Global Warming a Threat to Human Security, Says UN Science Report

[Rhykker]

Global Warming a Threat to Human Security, Says UN Science Report

Report says that there is "robust evidence" for global warming as a threat to national security.

The UN-sanctioned Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is releasing a new report that connects global warming with global security problems, including civil wars, refugees, and tension between nations. The report includes a 63-page chapter on security problems in which it says that there is "robust evidence" that "human security will be progressively threatened as climate changes." The IPCC is not claiming that climate change will cause violence, but rather that it will be an additional factor in the destabilization of nations, as conflicts over resources such as water and energy break out.

"Climate change will not directly cause conflict - but it will exacerbate issues of poor governance, resource inequality and social unrest," retired U.S. Navy Adm. David Titley, now a Pennsylvania State University professor of meteorology, wrote in an email. Titley, who wasn't part of the IPCC report, went on to say that "if you are already living in a place affected by violent conflict, I suspect climate change becomes the least of your worries."

In its strategic review earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Defense called climate change a "threat multiplier" to poverty, political instability and social tensions worldwide.

In December 2007, the IPCC was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change."

Source: The Seattle Times [http://seattletimes.com/html/politics/2023267129_apxsciclimatepanelconflict.html]

Permalink

 

[RJ 17]

All the more reason to pour all our resources into space exploration so we can hurry up and get the hell off this wasted mud-ball of a planet.

 

[Stabby Joe]

Does it mention over population in the report? Seems to hardly ever come up at least in a lot of news stories when it comes to environmental issues.

No politician wants to admit that as a major problem.

 

[Vivi22]

Does it mention over population in the report? Seems to hardly ever come up at least in a lot of news stories when it comes to environmental issues.

No politician wants to admit that as a major problem.

That's probably because over population isn't really the issue with global warming. Even in many first world countries where over population isn't even remotely a danger at the moment, greenhouse gas emissions are rising steadily.

Of course much of that has to do with an irrational fear of nuclear preventing us from not killing ourselves.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

It only threatens humans, though. The Earth will live on. We change the planet, but the planet is a lot more durable than we give it credit. Even if it ends up being uninhabitable for humans, life on Earth will likely do just fine as animals adapt to the new environment.

 

[Coreless]

All the more reason to pour all our resources into space exploration so we can hurry up and get the hell off this wasted mud-ball of a planet.

The irony is, this planet will be just fine no matter what we do but for us... not so much. I have an idea... how about we remedy the real problem, the lack of knowledge or awareness of GW.

How about people actually start getting the information out to the public and show everyone the undeniable evidence that shows Global Warming is real and serious. lets get that ball rolling and start getting everyone informed. Get a show out there to raise awareness in the vein of Cosmos that lays out the evidence in a way that people will understand and can digest.

I am not a scientist, I have no idea how to properly research this stuff to find the most reliable information for this evidence for myself. I doubt most other people do as well, get that information to us, get us informed about what is happening and what can be done about it. I have a hard time finding reliable info about GW that someone wasn't trying to sneak in their political ideology alongside it, take that crap out and give it to the public straight.

That is my take on GW.

 

[RJ 17]

I have a hard time finding reliable info about GW that someone wasn't trying to sneak in their political ideology alongside it,

And that's the problem with the global warming issue right there: it's way too tied into politics. Especially when things like happening like all those emails between climate research scientists that were released a couple years ago that called into question the validity of their work by making them seem like all their research was being done specifically to further a political cause.

I'm not saying it's a bunch of BS and I'm not insisting that it's true, but those emails were released and it certainly did nothing to help the image of those arguing that man-made global warming is a thing. I tried to post a link to a Forbes article on it but apparently the link shrinks down to just the Forbes home page. Just google "global warming email scandal" and the news stories should pop right up.

 

[RJ 17]

Snip.

That's why we need to pour our resources into space! Develope me a frickin' warp drive so I can tell Ensign Fig-Nuts to "engage!"

Seriously, my original post was a joke. Unless we find some Prothean ruins on Mars, we are indeed stuck here.

I'm all for murdering things to further the cause of humanity though. :3

 

[Coreless]

I have a hard time finding reliable info about GW that someone wasn't trying to sneak in their political ideology alongside it,

And that's the problem with the global warming issue right there: it's way too tied into politics. Especially when things like happening like all those emails between climate research scientists that were released a couple years ago that called into question the validity of their work by making them seem like all their research was being done specifically to further a political cause.

I'm not saying it's a bunch of BS and I'm not insisting that it's true, but those emails were released and it certainly did nothing to help the image of those arguing that man-made global warming is a thing. I tried to post a link to a Forbes article on it but apparently the link shrinks down to just the Forbes home page. Just google "global warming email scandal" and the news stories should pop right up.

I have always been a skeptic, I was raised by skeptical parents who never trusted anything and they fostered that idea in me. With Global Warming I find my "wait..what?" meter wailing and I wish that was because I actually had information to go off. I don't want to be skeptical of GW, I want to know what the facts are, if our future is truly in jeopardy and politicians are really f**king this up by injecting their nonsense into it. Why is it that I can go to the Science Channel or Youtube and find like 20 programs or videos about the freaking multi-verse and yet I can't find a damn thing I could trust about GW?

 

[cerebus23]

I have a hard time finding reliable info about GW that someone wasn't trying to sneak in their political ideology alongside it,

And that's the problem with the global warming issue right there: it's way too tied into politics. Especially when things like happening like all those emails between climate research scientists that were released a couple years ago that called into question the validity of their work by making them seem like all their research was being done specifically to further a political cause.

I'm not saying it's a bunch of BS and I'm not insisting that it's true, but those emails were released and it certainly did nothing to help the image of those arguing that man-made global warming is a thing. I tried to post a link to a Forbes article on it but apparently the link shrinks down to just the Forbes home page. Just google "global warming email scandal" and the news stories should pop right up.

too much money in global warming carbon offsets, exepensive as hell toxic batteries, and as a bonus not only can you milk people ro loads of cash while you warn them about man made disasters that only we could prevent if we had the money and the power, so we are going to take away your choice and rights because they are bad for the climate.

they can get away with just about anything with a good enough crisis and each and every time one of these things come out remember that. and ask yourself how much money al gore and all his earth buddies made riding around in prvivate jets living in massive mansions and driving gas guzzling suvs. the father of the modern biggest cash and rights grab in modern history short of the war on terror. they just not gotten a big enough disaster they can link warming to or change or w/e bullshit they are pedaling today.

 

[J Tyran]

I have a hard time finding reliable info about GW that someone wasn't trying to sneak in their political ideology alongside it,

And that's the problem with the global warming issue right there: it's way too tied into politics. Especially when things like happening like all those emails between climate research scientists that were released a couple years ago that called into question the validity of their work by making them seem like all their research was being done specifically to further a political cause.

I'm not saying it's a bunch of BS and I'm not insisting that it's true, but those emails were released and it certainly did nothing to help the image of those arguing that man-made global warming is a thing. I tried to post a link to a Forbes article on it but apparently the link shrinks down to just the Forbes home page. Just google "global warming email scandal" and the news stories should pop right up.

Those emails where debunked you know, there where carefully edited to remove context and quote mine "juicy bits". Where the raw emails showed a discussion about how to best present the data and remove all but the most conservative claims the bloggers and main stream media used mined quotes to show how the scientists where carefully selecting what to present and what not to present, in other cases where the emails discussed flawed studies with bad methodology and exlcuding them from the debate the bloggers claimed it was proof that alternate views where being excluded. Yet when it came to discussion about well written papers and studies with alternate views about anthropogenic climate change and no mention of excluding them the same tinfoil hatters and bloggers didn't seem to notice that at all... Then the whole thing became an echo chamber with all of the conspiracy theorists, bloggers and news outlets all quoting each other as a source.

Climate change is abused though, governments are using as a way to get extra tax and corporations use it to get subsidies and tax breaks.

 

[The_Darkness]

I have always been a skeptic, I was raised by skeptical parents who never trusted anything and they fostered that idea in me. With Global Warming I find my "wait..what?" meter wailing and I wish that was because I actually had information to go off. I don't want to be skeptical of GW, I want to know what the facts are, if our future is truly in jeopardy and politicians are really f**king this up by injecting their nonsense into it. Why is it that I can go to the Science Channel or Youtube and find like 20 programs or videos about the freaking multi-verse and yet I can't find a damn thing I could trust about GW?

[link]https://www.skepticalscience.com/[/link] is pretty good. It was primarily written by a solar scientist who does 'believe' in GW, but the entire website is evidence based. A large amount of the site is directed towards refuting the usual arguments against GW, since that was what originally inspired the website (seeing the same arguments come up over and over again).

 

[rcs619]

Does it mention over population in the report? Seems to hardly ever come up at least in a lot of news stories when it comes to environmental issues.

No politician wants to admit that as a major problem.

That's probably because over population isn't really the issue with global warming. Even in many first world countries where over population isn't even remotely a danger at the moment, greenhouse gas emissions are rising steadily.

Of course much of that has to do with an irrational fear of nuclear preventing us from not killing ourselves.

Indeed. Overpopulation is still a long way away from being a crippling issue on its own. The US alone could produce enough food to feed everyone in the world if the system was optimized for it. The problem with overpopulation is that it's a compounding factor when it's combined with the use of the forms of energy that are causing climate change. That's the main reason China and India are looking to be huge problems on that front in the years to come.

The problem is that we're all so dependent on forms of energy which are neither sustainable nor environmentally friendly, and that the groups that provide those types of energy are incredibly powerful and influential to boot. Fossil fuels are not something we should see as our main, preferred form of power. We should be treating them for exactly what they are, a temporary (undeniably useful, but temporary) solution that we can use as a stepping stone to get ourselves to forms of power that will take us into the future.

Nuclear power is definitely an option, but until we figure out fusion, or ways to deal with the waste that don't involve burying it in the desert and hoping that no one ever stumbles across it ever, fission is a bit of a stepping stone sort of power in its own right.

I honestly don't get the climate change debate. Even if you don't believe in it at all, surely we can all agree that basing the power needs of our *entire species* around forms of energy that are literally *finite* and prone to catastrophic spills and accidents that can severely impact peoples' lives is not an ideal arrangement. Climate change should be the third or fourth issue on the list when discussing why we need to find alternate, sustainable sources of energy, and new ways to create the various synthetic materials that are so vital to everyday life.

 

[AstaresPanda]

How many times do reports with overwhelming facts till they do something ?

But i think we still have to consider the very real danger of MAN BEAR PIG

 

[McMullen]

All the more reason to pour all our resources into space exploration so we can hurry up and get the hell off this wasted mud-ball of a planet.

The irony is, this planet will be just fine no matter what we do but for us... not so much. I have an idea... how about we remedy the real problem, the lack of knowledge or awareness of GW.

How about people actually start getting the information out to the public and show everyone the undeniable evidence that shows Global Warming is real and serious. lets get that ball rolling and start getting everyone informed. Get a show out there to raise awareness in the vein of Cosmos that lays out the evidence in a way that people will understand and can digest.

I am not a scientist, I have no idea how to properly research this stuff to find the most reliable information for this evidence for myself. I doubt most other people do as well, get that information to us, get us informed about what is happening and what can be done about it. I have a hard time finding reliable info about GW that someone wasn't trying to sneak in their political ideology alongside it, take that crap out and give it to the public straight.

That is my take on GW.

There are a lot of scientists trying to do just that. If you haven't heard of them, then I think the reason for that is what we need to identify.

I have always been a skeptic, I was raised by skeptical parents who never trusted anything and they fostered that idea in me. With Global Warming I find my "wait..what?" meter wailing and I wish that was because I actually had information to go off. I don't want to be skeptical of GW, I want to know what the facts are, if our future is truly in jeopardy and politicians are really f**king this up by injecting their nonsense into it. Why is it that I can go to the Science Channel or Youtube and find like 20 programs or videos about the freaking multi-verse and yet I can't find a damn thing I could trust about GW?

Then you should go to the IPCC site (http://www.ipcc.ch/) and read the most recent report. They have a Summary for Policymakers that boils it down for the people we are unfortunate enough to have representing us. If you want excruciating detail, the body of the report lays it all out.

The most recently released SPM is by Working Group Two, which focuses on human impact and adaptation. The one you might be more interested in is by Working Group One, which focuses on the the physical evidence for climate change. You can download it here: http://www.climatechange2013.org/images/report/WG1AR5_SPM_FINAL.pdf

 

[RJ 17]

I have a hard time finding reliable info about GW that someone wasn't trying to sneak in their political ideology alongside it,

And that's the problem with the global warming issue right there: it's way too tied into politics. Especially when things like happening like all those emails between climate research scientists that were released a couple years ago that called into question the validity of their work by making them seem like all their research was being done specifically to further a political cause.

I'm not saying it's a bunch of BS and I'm not insisting that it's true, but those emails were released and it certainly did nothing to help the image of those arguing that man-made global warming is a thing. I tried to post a link to a Forbes article on it but apparently the link shrinks down to just the Forbes home page. Just google "global warming email scandal" and the news stories should pop right up.

Those emails where debunked you know, there where carefully edited to remove context and quote mine "juicy bits". Where the raw emails showed a discussion about how to best present the data and remove all but the most conservative claims the bloggers and main stream media used mined quotes to show how the scientists where carefully selecting what to present and what not to present, in other cases where the emails discussed flawed studies with bad methodology and exlcuding them from the debate the bloggers claimed it was proof that alternate views where being excluded. Yet when it came to discussion about well written papers and studies with alternate views about anthropogenic climate change and no mention of excluding them the same tinfoil hatters and bloggers didn't seem to notice that at all... Then the whole thing became an echo chamber with all of the conspiracy theorists, bloggers and news outlets all quoting each other as a source.

Climate change is abused though, governments are using as a way to get extra tax and corporations use it to get subsidies and tax breaks.

As I said in the quoted post: I'm not saying it's all the truth or that it's all a bunch of BS. My point was the very fact that such a thing happened (and there are other cases similar to that one) is the kind of thing that raises doubt and skepticism about man-made global warming.

 

[Drops a Sweet Katana]

It only threatens humans, though. The Earth will live on. We change the planet, but the planet is a lot more durable than we give it credit. Even if it ends up being uninhabitable for humans, life on Earth will likely do just fine as animals adapt to the new environment.

Well humans and a good chunk of the biosphere, see the Middle Miocene Disruption for a good example of how a relatively sudden change in climate can fuck shit royally.

OT: It would be fantastic if policy makers took their thumbs out of their arses and actually did something vaguely leaning towards getting this shit sorted rather than arguing if it's our fault. Here's a useful little titbit: even if we aren't solely to blame for it, we are certainly not fucking helping the situation. We are perfectly capable of moving to other forms of energy to at least slow our march to the precipice (see France's shift from natural gas to nuclear (which actually gives them an energy surplus which they can sell to neighbouring countries) as an example).

 

[Darth Sea Bass]

Yeah the saving the planet spiel pisses me off! Get it right saving our own sorry arses is what were trying to do the planet will get along just fine without those pesky hairless apes fucking everything up.

Also politicians definitely aren't helping either.