Climate Change Is a National Security Threat

Here’s how I would teach Donald Trump that climate change is not a hoax.What if we convinced our governments that climate change is a national security threat?That’s what MI5 and MI6 told the UK government in a report released in January.It tells us that “ecosystem degradation is occurring across all regions. Every critical ecosystem is on a pathway to collapse.” This presents a threat to “UK national security and prosperity.” It says “the world is already experiencing impacts including crop failures, intensified natural disasters and infectious disease outbreaks. Threats will increase with degradation and intensify with collapse.” The results will include geopolitical and economic instability, increased conflict and competition for resources. “It is unlikely the UK would be able to maintain food security if ecosystem collapse drives geopolitical competition for food.” It also warns that “conflict and military escalation will become more likely, both within and between states, as groups compete for arable land and food and water resources.”We can see it happening right now. In the Greater Horn of Africa, humanitarian analysts warned this July that failed rains, a looming super El Niño, soaring food prices, and armed conflict are converging into a famine risk stretching into 2027. Livestock are dying, livelihoods are collapsing, and millions face displacement. This is exactly the cascade the UK report describes. Ecological stress is becoming a security crisis.We have also seen the devastating forest fires in Canada and around the world.This isn’t a report by some tree hugging environmentalist. It was written by the UK’s intelligence agencies, and they are warning the government that we are headed towards ecosystem collapse. They argue it is a more dangerous threat to the country and society than terrorism.So when Mark Carney says emissions will rise, I think that is an admission that he is not doing his job, which is to protect the country from national security threats.I’ll put a link to the report in my Substack bio so you can read it and send it to Mark Carney or whoever your president or prime minister is. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit quietcanines.substack.com/subscribe