Yesterday we mentioned how the Supreme Court threw out a case brought up by environmentalists against the Department of Homeland Security regarding a barrier on the U.S.-Mexico border. Another news piece emerged today regarding the environment, immigration, and national security:Global climate change is likely to trigger humanitarian disasters and political instability that will have a major impact on U.S. national security, a top intelligence official told Congress on Wednesday…
"Logic suggests the conditions exacerbated [by climate change] would increase the pool of potential recruits for terrorism," said Tom Fingar, deputy director of national intelligence for analysis, who testified before a joint House committee hearing Wednesday.
Fingar’s testimony was based on a comprehensive yet confidential study regarding global warming and future political situations. Regarding Latin America, Fingar said that the region is expected to see more rain yet between seven and seventy-seven million people (!) could be affected by water shortages. Moreover, possible global instability caused by climate change could lead to increased immigration into the U.S. from regions worldwide.
The study received bipartisan criticism from legislators; some Democrats asked that the report be declassified and blasted the Bush administration’s environment policy while some Republicans doubted the information in the study with one calling it a “waste of resources.”
The dangers of climate change have the potential to create bigger problems worldwide than what we currently face. It is vital that leaders around the world seek viable solutions and place petty politics aside.
Image- ABC Western Queensland
Sources- The Latin Americanist, CNN, AFP, Xinhua, NPR
1 comment:
Good post. I am monitoring this stuff too. Have you heard of my project about POLAR CITIES for survivors of global warming? I figure we might need them around 2500 or so, and I have written to Fingar about this. of course, no reply. But i am sure the USA govt and other govts are already planning their own polar cities for their own VIPs and powerful families, leaving the rest of us out in the cold, well, it won't be cold, it will be HOT. 500 years.
Wonder if you can take a look at my images, created by Deng Cheng Hong in Taiwan, and Lovelock has seen them and approves of them and told me IT MAY VERY WELL HAPPEN AND SOON.
Maybe you can blog one day on polar cities? Please do. Pro or con. I am curious to know your POV on all this.
As for Fingar's testimoney, he did not mention POLAR CITIES at all, but you can bet the Homeland Sec dept already has plans in place for polar cities in Alaska -- Juneau, Fairbanks, Anchroage, Nome....
Email me offline if want to chat: this is now my life's work. DANNY BLOOM, Tufts 1971
http://pcillu101.blogspot.com
Danny Bloom | Homepage | 06.29.08 - 2:32 am | #
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