to natural disasters, as well as internationally to respond to extremist ideologies that may arise in regions where governments are destabilized due to climate-related stressors. "The impacts of climate change may cause instability in other countries by impairing access to food and water, damaging infrastructure, spreading disease, uprooting and displacing large numbers of people, compelling mass migration, interrupting commercial activity, or restricting electricity availability," the Pentagon writes. "These developments could undermine already-fragile governments that are unable to respond effectively or challenge currently-stable governments, as well as increasing competition and tension between countries vying for limited resources. These gaps in governance can create an avenue for extremist ideologies and conditions that foster terrorism."

The military is integrating climate change considerations into all its operations, including in its training for war scenarios. "We are considering the impacts of climate change in our war games and defense planning scenarios, and are working with our Combatant Commands to address impacts in their areas of responsibility." The military is already preparing and assessing its bases for conditions like sea level rise and increased flooding. "We are almost done with a baseline survey to assess the vulnerability of our militarys more than 7,000 bases, installations, and other facilities. In places like the Hampton Roads region in Virginia, which houses the largest concentration of US military sites in the world, we see recurrent flooding today, and we are beginning work to address a projected sea-level rise of 1.5 feet over the next 20 to 50 years," the report reads. For those who still doubt the science of climate change, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel says in the foreward to the report: "While scientists are converging toward consensus on future climate projections, uncertainty remains. But this cannot be an excuse for delaying action."

© 2014 Newsweek LLC

(In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.)

 

[CrusaderFrank]

LOLz

LOLz

LOLz

Oh nose!!! Al Qaeda gunna change da climate!

I think lizards are shrinking too

 

[RollingThunder]

LOLz
LOLz
LOLz
Oh nose!!! Al Qaeda gunna change da climate!
I think lizards are shrinking too

You seem to be degenerating into total imbecility, CrazyFruitcake. Are you off your meds again? Are you really laughing at the U.S. Military and all of those Gererals and Admirals at the Pentagon? You really imagine that their assesment of the situation is just another part of a global conspiracy? LOLOL.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

LOLz
LOLz
LOLz
Oh nose!!! Al Qaeda gunna change da climate!
I think lizards are shrinking too

You seem to be degenerating into total imbecility, CrazyFruitcake. Are you off your meds again? Are you really laughing at the U.S. Military and all of those Gererals and Admirals at the Pentagon? You really imagine that their assesment of the situation is just another part of a global conspiracy? LOLOL.

LOLz
LOLz
LOLz
Oh nose!!! Al Qaeda gunna change da climate!
I think lizards are shrinking too

You seem to be degenerating into total imbecility, CrazyFruitcake. Are you off your meds again? Are you really laughing at the U.S. Military and all of those Gererals and Admirals at the Pentagon? You really imagine that their assesment of the situation is just another part of a global conspiracy? LOLOL.

LOLz
LOLz
LOLz
Oh nose!!! Al Qaeda gunna change da climate!
I think lizards are shrinking too

You seem to be degenerating into total imbecility, CrazyFruitcake. Are you off your meds again? Are you really laughing at the U.S. Military and all of those Gererals and Admirals at the Pentagon? You really imagine that their assesment of the situation is just another part of a global conspiracy? LOLOL.

25 Devastating Effects Of Climate Change Page 4 US Message Board - Political Discussion Forum

You got scammed.

I'm laughing at Obama Generals and you. Yes, it's hilarious

17.) Some reptile species could turn mostly female, potentially leading to their extinction.

 

[Mr. H.]

Why does the military show more concern for a theory than an actual threat such as Obama's Ebola?

 

[RollingThunder]

LOLz
LOLz
LOLz
Oh nose!!! Al Qaeda gunna change da climate!
I think lizards are shrinking too

You seem to be degenerating into total imbecility, CrazyFruitcake. Are you off your meds again? Are you really laughing at the U.S. Military and all of those Gererals and Admirals at the Pentagon? You really imagine that their assesment of the situation is just another part of a global conspiracy? LOLOL.

LOLz
LOLz
LOLz
Oh nose!!! Al Qaeda gunna change da climate!
I think lizards are shrinking too

You seem to be degenerating into total imbecility, CrazyFruitcake. Are you off your meds again? Are you really laughing at the U.S. Military and all of those Gererals and Admirals at the Pentagon? You really imagine that their assesment of the situation is just another part of a global conspiracy? LOLOL.

LOLz
LOLz
LOLz
Oh nose!!! Al Qaeda gunna change da climate!
I think lizards are shrinking too

You seem to be degenerating into total imbecility, CrazyFruitcake. Are you off your meds again? Are you really laughing at the U.S. Military and all of those Gererals and Admirals at the Pentagon? You really imagine that their assesment of the situation is just another part of a global conspiracy? LOLOL.

25 Devastating Effects Of Climate Change Page 4 US Message Board - Political Discussion Forum

You got scammed.

I'm laughing at Obama Generals and you. Yes, it's hilarious

17.) Some reptile species could turn mostly female, potentially leading to their extinction.

Further evidence of your descent into complete insanity....and total irrelevance.

 

[Tom Sweetnam]

Bullshit. The pentagon has had its head up its ass since the minute homosexual communists took over the federal government. This isn't going to stop the Keystone Pipeline either, Alice. Live with that reality. The climate is indeed about to change for the better, right after Nov 4.

 

[Crick]

The federal government has been taken over by communist homosexuals? Wow! Would those be the ones we elected or the ones they appointed?

Curious how the Pentagon got its head up its ass from a change in the federal government. The Pentagon is populated by probably better than 98% of the same people that populated during the last republican administration. We don't typically replace large numbers of military commanders with a re-election. We don't typically replace anyone. Might get a new joint chief or two. Usually, the higher ups get replaced when they retire or when they do something really stupid. The bulk of folks in uniform keep right on doing whatever they were doing.

So, tell us Tom, how and why did the Pentagon get its head up its ass?

 

[Old Rocks]

Ol' Sweetie thinks that anyone to the left of Attila the Hun is a commie. And, the way he constantly talks of homosexuals, I expect him to come out of the closet any day now.

 

[skookerasbil]

I cant..........

 

[RollingThunder]

I cant..........

......think?
......reason?
......use logic?
......remember anything?
......tell your ass from a hole in the ground?
......post anything but retarded drivel?

....lotta possibilities there, Kookles.

 

[Billy_Bob]

Lets use some BASIC reasoning and logic.

This "threat assessment" was done over 2 years ago. Its use of "Climate Change' is not quantifiable from the report itself and does not define what areas of change would or would not exasperate the potential problems. IN FACT it only identifies warming or cooling in general and does not quantifiy the cause of such.

This report and many of the sub reports are just reprint of the CAGW LIE with sprinkles of warmy feel good shit in between. NO facts lots of conjecture and No Officer I know would stake their professional reputation on this crap

One more piece of toilet paper covered in shit by the Obama Propaganda Czar...

 

[RollingThunder]

Lets use some BASIC reasoning and logic.

That would be a big first for you, BoobyBobNutJob, but sadly no, you have proven yourself to be incapable of either reasoning or logic.

No Officer I know would stake their professional reputation on this crap.

This latest Pentagon report, cited in the OP, on the National Security threat posed by AGW/CC is only the latest in a string of cautionary reports over the last decade or so from the Pentagon or from independent military analysis groups staffed by retired military officers. Such as this 2007 report from the CNA Corporation - "The CNA Corporation is a nonprofit institution that conducts in-depth, independent research and analysis. For more than 60 years we have helped bring creative solutions to a vast array of complex public-interest challenges. CNA Corporation pioneered the field of operations research and analysis 70 years ago and, today, applies its efforts to a broad range of national security, defense, and public interest issues including education, homeland security, and air traffic management."

"In 2006 CNA convened a Military Advisory Board (MAB) of eleven retired three-star and four-star admirals and generals to assess the impact of global climate change on key matters of national security, and to lay the groundwork for mounting responses to the threats found.

In April 2007, CNA released the MAB's landmark report, National Security and the Threat of Climate Change, that articulates the concept of climate change acting as a "threat multiplier" for instability in some of the most volatile regions of the world and identifies key challenges that must be planned for now if they are to be met effectively in the future."

National Security and the Threat of Climate Change
The CNA Corporation
April 2007
During our decades of experience in the U.S. military, we have addressed many national security challenges, from containment and deterrence of the Soviet nuclear threat during the Cold War to terrorism and extremism in recent years.

Global climate change presents a new and very different type of national security challenge.

Over many months and meetings, we met with some of the worlds leading climate scientists, business leaders, and others studying climate change. We viewed their work through the lens of our military experience as warfighters, planners, and leaders. Our discussions have been lively, informative, and very sobering.

Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are greater now than at any time in the past 650,000 years, and average global temperature has continued a steady rise. This rise presents the prospect of significant climate change, and while uncertainty exists and debate continues regarding the science and future extent of projected climate changes, the trends are clear.

The nature and pace of climate changes being observed today and the consequences projected by the consensus scientific opinion are grave and pose equally grave implications for our national security. Moving beyond the arguments of cause and effect, it is important that the U.S. military begin planning to address these potentially devastating effects. The consequences of climate change can affect the organization, training, equipping, and planning of the military services. The U.S. military has a clear obligation to determine the potential impacts of climate change on its ability to execute its missions in support of national security objectives.

Climate change can act as a threat multiplier for instability in some of the most volatile regions of the world, and it presents significant national security challenges for the United States. Accordingly, it is appropriate to start now to help mitigate the severity of some of these emergent challenges. The decision to act should be made soon in order to plan prudently for the nations security. The increasing risks from climate change should be addressed now because they will almost certainly get worse if we delay.

Signed
General Gordon R. Sullivan, USA (Ret.) - Chairman, Military Advisory Board
Admiral Frank Skip Bowman, USN (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Lawrence P. Farrell Jr., USAF (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Paul G. Gaffney II, USN (Ret.)
General Paul J. Kern, USA (Ret.)
Admiral T. Joseph Lopez, USN (Ret.)
Admiral Donald L. Don Pilling, USN (Ret.)
Admiral Joseph W. Prueher, USN (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Richard H. Truly, USN (Ret.)
General Charles F. Chuck Wald, USAF (Ret.)
General Anthony C. Tony Zinni, USMC (Ret.)

Executive Summary

The purpose of this study is to examine the national security consequences of climate change. A dozen of the nations most respected retired admirals and generals have served as a Military Advisory Board to study how climate change could affect our nations security over the next 30 to 40 yearsthe time frame for developing new military capabilities.

The specific questions addressed in this report are:

1. What conditions are climate changes likely to produce around the world that would represent security risks to the United States?

2. What are the ways in which these conditions may affect Americas national security interests?

3. What actions should the nation take to address the national security consequences of climate change?

The Military Advisory Board hopes these findings will contribute to the call President Bush made in his 2007 State of the Union address to ...help us to confront the serious challenge of global climate change by contributing a new voice and perspective to the issue.

FINDINGS

Projected climate change poses a serious threat to Americas national security.The predicted effects of climate change over the coming decades include extreme weather events, drought, flooding, sea level rise, retreating glaciers, habitat shifts, and the increased spread of life-threatening diseases. These conditions have the potential to disrupt our way of life and to force changes in the way we keep ourselves safe and secure.

In the national and international security environment, climate change threatens to add new hostile and stressing factors. On the simplest level, it has the potential to create sustained natural and humanitarian disasters on a scale far beyond those we see today. The consequences will likely foster political instability where societal demands exceed the capacity of governments to cope.

Climate change acts as a threat multiplier for instability in some of the most volatile regions of the world. Projected climate change will seriously exacerbate already marginal living standards in many Asian, African, and Middle Eastern nations, causing widespread political instability and the likelihood of failed states.

Unlike most conventional security threats that involve a single entity acting in specific ways and points in time, climate change has the potential to result in multiple chronic conditions, occurring globally within the same time frame. Economic and environmental conditions in already fragile areas will further erode as food production declines, diseases increase, clean water becomes increasingly scarce, and large populations move in search of resources. Weakened and failing governments, with an already thin margin for survival, foster the conditions for internal conflicts, extremism, and movement toward increased authoritarianism and radical ideologies.

The U.S. may be drawn more frequently into these situations, either alone or with allies, to help provide stability before conditions worsen and are exploited by extremists. The U.S. may also be called upon to undertake stability and reconstruction efforts once a conflict has begun, to avert further disaster and reconstitute a stable environment.

Projected climate change will add to tensions even in stable regions of the world. The U.S. and Europe may experience mounting pressure to accept large numbers of immigrant and refugee populations as drought increases and food production declines in Latin America and Africa. Extreme weather events and natural disasters, as the U.S. experienced with Hurricane Katrina, may lead to increased missions for a number of U.S. agencies, including state and local governments, the Department of Homeland Security, and our already stretched military, including our Guard and Reserve forces.

Climate change, national security, and energy dependence are a related set of global challenges. As President Bush noted in his 2007 State of the Union speech, dependence on foreign oil leaves us more vulnerable to hostile regimes and terrorists, and clean domestic energy alternatives help us confront the serious challenge of global climate change. Because the issues are linked, solutions to one affect the other. Technologies that improve energy efficiency also reduce carbon intensity and carbon emissions.

RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE MILITARY ADVISORY BOARD:

1. The national security consequences of climate change should be fully integrated into national security and national defense strategies. As military leaders, we know we cannot wait for certainty. Failing to act because a warning isnt precise enough is unacceptable. The intelligence community should incorporate climate consequences into its National Intelligence Estimate. The National Security Strategy should directly address the threat of climate change to our national security interests. The National Security Strategy and National Defense Strategy should include appropriate guidance to military planners to assess risks to current and future missions caused by projected climate change. The next Quadrennial Defense Review should examine the capabilities of the U.S. military to respond to the consequences of climate change, in particular, preparedness for natural disasters from extreme weather events, pandemic disease events, and other related missions.

2. The U.S. should commit to a stronger national and international role to help stabilize climate change at levels that will avoid significant disruption to global security and stability Managing the security impacts of climate change requires two approaches: mitigating the effects we can control and adapting to those we cannot. The U.S. should become a more constructive partner with the international community to help build and execute a plan to prevent destabilizing effects from climate change, including setting targets for long term reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

3. The U.S. should commit to global partnerships that help less developed nations build the capacity and resiliency to better manage climate impacts. As President Bush noted in his State of the Union speech, "Our work in the world is also based on a timeless truth: To whom much is given, much is required." Climate forecasts indicate countries least able to adapt to the consequences of climate change are those that will be the most affected. The U.S. government should use its many instruments of national influence, including its regional commanders, to assist nations at risk build the capacity and resiliency to better cope with the effects of climate change. Doing so now can help avert humanitarian disasters later.

4. The Department of Defense should enhance its operational capability by accelerating the adoption of improved business processes and innovative technologies that result in improved U.S. combat power through energy efficiency. Numerous Department of Defense studies have found that combat forces would be more capable and less vulnerable by significantly reducing their fuel demand. Unfortunately, many of their recommendations have yet to be implemented. Doing so would have the added benefit of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

5. The Department of Defense should conduct an assessment of the impact on U.S. military installations worldwide of rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and other projected climate change impacts over the next 30 to 40 years. Many critical defense installations are located on the coast, and several strategically important ones are on low-lying Pacific islands. Sea level rise and storm surges will threaten these facilities. Planning and action can make these installations more resilient. Lack of planning can compromise them or cause them to be inundated, compromising military readiness and capability.

 

[westwall]

Big deal. The Brass in the Pentagon figured out that if you want Federal dollars you bow down to the altar of CAGW and kiss the rings of the high priests and magically they get funding. That you supposedly oh so smart people get fooled by this simplest of all tactics is sad. Truly sad.

 

[Old Rocks]

In other words, when you don't like reality, lie about it, or accuse others of unethical behavior.

 

[Truman123]

Good thread.

Conservatives must do one of two things.

Admit climate change is real and needs to be dealt with


-or-


Label the military traitors and idiots.

 

[westwall]

In other words, when you don't like reality, lie about it, or accuse others of unethical behavior.

CLIMATEGATE.

 

[westwall]

Good thread.

Conservatives must do one of two things.

Admit climate change is real and needs to be dealt with


-or-


Label the military traitors and idiots.

Of course Climate Change is real. Climate is never static. Mans role in it is what is being discussed and to date no empirical evidence supports the now failed theory that CO2 has any effect whatsoever.

 

[Moonglow]

Why does the military show more concern for a theory than an actual threat such as Obama's Ebola?

Whiskey kills Ebola..

 

[Moonglow]

Good thread.

Conservatives must do one of two things.

Admit climate change is real and needs to be dealt with


-or-


Label the military traitors and idiots.

Of course Climate Change is real. Climate is never static. Mans role in it is what is being discussed and to date no empirical evidence supports the now failed theory that CO2 has any effect whatsoever.

They may need to clean up a few things...