Global Warming Now National Security Threat

[rufus]

It was just a matter of time before it came down to this.

<broken link removed>

Climate and environmental change are emerging as national security threats that weigh heavily in the Pentagon’s new strategy, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta told an environmental group last night.

“The area of climate change has a dramatic impact on national security,” Panetta said here at a reception hosted by the Environmental Defense Fund to honor the Defense Department in advancing clean energy initiatives. “Rising sea levels, severe droughts, the melting of the polar caps, the more frequent and devastating natural disasters all raise demand for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief,” Panetta said.

Panetta cited the melting of Arctic ice in renewing a longstanding call for the Senate to ratify the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea. More than 150 nations have accepted the treaty, which has been in force since the early 1990s, and a succession of U.S. government administrations have urged ratification.

Among other things, the convention would guarantee various aspects of passage and overflight for the U.S. military. Panetta urged his audience to use their influence to push for treaty ratification. “We are the only industrialized nation that has not approved that treaty,” he said.

The secretary also said he has great concern about energy-related threats to homeland security that are not driven by climate change.

“I have a deep interest in working to try to ensure from a security perspective that we take measures that will help facilitate and maintain power in the event of an interruption of the commercial grid that could be caused, for example, by a cyber attack which is a reality that we have to confront,” he said.

Budget considerations compound the issue, the secretary said. The Defense Department spent about $15 billion on fuel for military operations last year. In Afghanistan alone, the Pentagon uses more than 50 million gallons of fuel each month on average. Combined with rising gas prices, this creates new budget issues for the department, Panetta said.

“We now face a budget shortfall exceeding $3 billion because of higher-than-expected fuel costs this year,” he told the audience.

A bit over-reaching, no?

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[jimwsea]

Has the 2.3 trillion that Rumsfeld said was unaccounted for in 2001 been found?
9/10/2001: Rumsfeld says $2.3 TRILLION Missing from Pentagon - YouTube

 

[Hardwood floor guy]

everything seems to be a threat to national security these days.
sounds like the goverment is paranoid schizophriniac???

or is there money to be made off climate control???...no couldn't be that.

 

[sadiesassy]

I do not think he got the most recent memo where the original guys that declared Global Warming morphing to Climate Change ( WHich it does naturally) , Thye said their models were questionable. They do not believe in the extreme conditins.

 

[swoop]

If Panetta is so worried about fuel costs to the government, maybe he should lead by example and move closer to work. While he's at it he could ask his boss why he's using Air force 1 as a campaign taxi ever day of the week.

 

[Jamie6.5]

Articles: Global Warming Melts Away

 

[Gunner3456]

Homes cause 100% of all deaths. This is easy to prove since 100% of all people who died had lived in a home within the past ten years.

 

[aslinged]

Panetta is the same guy who said last month that its the UN that determines whether or not US forces go to war right?

(Google that one.)

 

[Rascals]

Funny, I thought all the people who are lossing there jobs and security would be more important. But I guess not.

 

[salmonriverjohn]

Articles: Global Warming Melts Away

A good read, thanks. I forwarded the link to a global warming alarmist co-worker that wears it like a crown, this should be interesting tomorrow morning.

 

[longcolt]

Again, my personal opinion, I think this current administration is the bigger thereat to our freedom and security.

 

[Bigfoot]

Again, my personal opinion, I think this current administration is the bigger thereat to our freedom and security.

They aren't exclusive. They were counting on Cap and Trade to raise the cost of carbon energy but that failed so they are doing it through EPA regulations and other roadblocks instead. Then they insult us by saying they have an "All of the Above Strategy for Energy".

Try building a coal power plant.
Existing coal plants shutting down.

Gulf oil drilling blocked.
North Slope drilling blocked.
Keystone blocked.

Nuclear Waste Depository shut down.

It hasn't hit us too hard yet because demand is down but if the economy improves it will be more than just gas prices that go up. Having a devalued dollar won't help either.

 

[Jamie6.5]

It hasn't hit us too hard yet because demand is down but if the economy improves it will be more than just gas prices that go up. Having a devalued dollar won't help either.

High energy prices are currently a large stumbling block in the path to economic recovery. As long as prices are kept up, and rising, the only "capitalists" that will succeed are the high end. The elite.

Despite what we're told, by the people that claim to support the middle class, this is "by design."

The whole idea is to get the proles to accept less by their own endeavors, and encourage them to accept greater government intervention "on their behalf."

"Less is more."

 

[JimmyS1985]

They aren't exclusive. They were counting on Cap and Trade to raise the cost of carbon energy but that failed so they are doing it through EPA regulations and other roadblocks instead. Then they insult us by saying they have an "All of the Above Strategy for Energy".

Try building a coal power plant.
Existing coal plants shutting down.

Gulf oil drilling blocked.
North Slope drilling blocked.
Keystone blocked.

Nuclear Waste Depository shut down.

It hasn't hit us too hard yet because demand is down but if the economy improves it will be more than just gas prices that go up. Having a devalued dollar won't help either.

FactCheck.org : Is Obama to Blame for $4 Gasoline?

Factcheck.org disputes your assessment. Obama blocked the Keystone Pipeline temporarily so an environmental assessment can be done. The Gulf oil spill bubblegumed up the Gulf pretty hard, now the sea life in that area of the country are missing eyes and have lesions as the entire bottom of the Gulf around Louisiana is coated in atleast 2" of crude oil tar. I don't know about you, but I've always loved seafood. Lack of Government oversight and regulation is in part to blame for the large oil spill, and the Republican congress has blocked any effort to impose new safety regulations on oil rigs, let alone the XL Pipeline to prevent spills. Clean up technology for oil spills is the same now as it was 30-40 years ago, so while the Oil companies rake in profits, some of which come from subsidies paid for by the US tax payer, they do nothing about how to clean up their oil when it spills.

Oil production is up in this country than it was 5 years ago according to factcheck.org. Also Obama has done a lot to increase the fuel mileage of our cars. We only have 5% of the worlds population, but we consume (check me on this) between 20% and 25% of the worlds daily oil production. Producing more is not going to be nearly as effective as finding and getting rid of things that are wasteful of crude oil in this country. A high speed rail system would do wonders for reducing oil consumption in this country, while providing infrastructure jobs and transportation that moves at a speed thats competitive with air travel over medium distances.

Reminds me of Allen West complaining about gas prices and blaming Obama when he drives a 10mpg H2 Hummer. "Gee why does it cost $120 to fill my tank? I guess I'd rather blame the president than own a much more fuel efficient car!"

 

[Gunner3456]

FactCheck.org : Is Obama to Blame for $4 Gasoline?

Factcheck.org disputes your assessment. Obama blocked the Keystone Pipeline temporarily so an environmental assessment can be done. The Gulf oil spill bubblegumed up the Gulf pretty hard, now the sea life in that area of the country are missing eyes and have lesions as the entire bottom of the Gulf around Louisiana is coated in atleast 2" of crude oil tar. I don't know about you, but I've always loved seafood. Lack of Government oversight and regulation is in part to blame for the large oil spill, and the Republican congress has blocked any effort to impose new safety regulations on oil rigs, let alone the XL Pipeline to prevent spills. Clean up technology for oil spills is the same now as it was 30-40 years ago, so while the Oil companies rake in profits, some of which come from subsidies paid for by the US tax payer, they do nothing about how to clean up their oil when it spills.

Oil production is up in this country than it was 5 years ago according to factcheck.org. Also Obama has done a lot to increase the fuel mileage of our cars. We only have 5% of the worlds population, but we consume (check me on this) between 20% and 25% of the worlds daily oil production. Producing more is not going to be nearly as effective as finding and getting rid of things that are wasteful of crude oil in this country. A high speed rail system would do wonders for reducing oil consumption in this country, while providing infrastructure jobs and transportation that moves at a speed thats competitive with air travel over medium distances.

Reminds me of Allen West complaining about gas prices and blaming Obama when he drives a 10mpg H2 Hummer. "Gee why does it cost $120 to fill my tank? I guess I'd rather blame the president than own a much more fuel efficient car!"

Bubblegum from a liberal "fact" web site. The increased oil production we have is on private land and was started during the Bush administration. (No, I'm not a Bush fan, it just the facts.) The Obama administration has shot down every attempt for us to produce more oil including shutting down the Gulf. One spill doesn't mean we can't do it better next time. While we shut down, other countries including China are drilling in the gulf. That's plain stupid.

The US has more untapped oil than all of the rest of the nations combined. We have Alaska, the shelves along the Rocky Mountains, the Gulf, and the Atlantic and Pacific. We somehow are stupid enough to allow ourselves to be beholding to countries which hate us, and where war might break out and cut off our oil supply.

When our oil reserves are listed, they lie. They include only drilled and used wells. They don't include things we know about such as Anwar.

To refuse a big oil supply from Canada is a disgrace to national security. The plans will work just fine. The government can drag its feet as long as it wants.

YOU spend more government money which we DON'T HAVE on mass transit. YOU get on Obama's train LIKE A SHEEP and ride coast to coast. The government can NEVER run anything without a big loss to the taxpayers. See Amtrak and the Post Office.

YOU become part of the sheep who bankrupt us building more government projects which restrict your freedom while that same government restricts your ability to move. They'll either restrict it with high gas prices or by putting you on a train.

The US is bankrupt. The first and best thing we could do about that is to create untold thousands of jobs and keep almost a $trillion of our money at home by stopping sending oil money and jobs to countries which hate us.

 

[rufus]

Anyone coming to the defense of the Obama regime's energy policy should seek shock treatment to complement the lobotomy. Unless, of course, you hate America and what it stands for.

 

[Jamie6.5]

The price of oil/gasoline is just the tip of the iceberg.
If you were considering an investment in a new business, would you do it in times of uncertain energy or transportation prices? After all, it's kind of hard to write a business plan (which MUST be submitted when applying for a start-up loan) when so many questions arise with concern to overhead.

The new EPA rules have essentially prevented any more coal fired powerplants, and will make re-licensing impossible for most existing ones.
New EPA rules and proposals are stifling natural gas exploration and production by placing unwarranted restrictions on fracking methods. NG prices are currently at record low levels. If one was really advocating an "all of the above" strategy for energy, with a plan for recovery, we would be "all in" for conversion to Natural Gas, for as many venues as possible.

Nuclear energy has made some strides, but with plans for spent fuel storage/disposal abandoned, there is little chance it willl ever be expanded significantly.

During the campaign, obama stated explicitly that energy prices would "necessarily skyrocket" under his plan.
Energy Secretary Chu believes in price increases to curb the use of fossil fuels. Currently the NG industry is a thorn in his side, so he has turned to the EPA for assistance in raising NG prices, just like he did with coal.

These plans/statements offer no other alternative, other than to stifle business and economic investment for the reasons I stated above. Green energy isn't viable in a market driven economy. If it/they were, we would be up to our ears in windmills and solar panels. Instead, we as taxpayers have been pumping $Billion$ into subsidies for them.
$Billion$ that we don't have, and unless we make more jobs, will never have due to lack of revenue.
Despite what some would have you believe, putting just half of our uncounted unemployed workforce back to work would provide significant revenue without raising ANYONE'S taxes!

Uncertainty and lack of stability in markets that provide energy, labor, and transportation are HUGE obstacles in business and economic development.
And this admin has proven it's ability to create them faster than the the Dept. of labor can create artificial job numbers.

Quite a feat.

 

[rufus]

The price of oil/gasoline is just the tip of the iceberg.
If you were considering an investment in a new business, would you do it in times of uncertain electricity prices? After all, it's kind of hard to write a business plan (which MUST be submitted when applying for a start-up loan) when so many questions arise with concern to overhead.

The new EPA rules have essentially prevented any more coal fired powerplants, and will make re-licensing impossible for most existing ones.
New EPA rules and proposals are stifling natural gas exploration and production by placing unwarranted restrictions on fracking methods. NG prices are currently at record low levels. If one was really advocating an "all of the above" strategy for energy, with a plan for recovery, we would be "all in" for conversion to Natural Gas, for as many venues as possible.

Nuclear energy has made some strides, but with plans for spent fuel storage/disposal abandoned, there is little chance it willl ever be expanded significantly.

During the campaign, obama stated explicitly that energy prices would "necessarily skyrocket" under his plan.
Energy Secretary Chu believes in price increases to curb the use of fossil fuels. Currently the NG industry is a thorn in his side.

These plans/statements offer no other alternative, other than to stifle business and economic investment for the reasons I stated above. Green energy isn't viable in a market driven economy. If it/they were, we would be up to our ears in windmills and solar panels. Instead, we as taxpayers have been pumping $Billion$ into subsidies for them.
$Billion$ that we don't have, and unless we make more jobs, will never have due to lack of revenue.
Despite what some would have you believe, putting just half of our uncounted unemployed workforce back to work would provide significant revenue without raising ANYONE'S taxes!

Uncertainty and lack of stability in markets that provide energy, labor, and transportation are HUGE obstacles in business and economic development.
And this admin has proven it's ability to create them faster than the the Dept. of labor can create artificial job numbers.

Quite a feat.

Why you, you, you Capitalist! How dare you understand economics.

 

[Jamie6.5]

Why you, you, you Capitalist!

Guilty as charged!

 

[drew]

Maybe Panetta can declare dihydrogen monoxide a security threat too. It does kill people.

I think we should have a trial ban in Washington D.C. to see how well it works.