It doesn’t surprise me much to read that global warming could cause national security concerns. The more trouble countries have at home, the more they’re going to look for ways out of trouble.

You can download the report if you don’t mind pages and pages of governement talk, and get some good information on what some of the concerns are. I think it’s pretty realistic, although some may not appreciate the military perspective.

You know already what a strain a natural disaster can be on a country. Many countries face far more potential for natural diasters as global warming becomes more and more a reality to be dealt with. Longer droughts. Land lost to the ocean. Harsher winters. And don’t forget this point:

“Weakened and failing governments, with an already thin margin for survival, foster the conditions for internal conflicts, extremism and movement toward increased authoritarianism and radical ideologies,” the report says. “The U.S. will be drawn more frequently into these situations.”

You can’t blame people for being insecure at times like that, and wanting what those who are better off have. Expecting them to just roll with the blow and stay where they are, coping as best they can as humanitarian resources cope with other problems. You can assume that more people will want to immigrate to places that are less hard hit.

All these issues will create tensions. Handling them is going to be a challenge. I’m glad to see that plans are being considered. I do hope that our country starts taking steps now instead of continuing to be in denial about the problems. It’s simply a matter of recognizing that there’s no point in pretending it’s not happening. If the realization that national security is at stake helps us to take the steps to lessen the problem, so be it.

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