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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/09/us-military-warned-climate-change
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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| US military warned to prepare for consequences of climate change | US military warned to prepare for consequences of climate change |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| The Pentagon was warned on Friday to stand guard against "climate surprises" which could throw off its efforts to secure America's future. | The Pentagon was warned on Friday to stand guard against "climate surprises" which could throw off its efforts to secure America's future. |
| An expert report, prepared for the intelligence community by the National Academy of Sciences, warns that the security establishment is going to have start planning for natural disasters, sea-level rise, drought, epidemics and the other consequences of climate change. | An expert report, prepared for the intelligence community by the National Academy of Sciences, warns that the security establishment is going to have start planning for natural disasters, sea-level rise, drought, epidemics and the other consequences of climate change. |
| The Pentagon already ranks climate change as a national security threat, putting US troops in danger around the world and adding fuel to existing conflicts. More than 30 US bases are threatened by sea level rise. | The Pentagon already ranks climate change as a national security threat, putting US troops in danger around the world and adding fuel to existing conflicts. More than 30 US bases are threatened by sea level rise. |
| It has also identified potential new danger zones, such as sub-Saharan Africa. | It has also identified potential new danger zones, such as sub-Saharan Africa. |
| The military is also working to cut back on its fuel costs in an age of budget austerity, by installing solar arrays and wind turbines, and monitoring electricity use. | The military is also working to cut back on its fuel costs in an age of budget austerity, by installing solar arrays and wind turbines, and monitoring electricity use. |
| But Friday's report suggests strategic planners are going to have make sweeping adjustments to their planning to take account of climate change over the next decade and beyond. | But Friday's report suggests strategic planners are going to have make sweeping adjustments to their planning to take account of climate change over the next decade and beyond. |
| Current scenarios could be thrown completely askew by "climate surprises", the report said. These could be a single catastrophic event – such as a food price shock – or a cascade of reactions that could ultimately put America at risk. "It makes sense for the intelligence community to apply a scenario approach in thinking about potentially disruptive events," the report said. "It may make sense to consider the security implications of two or three more plausible trends as a way to anticipate risks." | Current scenarios could be thrown completely askew by "climate surprises", the report said. These could be a single catastrophic event – such as a food price shock – or a cascade of reactions that could ultimately put America at risk. "It makes sense for the intelligence community to apply a scenario approach in thinking about potentially disruptive events," the report said. "It may make sense to consider the security implications of two or three more plausible trends as a way to anticipate risks." |
| The study also recommends a crash course for intelligence analysts on the potential threat posed by sea-level rise, drought, food shortages and other consequences of climate change. "It is essential for the intelligence community to understand adaptation and changes in vulnerability to climate events," it said. | The study also recommends a crash course for intelligence analysts on the potential threat posed by sea-level rise, drought, food shortages and other consequences of climate change. "It is essential for the intelligence community to understand adaptation and changes in vulnerability to climate events," it said. |
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