The Politics of Security and the Environment
Let’s name some political stereotypes. Conservatives: tough on crime, strong on security, pro-business, and the environment is an afterthought. Liberals: weak on crime, wishy-washy when it comes to national security, anti-business and strong when it comes to the environment, social welfare and social safety nets and development.
I want to ask a question though. Whoever said that the environment doesn’t involve security? And here I’m talking about real politick, those issues that involve honest to gosh boots on the ground. Environmental scarcity or environmental disasters are quite capable of involving national security issues. Egypt and Sudan have both independently used the threat of war in order to ensure access to the Nile and its waters. That seems to me to be a national security issue. When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, some of the first responders to this natural disaster were the National Guard. This self-same group of reservists are also getting deployed to Iraq. When the armed forces is called out en masse in reaction to a situation, I would humbly propose that it has therefore become an issue relevant to national security. When extreme weather is able to disrupt communications, and is able to degrade infrastructure and social cohesion, that sounds like a national security issue.
Another example if I may. There is a very particular reason that there is an American National Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and that is to ensure that America’s energy dependence on petroleum is not held immediately hostage by hostile countries or their actions. Energy security is a vital facet of national security.
Energy security is also closely tied to energy consumption. The more energy that is consumed, the more a nation is dependent on an energy supply, which means the more important for national security it is to protect that energy supply. It’s been demonstrated that energy dependence and climate change are inter-related. Energy consumption levels can have a direct impact on greenhouse gas emissions (as in many jurisdictions at least part of the energy supply mix is based upon fossil fuels). Additionally, from the other side, changes in normal climactic events also have an impact on energy demand. As discussed above, the greater the energy demand, the more energy insecure a nation.
Environmental scarcities and natural disasters are issues of national security. It’s time that our leaders begin to understand that the environment is not just a “tree-hugger” issue, but also one that should concern even the most right-wing of conservatives.
For other posts on Security and the Environment:
- Putin, Russia and the North
- Georgian Situation Continues the Quest for The Prize of Oil, Money and Power
- Northwest Passage; Myth or Reality?
Photo Credit: Soldiermediacenter via Flickr Commons
I could not agree more. Though I have been concerned about the environment my whole life, one of my primary motivations for working so hard to share my understanding of nuclear power is because of the security implications of a world where energy is scarce.
it is easier to see the correlations when one remembers that energy per unit time in whatever units of each you want to use (say, barrels of oil per day) is mathematically equal to a unit of POWER.
A person or a nation that is consuming a lot of energy is using power to perform actions that would not be possible without using that power. Sure, it is possible to drive a smaller car with a less powerful engine and still move from place to place, but the person in a small car has less POWER at his disposal than the person in a large SUV. For some people, that feeling of sitting higher and being surrounded by a more secure (at least in perception) environment is worth the cost that they have to pay for the power.
National power also require steady and rapid energy expenditures, whether it is to move lots of good around or to move tanks, airplanes and ships into position for weapons delivery - if needed.
Of course the environment plays a role - many power systems can be choked in the wrong environmental conditions. The most important power system of all, the human body, is particularly vulnerable to losing its water supply.
Good post - thought inspiring.