Saturday, April 19, 2014

Warming

There are people who are expecting war over climate change. That is, they expect that the effects of climate change will impact particular populations who will have no choice but war, and that has to be planned for.

At least that's what the article says it says. It doesn't appear to actually SAY that though. It is primarily an interview with Rear Admiral (ret.) David Titley, who acknowledges some specific areas of concern and how the military is trying to predict what could happen. There is another article with an Army general speculating on military impact of climate change. He compares it to "getting embroiled in a war that lasts 100 years," as problems are instigated in different ways and different places.

Initially, this post was going to be about these impending wars, and the coincidence that now - during the Crisis - is when it would become a security issue. It cannot be called a coincidence, though, as the projected threats and conflicts are not in the near future.  The general's interview mentions the state of climate in Afghanistan in 2090 - nearly 80 years from now. The admiral's most specific example considers China at the end of the century, i.e. about the same time.

(That does happen to be when the next Crisis would occur, but there's no need to get that speculative about speculation.)

All that's left, then, is a bit of investigation into that "100 years" remark from the general. If it reminds one of the Hundred Years War, one might remember as well that was associated with previous climate change. That war did start around the time of the Little Ice Age - or at the end of the Medieval Warm Period depending on one's perspective. More likely, though, you were confusing it with the Thirty Years War, which has been more directly connected to the changes at that time.


No comments:

Post a Comment