SUMMER PROJECT: Here's a great topic for AP World History students, but AP Government students might want to tune in to it as a foreign policy issue. The new National Intelligence Assessment that was recently delivered to Congress draws a link between climate change and U.S. national security which could be endangered, according to the study. Instead of an article to read, the link below will take you to a segment that recently aired on National Public Radio to which you can listen:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91819098
After listening, consider responding to the following questions:
According to the National Intelligence Assessment, how might climate change threaten our national security?
Can you think of any other times, circumstances or places in history when climate changes caused major problems for human societies and forced them to make significant changes in their lives in order to survive? If so, describe them.
Do you think the National Intelligence Assessment is a realistic portrayal of what may happen in the future? Assuming it is, what would it take to prevent it from occuring?
7 comments:
Bonjour, Mrs. Stotler! I have some examples of where climate change has changed the way people live. Nomads traveled around, pitching camp wherever they felt nessacary. They had to worry about the climate often, and if the weather became colder there, they would have to move on, warmer, they would either move on or stay, depending on how warm it was. It would also disrupt the growing patterns of some vegitation, causing that certain species of plant to become exinct because the climate is not healthy for the plant to grow in.That could cause loss of trade and food for the family growing that plant, or a certain type of bug that eats the plant that also eats other bugs that are bothersome to the community. But it isn't like people can control the weather successfully.
~H. Baker
Other times in history where human societies were forced to adapt to significant climate change in order to survive would certainly include the ice age, times of great flooding, and other large climate events. Smaller human societies or groups have been affected by smaller climate events such as valcanic eruptions, large storms, tsunamis, etc.
The NIA could be somewhat realistic. Crop shortages, fresh water shortages, and rising sea levels could all happen at least to some degree. World leaders should use the NIA as a tool for making decisions. We should all work to reduce the threat of global climate change.
-Korinne Cowles
Hello Mrs. Stotler!
My research on human behavior for my science fair project suggested that hot/humid weather induced violent behavior in humans. This could be catastophic in an area that is already in turmoil such as the Middle East and China.
I feel that we are already are experiencing effects of climate changes. Even in our area the seasons are lasting longer, ex. we are wearing shorts till November. We seem to be having a shortage of rainfall in July and August while we are flooding during the spring.
As Heather and Korinne already stated natural disasters such as tsunamis, volcanic erruptions, etc. can have a temporary effect on local climate, these give us a glimpse of what it could be on a greater scale.
Some claims in the report may be exaggerated but since we are already seeing some of the effects I think we need to take this report seriously and try to slow down or stop the effects of global warming.
~Dylan Beddow
Climate change could affect national security in many ways. Some are the fact that certain crops wouldn't grow. This could lead to the failure of states and the emergence of extremists of all kinds. These extremists could take out their anger on the U.S. this could lead to the formation of more terror groups. As Korinne said, people have had to adapt to weather throughout the years whether the ice age or adapting to living in a desert. The report seems to be a little extreme and is mostly showing the worst case scenario, but if the climate keeps on changing at the rate it is this could be a possibility. We need to start cutting back on greenhouse gases now to keep this from happening in the future. Other things such as better fuel economy in our cars would help the situation too
~J.Close
Climate Change is such a big issue not only with our country but includes the whole world! As a hole we rely on other contries for nesseties we don't have and by reducing those nesseties we all suffer the consequenses. Also major climatic events will disrupt our way of life enormously , if not permanatly as the earth's core tempeture rises in degrees. I agree with korinne and dylan that if we don't act soon the cosequences of climate change could be catastrophic.
Significant changes in climate can lead to loss of crops, great migrations, and violence. Some examples of climate changes in history that casued these affects are the ice age, and the big drought that occured in Nigeria around 2004. Not a single drop of reain fell in Nigerai for years and many people starved due to lack of crops and loss of animals. Climate change is a big deal and should be taken seriously. it has happened many times before and it will happen again. Although not all climate change is due to human faulty, i do believe that we contribute. If scientists say we couild avoid an oncoming climate change by making some changes of our own i feel we should listen to them. In order to change what will inevetably happen knnowledge and understanding must be spread around and we must take the advice of scientists and stop poluting the air or whatever it is that is causing these climate changes.
~Mercedes Stivenson
I think America might be better off than a lot of other countries, especially ones that have oil fields. America would eventually turn to weapons to hold off oil-hungry countries from OUR source of oil. Starvation, war, death, dehydration, more rapidly spreading diseases; all of these will probably be results an REAL problems FOR AMERICA. It seems like this is the type of stuff you hear about when you read something about third-world countries, but when you think about it, we all may become thrid-world countries soon. Ultimately, I don't think there is a a 100% way to prevent this, but for starters- finding a new RENEWABLE fuel source. Such as Hydro-enrgy cars, or fully elctronic cars. All these ignorant people drive around in their SUVs- not willing to give it up, but when the oil supplies is like this and people are DIEING over oil fields, why not drive a fuel-efficent car? The smart car gets 50 miles to the gallon, a Hummer gets 10. When more people are dead and gas cost 15-20$ per gallon, maybe their learn. Second way to prevent it (or try to) is creating more efficent hydrating systems for plants, make hybrids of plants to make them more adaptable to the rising climate, and to find cheaper ways of changing salt water to fresh water AKA desalination. Those are just a few short-term solutions!
:)
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