By Staci-lee Sherwood
As far back as 1990 the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the United States had put together a task for on climate change. They wanted to assess future climate change, weather patterns and water/food shortages on their impact to national security. They also wanted to determine the possible impact of eco refugee’s from island nations seeking a new home away from rising tides and daily floods. Copy and paste this link for a sobering look back 30 years of government research in the MEDEA program - MEDEA Scientists conducted Environmental Intelligence Analysis utilizing National Security Assets.
Oil has dominated all parts of government for decades. They over ride any environmental, labor and foreign policy. We engage the military to protect our access. Whether people want to believe facts or not our addiction to oil/coal/gas causes a massive amount of damage and is driving the climate changes we have, and will have in the future. Facts don’t care about someone’s religious beliefs, political agenda or need for a safe space they exist on their own. As we refuse to get off toxic energy sources this only adds to making us vulnerable as the climate crisis worsens. We are in the ecocide era of our own making.
In 2008 the US House of Representatives held a joint hearing for the SELECT COMMITTEE ON ENERGY INDEPENDENCE AND GLOBAL WARMING and the SUBCOMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE, COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT, PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE on the national security implications of climate change. Despite statements about how burning fossil fuels were a driving force of many environmental problems we are now in 2022 and as addicted to oil as ever.
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-110hhrg62523/html/CHRG-110hhrg62523.htm
Here is a telling statement from 14 years ago from that hearing. California Congresswoman Anna Eshoo stated “I would note that in a speech last month, the NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, described the greatest security challenges facing the alliance. And he said the following, and I will close on this: ``In tomorrow's uncertain world, we cannot wait for threats to mature before deciding how we counter them. The nature of this new environment is already taking shape. It will be an environment that will be marked by the effects of climate change, such as territorial conflicts, rising food prices, and migration. It will be characterized by the scramble for energy resources, by the emergence of new powers, and by nonstate actors trying to gain access to deadly technologies. Note that the very first threat he mentioned are the effects of global climate change. There is no question in his mind that the climate change poses a national security challenge.”
In 2009 the CIA opened The Center on Climate Change and National Security to assess how environmental factors will potentially affect political, economic and social stability overseas. The US was not alone, the United Kingdom was putting together their own intelligence task force preparing to address the same impending security issues. Larger counties have only just begun to see the impending migration of those who can no longer live on the frontlines of rising tides. What the World Bank has to say click here https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/climatechange/publication/turn-down-the-heat-climate-extremes-regional-impacts-resilience
There have been many studies and many task forces but little real action. “Climate Change and International Responses Increasing Challenges to US National Security Through 2040” published in 2022. “Climate change is an important factor in the current and future operating environment for the Joint Force, affecting foreign nations’ internal stability and military capabilities. We assess that climate change will increasingly exacerbate risks to U.S. national security interests as physical impacts increase and geopolitical tensions mount about how to respond. The physical effects of climate change are likely to intensify cross migraborder geopolitical flashpoints, including a growing risk of conflict over cross tion and water, food, and mineral resources.”
Many people think the sudden heat wave, monster hurricanes and droughts are a new thing. Truth is they have been getting more prevalent the past few years. Nature was warning us we refused to listen. It would behoove our own species to look for a serious way to mitigate what is already happening because what is coming down the road will be much worse.
We can no longer deny or stop what is already in the pipeline. Will political agenda still hold the world captive or will acceptance of reality finally set it? Only time will tell and it’s not on our side. In a blink of an eye we could all be climate refugees. Look at the 2022 heat wave, drought and wildfire crisis in the US and Europe. The UK has infrastructure that is literally melting. What more proof do you need?
On September 1, 2022 Meet the press host Chuck Todd acknowledged that yes climate is a national security issue during a discussion about Pakistan. They lack the funds and manpower to solve their immediate crisis of millions displaced, sick and hungry from a monster monsoon. This is just the tip of the iceberg everyone has been pretending won’t happen. You won’t read about this in media they have been co-opted as a propaganda machine and no longer serve the function they once did.