Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Preparing the US military for the 'threat multiplier' of climate change.
Slate via Stripes.com ^ | 04-21-2014 | Eric Holthaus

Posted on 04/22/2014 11:46:58 AM PDT by machogirl

The U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has just completed a series of landmark reports that chronicle an update to the current state of consensus science on climate change. Its conclusion: On our current path, climate change could pose an irreversible, existential risk to civilization as we know it, but we can still fix it if we decide to work together.

But in addition to the call for cooperation, the reports also shared an alarming new trend: Climate change is already destabilizing nations and leading to wars.

That finding was highlighted in last week's premiere of Showtime's climate change docu-drama series "Years of Living Dangerously." In the first episode, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman traveled to Syria to investigate how a long-running drought has contributed to that conflict. Climate change has also been discussed as a "threat multiplier" for recent conflicts in Darfur, Tunisia, Egypt, and future conflicts, too.

Climate change worsens the divide between haves and have-nots, hitting the poor the hardest. It can also drive up food prices and spawn mega-disasters, creating refugees and taxing the resiliency of governments.

When a threat like that comes along, it's impossible to ignore. Especially if your job is national security.

In a recent interview with the blog Responding to Climate Change, retired Army Brig. Gen. Chris King laid out the military's thinking on climate change: "This is like getting embroiled in a war that lasts 100 years. That's the scariest thing for us. There is no exit strategy that is available for many of the problems."

In a similar vein, last month retired Navy Rear Adm. David Titley co-wrote an op-ed for Fox News: "The parallels between the political decisions regarding climate change we have made and the decisions that led Europe to World War One are striking — and sobering. The decisions made in 1914 reflected political policies pursued for short-term gains and benefits, coupled with institutional hubris, and a failure to imagine and understand the risks or to learn from recent history."

In short, climate change could be the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of the 21st century.

Earlier this year, while at the American Meteorological Society annual meeting in Atlanta, I spoke with Titley, who is also a meteorologist and now serves on the faculty at Penn State University. He went from being a climate-change skeptic to labeling it "one of the pre-eminent challenges of our century."

Excerpts of our interview:


TOPICS: Australia/New Zealand; Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Germany; Japan; News/Current Events; Russia; US: Arizona; US: New York; US: Pennsylvania; United Kingdom; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: arizona; arizonastate; australia; biofuels; brazil; china; chrisking; climatechange; darfur; davidtitley; demagogicparty; egypt; ericholthaus; europeanunion; france; germany; globalwarminghoax; india; ipcc; italy; japan; memebuilding; nato; newyork; newyorkslimes; newyorktimes; partisanmediashill; partisanmediashills; pennstate; pennstateu; pennsylvania; republicofkorea; russia; saudiarabia; scheme; science; slate; stupidity; syria; thomasfriedman; tunisia; turkey; unitedarabemirates; unitedkingdom; unitednations; usmilitary; waronterror; weather
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-42 next last
Embarrassing, and the rest is at the link. Author info: Holthaus is a meteorologist who writes about weather and climate for Slate's Future Tense, a collaboration among Arizona State University, the New America Foundation, and Slate. (Shame on my Alma Mater ASU)
1 posted on 04/22/2014 11:46:58 AM PDT by machogirl
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: machogirl

Stupidity multiplier alert.


2 posted on 04/22/2014 11:48:06 AM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum ("The best way to control opposition is to lead it ourselves." -- Vladimir Ilyich Lenin)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: machogirl

Argggg, almost 14 years and I still can’t post right.

http://www.stripes.com/preparing-the-us-military-for-the-threat-multiplier-of-climate-change-1.279138


3 posted on 04/22/2014 11:48:59 AM PDT by machogirl (First they came for my tagline)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: E. Pluribus Unum

I shall put that in the key words. This is unbelievable, absurd, embarrassing....


4 posted on 04/22/2014 11:50:11 AM PDT by machogirl (First they came for my tagline)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: machogirl

I hope they also prepare them to battle the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, Honest Democrats, and other similar fantasy creatures.


5 posted on 04/22/2014 11:51:09 AM PDT by TheThirdRuffian (RINOS like Romney, McCain, Christie are sure losers. No more!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: machogirl

There are several PSA’s about our branches of service ‘protecting the environment’. Makes me want to hurl when I hear them.


6 posted on 04/22/2014 11:54:04 AM PDT by RushIsMyTeddyBear (Great vid by ShorelineMike! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOZjJk6nbD4&feature=plcp)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TheThirdRuffian

No doubt. This “Climate Change” stench has permeated at all levels of Govt. and Education.


7 posted on 04/22/2014 11:54:11 AM PDT by machogirl (First they came for my tagline)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: machogirl

“He went from being a climate-change skeptic to labeling it “one of the pre-eminent challenges of our century.”

Translation: I got paid a wad of cash from the Nazi Soros to push this propaganda.


8 posted on 04/22/2014 11:55:41 AM PDT by sergeantdave
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

The Rear Admiral bio from article:
Retired Navy Rear Adm. David Titley also is a meteorologist and he now serves on the faculty at Penn State University. He went from being a climate-change skeptic to labeling it “one of the driving forces in the 21st century.”-
U.S. Navy


9 posted on 04/22/2014 11:55:55 AM PDT by machogirl (First they came for my tagline)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: machogirl

I fight “climate change” every year: it’s called “Summer.”

My weapon of choice is a frosty beer or an icy gin & tonic.


10 posted on 04/22/2014 11:57:18 AM PDT by mojito (Zero, our Nero.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: machogirl

Complete and utter stupidity.


11 posted on 04/22/2014 11:57:46 AM PDT by Dallas59 ("Remember me as you pass by, As you are now, so once was I, As I am now, so you will be," -Epitap)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RushIsMyTeddyBear

Ditto on the hurling. Good thing my Diet Dr. Pepper was not swirling in my mouth when I read this. I would owe myself a new keyboard. How could have so many become “sell outs” to a scam?


12 posted on 04/22/2014 11:57:51 AM PDT by machogirl (First they came for my tagline)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Dallas59

That’s it in a nutshell.


13 posted on 04/22/2014 11:58:22 AM PDT by machogirl (First they came for my tagline)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: machogirl

Let’s not engage in this ludicrous argument. We need to argue the absurd premise.

“Humans cannot control the global climate!” We can’t make it hotter or cooler to any measurable degree any more than we can affect solar cycles and earthquakes.

Republicans (and conservatives) constantly fall into the trap of arguing facts based on false premises. Democrats constantly argue premises and find fault without solutions that relate to logical resolutions. Democrats prey on ignorance while Republicans assume positions based on popularity and ignorant perceptions.


14 posted on 04/22/2014 11:58:48 AM PDT by Tenacious 1 (My whimsical litany of satyric prose and avarice pontification of wisdom demonstrates my concinnity.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: sergeantdave

He must be profiting in some way. IMHO (so the DOJ trollers know this is MY OPINION of the shysters selling this junk science. Free Mark Steyn!)


15 posted on 04/22/2014 12:01:22 PM PDT by machogirl (First they came for my tagline)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: machogirl

Of course climate change is one of the driving forces of the 21st century. Of course it’s not really happening in nature, at least not how these people mean it, but government action on the topic is definitely driving things.


16 posted on 04/22/2014 12:01:55 PM PDT by SoCal Pubbie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: mojito

lol, How about a dip in the swimming pool or as I did as a kid, a hose full of cool water?


17 posted on 04/22/2014 12:02:32 PM PDT by machogirl (First they came for my tagline)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: machogirl
Retired Navy Rear Adm. David Titley also is a meteorologist and he now serves on the faculty at Penn State University

I'm guessing that the worthy admiral likes his faculty position, and wants to keep it. In higher education, you are either PC or unemployed.

18 posted on 04/22/2014 12:03:13 PM PDT by Leaning Right (Why am I holding this lantern? I am looking for the next Reagan.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Tenacious 1

Absolutely, to be so arrogant to think that man causes all the cycles and rumblings of the planet Earth is incredibly stupid and has no basis in science.

I always ask a climate change schemer about the melting of the glaciers before man. They have no answer.

They have confused “pollution” and “environment”, things that man can do something about, with the cycles of the Planet and impact of the Solar cycles. Packaged it as “climate change”. A lot of money to be redistributed. They won’t quit until that goal is met. Those schemers will have their pot of gold and won’t be living as the rest of us will have to. “Climate Change” hasn’t stopped Algore from flying around on his jet. If he were sincere, he’d appear at these events via skype or ride a bike. (the bike might loosen his Chakrahs)


19 posted on 04/22/2014 12:08:58 PM PDT by machogirl (First they came for my tagline)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: SoCal Pubbie

It certainly is. The driving force for schemers to steal from the taxpayers and enrich themselves and their comrades.


20 posted on 04/22/2014 12:10:31 PM PDT by machogirl (First they came for my tagline)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-42 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson