For once, I am glad I left my blog post to the last minute, because earlier today the Pentagon released a new report that says that global warming is an immediate threat to national security. This is just the newest way the government is responding to global warming.
Basically, the Pentagon is here to remind us that global warming causes rising sea levels, natural disasters, and droughts. Our military cares because these things can lead to political unrest and instability that terror groups could thrive on. One very current example is that drought in Syria made farmers relocate to cities where they are vulnerable to joining extremist groups (ISIS).
Another current example of climate change: severe storms (tornadoes, floor warnings) hit southern and midwestern United States over the weekend (and continues today), killing at least two people. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency because of the storms. This is late in the season for such bad storms, so it is another example of the severe weather that comes with climate change.
It's kind of weird that there were two major developments concerning global warming on the day we talk about global warming in class. While neither of these examples directly relate to the Adirondacks, if people keep talking about global warming, and the military gets involved with climate change mitigation, it could affect the Adirondacks in the long run. It just seems like it's too late to save the Adirondacks as they are today.
Thanks for bringing this news to our attention--I hadn't heard about the drought in Syria or the storms in the midwest. This is a good example of the global effect of climate change and how it isn't restricted to a single location, but will harm the entire planet.
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