Is Climate Crisis About to Topple a Government?

Simulposted at Daily Kos

And not just any government, but a nuclear armed government. A government that is at the very crux of our “National Security.”

From McClatchy

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – The humanitarian and economic disaster caused by the worst floods in Pakistan’s history could spark political unrest that could destabilize the government, dealing a major blow to the Obama administration’s efforts to fight violent Islamic extremism.

The government’s shambling response to floods that have affected a third of the country has some analysts saying that President Asif Ali Zardari could be forced from office, possibly by the military, which has ruled Pakistan for more than half its 63-year history.

Other experts caution that the state itself could collapse, as hunger and destitution trigger explosions of popular anger that was already seething over massive unemployment, high fuel prices, widespread power outages, corruption, and a bloody insurgency by extremists allied with al Qaida.

Of course no one could have anticipated that Climate Crisis could be THE determining wild card factor in the Great Game of geo-politics. That all of the considerable efforts of the CIA and the Pentagon to assassinate their way to political stability in Pakistan could be massively disrupted by something that, due to Republican propaganda, half of America doesn’t believe exists!

Oh wait….The Pentagon itself did…

WASHINGTON – The 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.

Such 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, 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.

The floods will recede, but in an amazingly short time EVERYTHING in Pakistan has changed.

Pakistan’s prime minister now says some 20 million people are affected by the worst flooding to hit the country in over a generation.  This figure is much higher than the 14 million estimated by the United Nations.

In either case, the number is huge.  The U.N. refugee agency is warning the enormous crisis facing Pakistan is still unfolding.  Spokesman Adrian Edwards says the after effects of this catastrophe will be felt for years to come.  

“There continues to be massive destruction as the bloated rivers flow southwards across the plains and the crisis, in our view, will not be over when the flooding recedes due to homelessness, hunger and illness.  The rationale for our presence in Pakistan relates to the fact that it is the biggest caseload of refugees that we deal with in the world and displaced persons,” he said.  

Pakistan’s population is around 170 million, not counting Afghan refugees. What happens to an already unstable country when suddenly over 10% of it’s population is devastated? An event like this, events which will only increase around the globe as the effects of Climate Change start manifesting….and multiplying… due to feedback acceleration loops, really do show how fragile all the best laid plans of mankind are predicated on a stable world. And how the world is quickly, much more quickly than we are apparently willing to recognize, admit, or plan for, becoming unstable due to Climate Change.

Let’s revisit that Pentagon study.

Such 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.

Of course it cannot be proven (eye-roll) that the hottest year on record, Pakistan’s flooding, Russia’s fires, huge ice melts, plankton disappearing, ice calves the size of Manhattan, bleached and dying coral reefs….or even biblical plagues of locusts are related to our changing climate.

The fact that all of these events have been modeled, predicted, and forecast for decades, and that every reputable scientist in the world now agrees that Climate Change is caused by humans should not be allowed to influence the political debate in the US Senate, where 41 Republicans and no doubt a couple of “Democrats” are literally holding the future of our planet in their hands.

The fact that less than 50 people are holding the fate of 7 billion people hostage due to their ideology, greed, and desire to remain employed is of course, something that absolutely nothing can be done about. The Spirit of Comity in the Senate and the political hit that Obama might take for fighting against the insanity of the Republicans is obviously far more important than any other consideration, even the future of the human race, and should not be challenged for any reason.

If after all, the supposedly sane people in Congress and the White House stood up and exposed them for what they are, point out what they are doing, call them out and actually fight back against them….it could upset the delicate balance of American politics….and all the well laid plans of the Democrats, who are allowing the insanity of Republicans and fears of mid term electoral losses to hold the future of the world hostage.

Any action, any challenge to the status quo, any sanity would obviously upset the apple carts of American politicians and cause them to be discomfited.

And what could possibly be more important than that?

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“I have a difficult task tonight,” Gore said. “I want to call you to action but I have to begin by telling you what you know, in all candor – the United States government in its entirety, largely because of the opposition in the United States Senate to taking action on clean energy and a solution to the climate crisis, has failed us.”

In July, Democratic leaders in the Senate called off any efforts to pass climate legislation because they said they considered the Gulf oil spill to be a larger more important crisis.

“In the last few months and weeks, the United States Senate has failed to meet the challenge of the climate crisis,” Gore said. “The Senate announced just last month that they would not take up comprehensive climate and clean energy legislation bringing to a temporary disappointing and frustrating halt a fight that we have been waging for the past year and a half and really longer – comprehensive legislation is now likely not to be debated when the Senate returns from the August recess.”