Senior military officials from around the world have publicly warned of the security risks posed by extreme weather events, which are becoming increasingly aggravated by climate change.
Following flooding across the UK this month, Rear Admiral Neil Morisetti, former Royal Navy aircraft carrier commander and chief UK climate envoy in 2013, stated that the UK government can no longer afford to disregard the importance of acting on climate change.
In the wake of UK’s disrupted power, train lines and homes from flooding, Rear Admiral Neil Morisetti told website RTCC that climate change goes beyond borders, and that countries cannot “pull up the drawbridge” to stop its impacts.
His stark warning was also repeated this week by Germany’s army, the Bundeswehr. Hartmund Behrend, the German Army’s climate risk expert, stated that climate change should be handled as a foreign policy issue, and that it is now a priority for the Bundeswehr. He told RTCC: “Key environmental and resource constraints, including health risks, climate change, water security and increasing energy needs will further shape the future security environment in areas of concern to NATO and have the potential to significantly affect NATO planning and operations.”
Global security threat
The opinion is echoed by Australian military too, where last week the country’s Chief of Army Lieutenant-General David Morrison stated climate change and related disaster management must be worked into all future military plans. During an address in Sydney, he said: “You have to look at the region with a number of low-lying islands to I think be confident in drawing conclusions that there will be a role for the military as a result. I think that the most likely role for the military however will be in providing immediate assistance for humanitarian and disaster relief.”
Lieutenant-General Morrison’s comments came just days after the US Secretary of State John Kerry called climate change a "weapon of mass destruction" during a speech he gave in Indonesia, foreshadowing the global military chorus for action to curb climate change and its costly impacts.
For the complete article, please see The Climate Group.
Scientists across the globe are developing live dashboards to study the natural world in unprecedented detail - ushering in a new age of opportunities and ethical dilemmas.
Jair Bolsonaro, Brasil’s current de facto presidential frontrunner, says he would withdraw Brazil from the Paris Agreement if he wins the October election. The withdrawal of such an important developing country, home to the world’s largest rainforest, would deal a blow to international climate cooperation. Bolsorano’s opposition to the international pact has drawn criticism from the UN’s environment chief.
Until now, no one had seriously doubted that relations between the US and Europe, for all the difficulties and conflicts they have gone through, would continue safe and sound. Since Trump was elected as US President however, the atmosphere has changed. The re-nationalisation of the world order has gained speed and is making clear how far advanced global interdependencies have become. With global multilateralism in crisis, climate diplomacy could act as a new driving force.
There are only a few weeks to go before international and local leaders from states, regions, cities, businesses, investors and civil society travel to the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco to create a new wave of mobilization. As Earth is at risk of entering a situation of extreme conditions, those going must bring along more than just flowers in their hair.