Monday, October 13, 2014
Pentagon Signals Security Risks of Climate Change
On Monday, the Pentagon informed Americans that climate change is posing a threat to national security. The report explained that there are increases risks from terrorism, infectious disease, global poverty, food shortages and a rising demand from military disaster responses and how the military plans to deal with these issues. Though these issues are pressing, the problems occurring in ISIS are extremely important and posing legitimate threats, not possible ones. Do you think that the government should be focusing on climate change, the Middle East, or a balanced look at the both?
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Climate change is something out of our control; I feel that people will find ways to adjust or find comfort somewhere else. It's good to plan ahead, but it's more important that focus be on more current issues. The pentagon has made climate change out to be a current-day problem, when it's definitely not; ISIS is a much more serious issue that should be focused on, more so than climate change.
ReplyDeleteClimate change, though technically real, has been blown out of proportion by the media. Here's a fun fact: Since 1880(The start of major greenhouse gas emissions) the temperature has only risen by one degree Celsius. Thats a one degree change in over 130 years...
ReplyDeleteI have mixed feelings about the issue of climate change. While I think it is an issue that should be talked about, there are more pressing issues to deal with. The military should be focusing more on how to contain the damage done by ISIS, and ISIS itself, instead of how climate change has triggered an increase of members in the group.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that climate change is an issue that needs to be taken care of but I don't think it needs to be dealt with right now. Unlike the ISIS crisis, climate change is more out of our control. We are able to provide services to those people affected by ISIS more quickly than if we spent our time dealing with the climate. There are more rising threats from ISIS that need to be taken care of than there are from climate changes.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Jamie. I also have mixed feelings about climate change. On one hand, I think it is very important to monitor because the effects of climate change (ex: cities along coastlines possibly being gone within the next few decades, more natural disasters) can really influence many things that are not good for us as a nation. But on the other, I agree with Emmanuel. There isn't much going on that shows just how intense and serious climate change is when, meanwhile, we have ISIS and wars outside the US and poverty and hunger already happening here in the US (which by the way, we can all easily help feed the hungry if we all banned together. Disclaimer, though: we can't save the entire world). Yes, climate change is something that should be watched and understood, but should it be put in front of supposed national threats like ISIS, poverty, hunger, and war? Absolutely not. There are many ways we as people can help change the way climate change is going to effect us. Unfortunately, it's hard to get the entire US on board with something. Regardless of my mini-rant, the Pentagon putting climate change/global warming in front of the other things is not good.
ReplyDeleteClimate change is huge. It's very important to be educated and to know how one can help the environment. Everyone knows to turn off the lights when leaving a room or to take quick showers. However not everyone understands how important those small acts can be. America is very fortunate to have a lot of "green" technology to try to reduce ones carbon footprint. But as many said above me, that issue is out of our hands. America can try to do its best and Germany is of course the greenest country, but less fortunate countries can't really afford "green" devices. So this leads me to believe that the ISIS crisis should be the main focus. There are lots of innocent people dying and we are also receiving threats. I don't think the government should try to steer away from a really really serious event happening to climate change....Don't get me wrong climate change is important...but not right now.
ReplyDeleteI find it absurd that the pentagon is delegating any resources whatsoever to climate change while there is a hostile, terrorist organization recruiting and beheading Americans. While the significance of climate change is highly debated, not many debate the significance of ISIS. Rather than concerning itself with what they may have to do in the future as the climate naturally changes, the pentagon should be convincing the commander in chief that we need boots on the ground in ISIS territory. Here's an idea, just spitballing here, but what if we make stopping the most significant terrorist organization on the globe a priority?
ReplyDeleteFor the US government this looks bad at first. Putting climate change over fighting ISIS? I agree it sounds bad also, but I think that this is more serious then people,are,giving it credit for. The climate change is clearing the way for terrorist groups to do what they need to do. This is indirectly an issue involving terrorism. I think that people should have some more faith in the government and realize they're acting in our best interest and probably know more of the details then we do. So while this may seem like a bad plan I am ok with it
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna take the seemingly unpopular middle ground here. Yes, climate change is becoming a serious issue. However, ISIS is becoming a greater threat at a faster rate. At the same time, it would probably take much longer to develop ways to effectively get through climate change. At the moment, ISIS is the greater threat but if the military should also get started on researching climate change before its right at the front door. Balance is the ideal solution but not the practical solution with the political and economical issues regarding America at the moment.
ReplyDeleteClimate change is very significant issue that we need to address now before it becomes too late to do anything about it. I agree with the Defense Department's decision to focus on climate change as a threat to national security because it is, as is ISIS. But while ISIS is an immediate threat to Americans, climate change is a long term threat that will affect generations of Americans to come. We cannot keep delaying in our response to it. The longer we wait, the less that we can do to stop it from getting out of control. It is true that more focus should be placed on ISIS but climate change must not be forgotten either. American leadership of efforts to cut emissions and slow down climate change is crucial if the rest of the world is to go along with the imminent need to address the issue.
ReplyDeleteI do not advocate an even look at both climate change and organizations like ISIS because that would be ridiculous. The majority of our man power and focus should be going towards defending our country against legitimate threats such as ISIS. I believe that a 90% , 10% approach would be best in this situation. Climate change is a situation that should most definitely be monitored as it could lead to disaster around the world as pointed out by the article. It is also very important that the U.S. builds support for the U.N. treaty that will reduce emissions around the world to help counteract global warming. However, while it is important to keep an eye on the future, we must remain focused on the present, and what we have on our hands now is a savage terrorist group that must be controlled and eradicated.
ReplyDeleteI get where a lot of the other bloggers are coming from when they says that there are more pressing issues to deal with at the moment. I just think that people shouldn't underestimate the capability of climate change to influence our lives. Just because climate change's effects aren't as visible as the effects of terrorism doesn't mean that it can't get just as dangerous in the future. I agree with the fact that our manpower should be focused on problems that require immediate attention (like ISIS), but climate change is definitely something that should not be ignored. It may not seem even comparable to problems such as terrorism right now, but climate change will just keep getting worse and worse at an exponential rate if left untouched.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do not agree with the Pentagon deeming climate change an immediate threat, I am happy that they are moving forward with a plan to pass a U.N. agreement that will cut down emissions. Climate change is something that needs to be addressed now. It is not like we will just be able to flip a switch in 50 years to fix climate change. We need to take baby steps. A U.N. agreement rather than unilateral American action on the issue is highly promising. I certainly agree with the fact that harsh weather can cause instability within affected nations. However I think the climate issue should be delegated entirely to the U.N. The pentagon should not receive funding (unless for practical matters like flooded bases) to fix climate change. One country cannot do anything about climate change on its own. In dealing with the immediate threats posed by ISIS, I do not think addressing climate change will have any impact on the threat. Climate change reform will take years to work. If ISIS is hoarding water resources to gain power, we should spend pentagon money on delivering water to those innocent people who need it. It is not an either or deal. We need to take international baby steps on climate change, but we also need to deal with the immediate threats.
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