Climate change poses security risks, according to decades of intelligence reports

A series of authoritative governmental and nongovernmental analyses over more than three decades lays a strong foundation for concern over climate change implications for national security.

Intelligence officials for three decades have
warned of security risks from climate change. 

Most recently, the national intelligence community – including the Central Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other federal agencies – in January 2019 submitted the annual “Worldwide Threat Assessment.” In it, the intelligence agencies stated that “climate change is an urgent and growing threat to our national security, contributing to increased natural disasters, refugee flows, and conflicts over basic resources such as food and water. These impacts are already occurring, and the scope, scale, and intensity of these impacts are projected to increase over time.”

That report from National Intelligence Director Daniel R. Coats, a former U.S. Republican senator from Indiana, was just the most recent in a long string of analyses that any upcoming challenges to such conclusions will have to address. Those conclusions clearly are at odds with the Trump administration’s efforts to undermine and reverse federal climate policies, and they cast doubt on the President’s next day tweet that “Perhaps Intelligence should go back to school!”

Read the story from Yale Climate Connections by Dana Nuccitelli - “Climate change poses security risks, according to decades of intelligence reports.”

NDIS money grab for drought relief 'frightening', say people living with disabilities

Melissa Leaver says she
 is worried about the future
 of NDIS funding for her
 son, Luca, who is living
with autism.

Australians living with disabilities have expressed fear and concern at Prime Minister Scott Morrison's plan to "repurpose" billions of dollars meant for the NDIS to pay for drought relief.

The re-channelling of the $3.9 billion of NDIS funding was revealed when Mr Morrison announced a $5 billion Drought Future Fund at a summit this week, aimed at trying to drought-proof the farming sector.

Large parts of eastern Australia, including Victoria, are battling through extended dry periods as summer looms.

Disability advocates say the disappearance of the $3.9 billion is a blow to the sector’s confidence in the effectiveness of the scheme into the future.

Read the story from The Age by Anthony Colangelo - “NDIS money grab for drought relief 'frightening', say people living with disabilities.”

New analysis shows that NEG is worse than doing nothing

New modelling by energy market analysts RepuTex has added to the deepening concern about the proposed National Energy Guarantee, suggesting it is calibrated to achieve an outcome that is worse than doing nothing.

The RepuTex analysis builds on concerns that the modelling used to underpin support for the NEG made a complete hash of estimating what would happen if no policy was in place.

It finds that the “do nothing” scenario still results in a 29 per cent cut in emissions by 2030 – more than the 19 per cent assumed by the Energy Security Board and more than the 26 per cent targeted under the NEG.

That means that the NEG would provide no incentive for any new investment in renewable energy.

Read the story by Giles Parkinson from RenewEconomy - “New analysis shows that NEG is worse than doing nothing.”

Medibank to dump holdings in fossil fuels over climate change health fears

Medibank, one of Australia's biggest health insurers, has announced it will dump its holdings in fossil fuel companies amid concern over the health effects of climate change.

Medibank chairwoman Elizabeth Alexander. 

In a statement to the Australian Stock Exchange on Monday morning, Medibank said it would transition to low-carbon investments in its international portfolio within the next year, to reflect the global transition to clean energy.

"We are also committed to exploring a similar approach with our domestic equity portfolio, and so we will be actively encouraging fund managers to develop a suitable product for us that is socially responsible, cost-effective and delivers a sustainable investment return," the statement said.

The announcement by chairwoman Elizabeth Alexander preceded the company's annual general meeting in Melbourne on Monday.

Read Nicole Hasham’s story in today’s Melbourne Age - “Medibank to dump holdings in fossil fuels over climate change health fears.”

Social concerns will imprint climate change urgency

Social concerns are what will imprint the urgency of attending to climate change on the minds of most.

And that urgency is happening in California.

A drought of unprecedented proportions for the U.S. state is now among residents’ biggest concerns.

The Huffington Post reports that 29 per cent of people are most concerned about their jobs, while twenty-six per cent of residents named water and drought as the most important issue facing Californians.

In the story headed: “For Californians, The Drought Is Almost As Big Of A Concern As Their Jobs” the post reported the residents wanted more action on drought preparedness and water security.

Solutions to climate change are fundamentally social and behavioural although practicalities such as a wider and deeper understanding of water will play an equally important role.