Global Warming and National Security Issues

Climate change is frequently characterized as an ecological threat. The problem of global climate change could create a world of resource wars, failed states and environmental refugees to already vulnerable and fragile regions of Africa, Middle East and Asia if unchecked. It has become a mainstream issue and threats appertaining to climate change should be understood so as to be able to plan to reduce them. Dangers lie mostly in the future but there are current concerns threatening states and governments at the moment. Threats of diminishing energy supplies, increasing water and food shortages and conflicts over scarce resources should be a concern to public efforts, governments and businesses to formulate adaptation strategies and mitigate efforts to deal with climate change (Adler, 2007).

There is a critical link between national security, global warming and energy where possible climate change warming impacts should be assessed in different parts of the earth. Global warming according to scientists is unlikely to be reversed and what can be done is to slow down the rate appreciably by reducing greenhouse gas emissions which is becoming a familiar agenda in global warming concerns. Other scientists argue that it is not the greenhouse emissions or carbon dioxide concentrations but the earths mechanism in the crust affected by the siphoning of fossil fuels thus affecting the magnetic fields of the earth making it tilt and move closer to the sun in its orbit. Global warming climate change can impact the human population in several ways including, political tensions, disaster and displacements (Appenzeller et al, 2004). Shifts in rain patterns will affect agricultural capacities and access to clean drinking water will be complicated.

The American government is grappling with many issues like, the White House Committee on environment passed legislation that would see the directive of greenhouse gases to be reduced so that the American economy could implement a vital step to the national carbon cap-and trade program. The U.S depends mostly on foreign oil for their transportation needs much of which comes from the Middle East whose interests are often not the same, thus apart from adding carbon dioxide to the environment, they do not have a cordial relationship in these counties where most of the American troops are situated. This is fueling and propping up autocracies in hydrocarbon to countries such as Iran. The United States spends billions of dollars in gasoline in Iraq which in some case is finding its way to the al-Qaeda extremists group.  Its military in Iraq and Afghanistan is consuming several gallons of fuel per day on each soldier in protecting their interests and keeping the country safe from war torn conflicts by the extremists. The military budget compared to financing global warming initiatives has shown that there is still more to be done concerning climate security (Barnett et al, 2005). It would be safer to invest on the climate which would keep Americans safer instead of the Iraq war whose costs are running into trillions on perceptions of the rogue state or terrorists. The Americas defense community observes that there is more strategic uncertainty, sub and trans-national violence which complicate the threats and matters of national security.

The future depends on these two aspects of climate and defense which must be taken into consideration and not opposed. The green conclusion can be focus on various alternatives of energy than relying on fossil fuels that are gradually diminishing, increasing their efficiency and improving the electrical framework (Aston et al, 2005). It is crucial to start addressing global warming issues early by showing real leadership in confronting and slowing down the effects that can impact national security in various countries and states around the world.

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