Climate change a threat to national security?

[SteamWake]

Massive crop devastation, melting glaciers, water shortages, millions of displaced people -- all of these will drag the US military into conflict if global climate change goes unchecked, a Senate panel was warned today.

A bit over the top with the scare tactics there...

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/...panel_loo.html

[PeriscopeDepth]

Originally Posted by SteamWake

A bit over the top with the scare tactics there...

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/...panel_loo.html

Not really. Less resources will lead to increased conflict. There will be a more finite amount of water/food. Probably won't effect North America too much, but it will not be a pretty picture as "more people and less resources" hits regions who are already in a bad way.

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/effects/index.html

PD

[SteamWake]

For example, they warned that rising sea levels could swamp critical US military bases in the Indian Ocean and even the headquarters of the Atlantic Fleet in Norfolk, Va., which could be under water after just a one-meter rise in the ocean level.

You dont find that a bit alarmist? not to mention far fetched?

[PeriscopeDepth]

Originally Posted by SteamWake

You dont find that a bit alarmist? not to mention far fetched?

A 1 meter rise in sea level is pretty extreme when put in relative terms. I know it doesn't sound like a lot, but that's a lot of water to get the ocean to rise one meter! One meter is a big deal, I don't know about flood Norfolk. But $100s of billions in damage I think can be safely said.

And check it out, I don't know if it's accurate. But at the very least it's fun to flood cities:
http://flood.firetree.net/

PD

[August]

Originally Posted by PeriscopeDepth

Not really. Less resources will lead to increased conflict. There will be a more finite amount of water/food. Probably won't effect North America too much, but it will not be a pretty picture as "more people and less resources" hits regions who are already in a bad way.

http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/effects/index.html

PD

That link doesn't mention anything about increased conflict.

I'd think runaway overpopulation would be a far more likely cause of increased conflict than mere climate change.

[PeriscopeDepth]

Originally Posted by August

That link doesn't mention anything about increased conflict.

I'd think runaway overpopulation would be a far more likely cause of increased conflict than mere climate change.

Me too. But combined it's even less pretty.

PD