But wait! There's more!

With global warming, you also get...WAR!!

I came across this article in The Christian Science Monitor.  The gist of it is that several military strategists truly believe that global warming could cause the United States to become involved in yet more military conflicts.  Look at it this way: the temperature rises, water resources become scarce, that leads to food supply problems, and next thing you know...boom.  Wars have started over things far more trivial than humans needing food and water.  And that's before you factor in the realities of parched land and deforestation.

Even so, you need not even go so far as an instigation that entrenched in human need.  Our North Pole is melting.  Little by little, the ice cap gets smaller every year.  Besides causing the unconscionable extinction of the polar bear, this will open up new sea lanes for shipping.  Ditto access to as yet untapped oil reserves and valuable mineral deposits, even diamonds. So what's wrong with that?  Glad you asked, Stranger.  

Several different nations have been posturing to claim and protect what they see as their territory.  Russia, Canada, and Denmark (yes, even Denmark) have all had ceremonial flag plantings in various areas of the Pole.  They're not too happy with each other right now.  

Canada has pledged to bolster its military presence in the Arctic.  Since I'm a military science/history geek, I'm going to burden you with an overview of what that means.  Feel free to skip ahead.

-More bases built on the Canadian shores of the Arctic Ocean.

-Adding 1,000 troops to their Arctic Ranger force.

-Deploying more icebreakers and fast patrol boats.

The Russians have vowed to "re-establish a military presence in the Arctic."  To do so, they have sent submarines and the warship Severomorsk to prowl the waters just off of Norway.  Additionally, their Tu-22 Backfire bombers now patrol the air near the Pole just as they did during the Cold War.  

Nations in conflict over food and water resources.  Ships and planes buzzing around each other like hornets in the North.  Sounds crazy, but I think it's exactly what we're looking at if something isn't done to reverse climate change.  Most likely, I figure the first conflicts will be in areas such as the continent of Africa.  People are already impoverished and starving there.  If arid and parched conditions escalate, people could get desperate (more so than they are now), even to the point of taking up arms against a nation with food and water.  But we won't care.  That's someplace far away.  No big deal to us.  

Then the first loss of a Canadian ship happens, either by accident or design, and the Great White North hollers for its Big Brother to the south to help face Big Red.  Of course we'll have to come running.  Then the wacky hijinks really begin.  

And you thought all we had to worry about were hotter temperatures, fewer wildlife, and coastline flooding. 

I wish.




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