writeaboutwarming

February 24, 2014 – While the American Congress dithers, militaries across the globe are gearing up for the threats presented by climate change.   In England, where this month a 250-year flood washed away train lines, knocked out power lines, and made 5,800 homes unlivable, the armed forces see their role as one of offering relief at home.   Rear Admiral Neil Morisetti, formerly of the Royal Navy, says that military planners are examining how the various branches can be put to their best use elsewhere in the event of future floods, droughts and other natural disasters.   The UK’s long supply chains, which are used to import 40% of its food and over 50% of its fuel, rely on shipping “choke points” which must not be closed off. At NATO Headquarters, Hartmund Behrend, a climate risks expert in Germany’s army, says that “ … health risks, climate change, water security and increasing energy needs will further shape the future security environment in areas of conc...

July 22, 2013 – News stories about the recent heat wave in England may not, at first hearing, sound all that alarming to American ears.   Temperatures in the 80’s and 90’s constitute a very normal part of American summers, particularly in the middle of the country.    Grassfires measured in “football pitches” may cause quizzical looks, and not much more.   The fact remains, however, that nearly 800 people have died because of the ongoing abnormally high temperatures. First of all, anyone living at the latitude of the British Isles is simply not accustomed to hot temperatures.   It is true that the blood of people living in northern climates thickens, while the opposite occurs to people who live in the south.   We can be grateful this is true – it’s a natural defense against becoming too cold or too hot.   When “normal” gets stood on its head – and we are all becoming acquainted with how that feels – what “normally” works, doesn’t. It’s always...