While the scientific community is virtually unanimous in their calls for action on climate change, right-wing extremists continue to deny any problem exists and even subtly hint at a massive environmental conspiracy spearheaded by the Sierra Club, Greenpeace and a consortium of others. As conservatives continue to wage war against the scientific consensus, the lack of action by the United States to combat global climate change seriously endangers our national security.

Despite the threat of losing Manhattan, Florida and California to rising sea levels, the United States will emerge from any global climate catastrophe relatively unscathed in comparison to other parts of the world. For example, climate change represents a nightmare scenario for sub-Saharan Africa, according to an analysis completed by the Stern Review in late 2006. A continent-wide famine could break out due to declining rainfall, resulting in fewer crops being harvested and thus fewer people being fed. Diseases such as malaria and cholera will no doubt increase, as will the need for humanitarian intervention. As a result, there will be a mass migration within and from the continent unlike anything previously on record. A wave of migrants moving from rural to urban areas will burden governments and possibly enflame ethnic tensions. Both the United States and Europe will be under tremendous pressure to accept thousands of fleeing migrants, making it virtually impossible to weed out suspected terrorists.

Africa is already home to a number of ongoing conflicts in Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia and Chad. Mass population exodus and the battle over precious water sources could lead to failed states where terrorist groups would be based. Al Qaeda cells are already active in the Horn of Africa. As climate change wreaks havoc on the continent, terrorist organizations will no doubt be working to destabilize already weakened countries to create jihadist safe havens. Al Qaeda orchestrated the most devastating attack on America from the caves of Afghanistan. If they were to control an entire region, the West would be on constant alert against future threats as large or larger than 9/11.

In 2008, Nigeria exported 990,000 barrels of oil per day to the United States, making it the 5^th largest foreign oil supplier to the US. Today, Nigeria has between 600,000 and 700,000 barrels per day of oil lost to sabotage of oil facilities. This has led to a steady increase in oil prices. If the Niger Delta were to be controlled by an anti-US despot, oil prices would shoot through the roof. The US economy would come to a screeching halt, resulting in significant job loss.

The unfortunate fact is that the climate effects described above are almost certain to occur, even with the passage of the Waxman-Markey bill now under consideration in the Senate. In Africa, even relatively minor climate fluctuations could cause great devastation. Therefore it is in the national security interest of the United States to mitigate this devastation as much as possible, to assist the developing world with these new burdens, and most importantly to act as a force of good to combat the lurking evil that climate change could unleash.

Comments (0) · Leave a Comment

There are currently no comments.