Global Warming is a Threat to Global Security

In 1983, U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) called climate change "a cause for concern," which was an understatement. By the 1990s, special interests, politicians, media, and other untoward took over United Nations and national global warming responses.  

In an AUGUST 08, 2009 article 'Climate Change Seen as Threat to U.S. Security' global warming (aka, climate change) is seen as a direct threat to national security: "The world’s rising temperatures, surging seas and melting glaciers are a direct threat to the national interest."  

"Senator John Kerry, the Massachusetts Democrat who is the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee and a leading advocate for the climate legislation, said he hoped to sway Senate skeptics by pressing that issue to pass a meaningful bill." "[Senator Kerry] did not identify those senators, but the list of undecided includes many from coal and manufacturing states and from the South and Southeast, which will face the sharpest energy price increases from any carbon emissions control program." Of course the congressional left Democrats and President Obama did nothing to alter the course of global warming.  

"The Department of Defense’s assessment of the security issue came about after prodding by Congress to include climate issues in its strategic plans — specifically, in 2008 budget authorizations by Hillary Rodham Clinton [D] and John W. Warner [R], then senators. The department’s climate modeling is based on sophisticated Navy and Air Force weather programs and other government climate research programs at NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration."

By 1974 there were 54 operating nuclear reactors in the United States with another 197 on order. The U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) in 1974 predicted that by the end of the century 50% of all U.S. electricity generation would come from nuclear power construction on existing orders. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) was established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974. Less than half of the reactors on order in 1974 under the NRC were ever completed. Politicians and coal, natural gas, and oil special interests took over the U.S. energy sector to grow use of fossil fuel -- global warming trends became more firmly established.

'The Wall Street Journal: Dismissing Environmental Threats Since 1976', AUGUST 02, 2012 -- Judging by political and media responses to issues of curtailing the threat of global warming, there would appear with consistency that few adequately communicate catastrophic events. "To forestall policy on climate change, the Wall Street Journal editorial board routinely downplays scientific consensus, overstates the cost of taking action, and claims that politics, not science, motivate those concerned about the climate. But an analysis of more than 100 editorials from 1976 to present shows that the Wall Street Journal used these same rhetorical tactics in previous decades on acid rain and ozone depletion and they did not stand the test of time." Still protecting Wall Street Journal investments in self interests, a September 2011 Wall Street editorial claimed that Al Gore and other "climate-change advocates" have "tried to bully anyone who keeps an open mind," which "is true of many political projects, but it is or ought to be anathema to the scientific method."  

For more than two decades scope and goals of global warming mitigations have been sidetracked by political process of deceit, misrepresentation, and corruption. Currently, with dictatorial powers in hand, left Democrats have furthered predicted the demise of human races. Media has intentionally played an important part misrepresenting the critical nature of need for quick global warming mitigations responses. Current major obstacles to securing a future for human races is President Obama, biased media, and a dedicated small but politically influential coal, natural gas, oil energy interests.

CHANGE IS NEEDED

Without changes now, human races are terminated 2050-2055. 

Saving human-races tasks are both time and government funding critical. Changing global climate will pose profound strategic challenges to the United States in coming decades, raising the prospect of military intervention to deal with the effects of violent storms, drought, mass migration and pandemics, military and intelligence analysts say. Currently, U.S. National Guards are now acting as forest and brush firefighters within some states.  

Climate-induced crises could topple governments, feed terrorist movements or destabilize entire regions, say the analysts, experts at the Pentagon and intelligence agencies who for the first time are taking a serious look at the national security implications of climate change.

Recent war games and intelligence studies conclude that over the next 20 to 30 years, vulnerable regions, particularly sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and South and Southeast Asia and all water systems, will face the prospect of food shortages, water crises, and catastrophic flooding driven by climate change that could demand an American humanitarian relief or military response. Near term resulting number of lives lost will be in the millions.

An exercise in 2008 at an educational institute explored the potential impact of a destructive flood in Bangladesh that sent hundreds of thousands of refugees streaming into neighboring India, touching off religious conflict, the spread of contagious diseases and vast damage to infrastructure. “It gets real complicated real quickly,” said Amanda J. Dory (Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense) who is working with a Pentagon group assigned to incorporate climate change into national security strategy planning.

Much of the public and political debate on global warming has focused on finding "green" substitutes for fossil fuels, eliminating nuclear energy, and furthering unproductive negotiations toward an international climate treaty. A growing number of policy makers say that the world’s rising temperatures, surging seas and melting glaciers are a direct threat to national interest. Public review of global warming threats and security challenges are inadequate.

If the United States does not lead the world in reducing fossil-fuel consumption and thus emissions of global warming gases, proponents of this view say, a series of global environmental, social, political and possibly military crises loom that the nation will urgently have to address -- not addressing global warming issues now and "kicking the can down the road" will make mitigations more expensive later. Lawmakers leading the debate before Congress are only now beginning to make the national security argument for approving legislation. If replacement nuclear energy is properly phased-in, significant energy price increases may not occur.

In 2009, said Senator Kerry, “I’ve been making this argument for a number of years, but it has not been a focus because a lot of people had not connected the dots.” Former conflict in southern Sudan, which killed and displaced tens of thousands of people, is a result of drought and expansion of deserts in the north. “That is going to be repeated many times over and on a much larger scale,” Senator Kerry said. He said he had urged President Obama to make the case. Former Vice President Al Gore has also urged President Obama to respond to global warming.

The Pentagon and the State Department have studied issues arising from dependence on foreign sources of energy for years but are only now considering the effects of global warming in their long-term planning documents. In February 2009, the Pentagon included a climate section in the Quadrennial Defense Review.

Military and intelligence planners are now aware of the challenge posed by global warming. Many of its critical installations are vulnerable to rising seas and storm surges. In Florida, Homestead Air Force Base was essentially destroyed by Hurricane Andrew in 1992, and Hurricane Ivan badly damaged Naval Air Station Pensacola in 2004. Military planners are studying ways to protect the major naval stations in Norfolk, Va., and San Diego from climate-induced rising seas and severe storms. Another vulnerable installation is Diego Garcia, an atoll in the Indian Ocean that serves as a logistics hub for American and British forces in the Middle East and sits a few feet above sea level. Global relocation now of some U.S. naval facilities may be required. Ocean level rise effects all coastal cities and ocean coastlines.

Global warming temperature rise has a profound effect upon marine life cycles and thus continued human existence. Needed is a great deal more clarification of impact of marine changes upon human food chains.

A lack of rain and has brought the worst drought in more than 50 years to America's Midwest that usually provides over half the corn and more than two-fifths of the soybeans to world markets, and counterproductive corn-ethanol to U.S. cars. The impact of the sustained drought goes beyond farming. Rivers in the Midwest are actually drying up, including a 100-mile stretch of the Platte River in Nebraska. In the Mississippi -- which carries 60% of the nation’s grain, 22% of its oil and gas and 20% of its coal -- the drought has dropped water levels so far that barges have been forced to carry less cargo as they try to navigate the shallow waters. River flows are maintained by groundwaters and are part of the water-cycle.

It is questionable if Midwest High Plains aquifer can sustain current irrigation rates much into the 2020s. The Colorado River is managed and operated since 1922 under numerous compacts, federal laws, court decisions and decrees, contracts, and regulatory guidelines collectively known as the "Law of the River." Satellite data aids in surface and groundwater level identification. Largely missing from media reporting is the management of California’s groundwater resources, which in dry years provide nearly 40 percent of the state’s water supplies. Changing regional water systems requires time.

Arctic Region melting presents new problems for the military. The shrinking of the ice cap, which is proceeding faster than anticipated only a few years ago, opens a shipping channel that must be defended and undersea oil, natural gas, and undersea methane resources are already the focus of international competition. Further warming of Arctic Region's huge amounts of natural methane and carbon emissions are ocean-current temperature dependent and land surface air temperature dependent. Arctic Region natural methane and carbon emissions form a powerful reinforced positive feedback loop that is directly temperature and regional emissions related, which also results in (catastrophic) increased global warming.  

Global warming by itself has significant geopolitical impacts around the world and will contribute to a host of problems, including poverty, environmental degradation and the weakening of national governments. Assessments warn near term storms, droughts and food shortages result from a warming planet in coming decades will create numerous relief emergencies. “The demands of these potential humanitarian responses may significantly tax U.S. military transportation and support force structures, resulting in a strained readiness posture and decreased strategic depth for combat operations,” a military report said.

Increased population and gross domestic product (GDP) directly increase energy used and increased greenhouse gases. In 1750, world population was estimated to be 700 million. Current global population is 7 billion and it is expected to exceed 9 billion before 2050. Energy demand is growing explosively to meet human needs and aspirations worldwide.  Much of this demand is currently being met by fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, oil). Historical energy use is unsustainable. Because most greenhouse gases come from the use of fossil fuels, the central task of a global emissions-reduction strategy must be to quickly transition to existing technology of high capacity clean nuclear energy. Natural and human global greenhouse gases are to peak by 2020 and decline thereafter.

NOTE:  Global greenhouse gas emissions must, before 2050, have an atmospheric content of carbon, methane, and nitrous oxide that averts catastrophic climate change and averts end of human races.

President Obama and left Democratic promotion of "green" alternatives to nuclear energy has been ineffective correcting 250-years of global greenhouse gas emissions. Unbiased media should report on the more than two decades of motivations for politically promoting "green" unsound, ineffective, and unsustainable diversions from proper nuclear energy responses.   

Top ten world energy consumers by country in 2012 - units in million-billion BTUs (see energy unit Quads): United States 57.227, China 50.690, Russia 18.132, Japan 13.031, India 11.891, Germany 8.556, Canada 8.360, France 6.728, Brazil 6.335, Korea 5.891, and total Worldwide is 293.110. Nuclear energy production is 5.8% of total world energy production. Current and past coal, natural gas, and oil energy production has significantly added to atmospheric carbon content that increases global warming.    

By continually producing hydrocarbon (coal, natural gas, oil) energy infrastructures there results exceeding 'global carbon budget.' Exceeding global energy infrastructure catastrophic conditions are established about 2017. To alter the course of global warming events, there now must quickly be reductions of human and natural greenhouse gases with reductions of coal, natural gas, and oil infrastructures.

Over the coming five-years, the least-cost and only global warming option to lowering global warming is by steadily transforming global energy systems to nuclear energy zero greenhouse gas emissions, which in turn lowers human and natural carbon-cycle gas emissions.   

Unfortunately, too many world leaders, national politicians, and media remain committed to continuing coal, natural gas, and oil energy dependence. Necessary planned successful social and environmental responses to global warming temperature increase are essential, many, and varied and involve lives of more than 9 billion people. No nation maintains a viable organization to respond to countering global warming temperature increase. Not in place is the needed central organization to coordinate implementation of identified needed energy, social, and environmental responses.  

For Congress to participate in preventing 2017 exceeding of 'global carbon budget,' Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC's) membership is to be replaced by four senior nuclear specialists and one presidential appointee. Revised scope of revised NRC membership is to include supervisions of U.S. 'Nuclear Fuel Cycle' and rapid expansion of U.S. nuclear energy. Global and U.S. plans for global warming reduction are to be produced by intelligence agencies with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD).

RESULTS OF 250-YEARS OF BUSINESS AS USUAL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS

Unless there are changes to global human greenhouse gas emissions, all those who are not yet born, and those who are now children and young adults under the age of 30-years, shall die 2050-2055 of global warming, ending the 160 thousand year journey of mankind. Global warming temperature is about +0.8 degrees Celsius above preindustrial temperature of about 250 years ago. Expected is global warming reaches carbon dioxide 450 ppm limit around 2030-2040, after that point Earth changes and temperature increase occurs rapidly and uncontrollably. By exceeding "global carbon budget" with coal, natural gas, and oil emissions, global catastrophic conditions in less than 25-years are established in 2017.

The EU global climate protection target of 450 ppm atmospheric carbon was established by the EU Governments in 1996 and reaffirmed since then by the Environment Council 2003, and European Council, 2005, and 2007. The International Energy Agency (IEA) found we are about five years away from building enough carbon-spewing infrastructures to lock-in a hydrocarbon infrastructure and make it extremely difficult -- if not impossible -- to avoid greatly exceeding 450-ppm carbon dioxide. Global warming carbon “infrastructure lock-in” is around 2017, five-years from 2012. To save human races, nuclear energy electrical generation is to phase out coal, oil, natural gas by 2017. Saving human races task is both time and government funding critical.   

Over the coming five years, the least-cost global warming option is lowering global warming by steadily transforming global human energy-systems to nuclear energy, which lower human/natural greenhouse gases, then lower to zero human emissions. Difficult to reduce are Arctic Region natural methane/carbon levels that are ocean-current temperature dependent and land surface air temperature dependent. Arctic Region natural methane/carbon emissions form a reinforced positive feedback loop that is directly temperature related.

OPPOSITION TO NUCLEAR ENERGY

The world was making progress developing nuclear energy under the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) from 1946 to 1974 -- inexpensive clear nuclear energy was becoming available to drive U.S. industries. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) was formed January 1975 to date.  

Under President Ford (August 9, 1974 to 1977) and President Carter (1977 to 1981) the NRC was politically positioned to oppose and increase the costs of nuclear energy development and impose restrictive nuclear regulations. The covert purpose of NRC membership was to limit nuclear reactor electrical generation and promote coal, natural gas, and oil use. Left Democratic Presidents AND supporting cabals have been and remain the largest obstacles to curbing global warming greenhouse gases and providing for the security of human races.  

The current major obstacles to securing a future for human races is President Obama, silent media, and a dedicated small but politically influential coal, natural gas, oil energy group. For Congress to participate in preventing 2017 exceeding of "global carbon budget," NRC membership is to be replaced by four senior nuclear specialists and one presidential appointee. Revised scope of revised NRC membership is to include supervisions of U.S. 'Nuclear Fuel Cycle' and rapid expansion of U.S. nuclear energy. Global and U.S. plans for global warming reduction are to be produced by intelligence agencies with the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). Natural and human global greenhouse gases are to peak by 2020 and decline thereafter.

The clock is ticking, end of human races comes too soon in 2050-2055.     

Global Warming - Financial Investment to 2050

Rev 16 Jan 2012


How do financial institutions invest when it is known that human races are to end 2050-2099 Cristian Era (CE)?

Since European and U.S. world leaders and neo communist politicians are determined to retain national dependence upon hydrocarbon economies (coal, oil, natural gas), while ignoring the obvious ending of human races, the wisdom of any long-term investment is in considerable doubt. Over time, political global warming responses are unpredictable. There is no capable world leadership representing the need of continuing human races.  U.S. politicians and news media are locked into the 2012 CE election campaign. Since the 1990s CE, UN responses to global warming were undermined by the corruption of carbon reduction sounding schemes . There is no economic precedence for end human races institutional investments.

Without now reducing natural and human greenhouse emissions Earth’s average temperature shall soon exceed a level that is capable of sustaining human races. Without political changes, the one hundred and sixty thousand year journey of modern man ends 2050-2099 CE.  Global warming is the world’s greatest growing security threat.

The science of global warming is clear. Global warming greenhouse gas human hydrocarbon emissions since preindustrial 1750s (or since the 1712 Newcomen engine) have increased and accumulated.  In turn, these human hydrocarbons have resulted in increased global temperature (about 0.8 oC) and Arctic subsea permafrost destabilization.  Huge Arctic methane clathrate deposits have increased release of natural methane, which is accelerating the global warming process.  Prior to 2099 CE, even without increased natural methane emissions, human hydrocarbon emissions are projected to exceed life terminating +5 oC temperature increase.  The only thing that is certain about current financial institution investments is that the human races terminate 2050-2099 CE.                

Centres of political and financial gravity for current financial investments should guide strategic investments. Due to global warming, over time these gravity centers will fail individually or in combination until the end is complete:

- Increased negative consequences of regulation (economic)

- Major systemic financial failure (economic)

- Natural and Human Greenhouse gas emissions (environmental) increase temperature

- Global governance failure (geopolitical)

- Water supply and food resources crisis are eminent (environmental)

- Unsustainable population growth (societal) outstrip redistribution of Earth’s resources

- Critical systems failure (technological)

- Persistent extreme weather (environment)

- Extreme volatility in energy and agriculture pricing (economic)

- Increased post 2017 CE costs to reduce global warming temperature increase (economic)  

Since the 1990s CE, alternative renewable energy has been promoted as a political scheme for corruption.  None of the US$100s billions spent on renewable energy projects have REDUCED any amount of global temperature increase. Real responses to global warming have been delayed for decades. The only energy source that has the capability to save human races is nuclear energy.  However, nuclear energy has been renounced by European and U.S. neo communists and too many world leaders. In place of nuclear energy there is carbon-cap-and-trade.  

Carbon markets are part of multinational political corruption and siphoning off funding directed to environmentally friendly sounding projects. Carbon markets across the world were valued at 96 billion euros (US$122.63 billion) last year, up 4 percent on 2010. The value of the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), the world's biggest carbon market, grew by 6 percent to an estimated 76 billion euros (US$97.08 billion).  Overall traded volume in so-called EU Allowances (EUAs), including options and auctions, reached around 6 billion euros (US$7.66 billion) last year, a 17-percent increase on 2010. The EU carbon market is also the biggest buyer of carbon credits issued under the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), which awards rich country investments in emissions-reduction claimed projects in the developing world. U.N.-issued Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) at 17.8 billion euros (US$ 22.74 billions) in 2011. The Kyoto Protocol's Joint Implementation market, which issues carbon credits to emissions-reduction projects in developed countries, saw its value grow by 40 percent to 716 million euros (US$ 914.62 million). The North American carbon market's value also declined, falling to 221 million euros (US$ 282.31 million) in 2011. The carbon markets’ shuffle of carbon credits results in huge politically connected special interest profits.  Carbon markets are the “smoking gun” of government sponsored global warming corruption.  Although the markets are huge, none of the carbon trading has resulted in any REDUCTION of global warming temperature increase.

Left Democrats “stimulated” the U.S. economy with an expensive ‘American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’ (ARRA 2009) that included over $90 billion in unproductive “climate change” alternative renewable energy investments.  However, all Congresses have funded nothing that would reduce global warming TEMPERATURE INCREASE.  Additionally in 2009 CE, although compete the Yucca Mountain project that is necessary for the U.S. clean nuclear fuel cycle was stopped by congressional left Democrat neo communists. It appears that most of ARRA stimulus funding was arranged to feed government funds to left Democrat supporters and voter districts with very little stimulus of U.S. capitalism or reduction of global warming. Congress has ignored global warming to provide for political special interests, which supports a charge of congressional gross political negligence.

The President of the United Sates must task the U.S. Secretary of Defense to provide timely global warming solutions within 2012 CE.

World leaders continue to build hydrocarbon energy plants that results in 2017 CE “infrastructure lock-in” of the global “carbon budget.” Unless there is quick identification of the emerging and future global warming threat, there is now certainty that human races survival ends 2050-2099 CE.  But there is no certainty that the global warming threat is to be soon identified with recommendations. It has been suggested that the U.S. Department of Defence identify and make global warming response recommendations.  However, this is a U.S. election year and little interest in global warming demonstrated by President Obama, or the U.S. Congress, or the media.  Perhaps in 2013 CE or later there might be some political guidance for financial institution investments in 2050-2099 CE end human life.   

After decades of dismantling nuclear energy and increasing nuclear facility costs, the time to complete significant nuclear global nuclear output-increase would exceed 10 years, which is beyond the hydrocarbon energy plants 2017 CE  “infrastructure lock-in” of the global “carbon budget.” Institutional investment in nuclear energy continues to be a risky political investment, which increases certainty of carbon budget infrastructure lock-in.
 
However, hydrocarbon investments due remain supported by many world leaders and politicians.  Investment futures within hydrocarbon energy facilities are supported with favorable regulations and a large union labor force. The investment draw back of hydrocarbon industry is that hydrocarbon investments increase global warming emissions with resultant pulling-in of human life termination-point.  With everyone dead sooner, investors in the hydrocarbon industry receive lower returns on investment.                  

When coal emissions (as it is burned 2000 CE) are considered to be 100, greenhouse gas emissions from nuclear, would be 4. Wind and hydro would also be 4-emissions. Solar is 8 and natural gas is 10-emissions. However, wind, solar, and hydro energy are significantly limited energy sources.  There are substantial releases of carbon dioxide and methane emitted during coal, oil, and natural gas production, distribution, and use. Note that methane's 20-year global warming potential is an interaction with carbon monoxide, oxidants, sulphates aerosols molecules and other chemical actions.  Dependent upon chemical composition of the atmosphere, GWP of methane is 53 to 75 and can be as high as 120 times greater than carbon dioxide (which has a GWP equal one). Methane from natural sources, coal, oil, and natural gas are significant contributors to end human races global warming. All human uses of hydrocarbon coal, oil, natural gas result in increased global warming temperature.    

"We should use nuclear power to reduce global warming"

Letter to Ed SunHerald.com

Friday, Jan. 13, 2012

Congress should move immediately to reduce or eliminate the combustion of all fossil fuels and facilitate procedures to accelerate the construction of nuclear power plants to reduce global warming.

Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of earth’s atmosphere and oceans which is predicted to increase coastal flooding. In the last 100 years, earth’s average surface temperature increased by about 0.8° C (1.4° F).

Studies show that greenhouse gases (and carbon dioxide in particular) are at the top of the list of the energy sector’s environmental impacts, and the source of human-made climate change. The largest source of greenhouse gases is the coal-burning power generation industry. To address the global warming problem, it is clearly necessary to stop burning coal to generate electric power and convert to a process with less carbon dioxide emissions.

A study published in 2000 by the International Energy Agency compared emissions per kilowatt-hour for each of the major sources of energy. If coal emissions (as it is burned 2000) are considered to be 100, emissions from nuclear, wind and hydro would be 4, solar 8 and natural gas 10.  

When considering installing power generating facilities, the “footprint” or actual space or land required must be considered. For example, a 1,000-megawatt nuclear plant or coal burning plant takes up about a third of a square mile, a solar panel array over 50 square miles, and a 1,000-megawatt wind farm requires over 200 square miles.

Another factor to be considered is the amount of waste material produced by each type of power generation. A 1,000-megawatt nuclear plant converts 20 tons of fuel a year into 20 tons of waste. The same size coal plant burns 3 million tons of fuel a year and produces 7 million tons of carbon dioxide, which goes into the earth’s atmosphere.

By RICHARD WALDSMITH

Bay St. Louis

There is not much guidance for financial institution’s global warming investment. Global financial institutions and markets will just have hold back on investments until politicians decide upon the date and regulations for human life termination.