The Pentagon said on Monday that climate change could now affect our national security, according to the New York Times. The Pentagon isn't saying this because of the forests we destroy, the rivers we dry up or the ecosystems that are being demolished, its making the point that terrorism, infectious diseases (like Ebola) and global poverty are now at risk. Since melting glaciers, rising sea levels and water shortages are at large, the U.S. military will plan better strategic thinking in high-risk regions. Places like the Middle East and Africa could face such big water and food shortages that unrest may start to make its way to the U.S. This includes mass migration, the spread of illnesses and many extremist groups, mainly ISIS, will now be larger and more influential since they control the water supply for most of the regions they inhabit. Climate change has become such a large proponent of many global problems that nations can no longer ignore its affects. World leaders from the United Nations will be meeting in Peru in December to discuss massive emission cuts that would help contribute to less pollution and CO2 emissions in general. The planned meeting will focus on climate change and creating a treaty, for the first time, in the name of protecting both the environment and our national security and interests.
On another note, our glaciers have been rapidly declining in size due to global warming and climate change. On May 28, 2008, Adam LeWinter and Director Jeff Orlowski filmed the llulissat Glacier in Western Greenland breaking apart and falling. The video below depicts a part of the 75 minute event in which the glacier retreated a full mile across a calving face three miles wide. The full documentary won the award for Excellence in Cinematography and this particular clip went viral on Youtube just a couple weeks ago after being uploaded for nearly two full years. The incredible clip is credited to "Exposure Labs" on YouTube and the documentary "CHASING ICE" has won over 30 awards worldwide.
On another note, our glaciers have been rapidly declining in size due to global warming and climate change. On May 28, 2008, Adam LeWinter and Director Jeff Orlowski filmed the llulissat Glacier in Western Greenland breaking apart and falling. The video below depicts a part of the 75 minute event in which the glacier retreated a full mile across a calving face three miles wide. The full documentary won the award for Excellence in Cinematography and this particular clip went viral on Youtube just a couple weeks ago after being uploaded for nearly two full years. The incredible clip is credited to "Exposure Labs" on YouTube and the documentary "CHASING ICE" has won over 30 awards worldwide.
One must think, though, that such massive destruction of our glaciers has to be caused by the industrial revolution. At the end of the video, the speaker explains that it took 100 years for the glacier to retreat eight miles from 1902 to 2001, but in the following 10 years, it retreated another nine miles. That means this glacier was destroyed faster in 10 years than it was in the previous 100 years. Shouldn't that ring a bell in our heads that maybe what we're doing and how we're using our resources is just too much of a strain on the glaciers of our planet? We have become a race that is so ignorant of our natural resources that the Earth will not be able to support our lifestyles too much longer. The only positive aspect of this happening is that it has finally gained the attention of those in power and legitimate changes may come forth from the meeting that will be held in Peru in December. It is not hard to do your small part by using less CO2 every day and acknowledging the fragile state in which our planet has entered. Simply passing along this video and information may have that "click" in someone's head and have them realize that their part does in fact make a difference in this massive world we live in.