World Politics News   Articles for World Politics Course

The US Department of Defense issued a “roadmap” for how it will address the problem of climate change. [I will not ask any quiz questions from the report–it is too long]  The Pentagon clearly regards the process as a national security threat.  Its introduction to the document reads in part:

Among the future trends that will impact our national security is climate change. Rising global temperatures, changing
precipitation patterns, climbing sea levels, and more extreme weather events will intensify the challenges of global instability,
hunger, poverty, and conflict. They will likely lead to food and water shortages, pandemic disease, disputes over refugees and
resources, and destruction by natural disasters in regions across the globe.

In our defense strategy, we refer to climate change as a “threat multiplier” because it has the potential to exacerbate many of
the challenges we are dealing with today – from infectious disease to terrorism. We are already beginning to see some of these
impacts.

The report indicates that adapting to climate change is no longer a future consideration, but one that requires immediate changes in defense strategy.

The British Parliament has voted by 274 to 12 to ” ‘recognise the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel’ as part of a ‘contribution to securing a negotiated two-state solution’.”  It is a non-binding vote and the British Prime Minister has said that he will not act upon the motion.  But the motion was sponsored by the Labour Party, suggesting that if it were to win the next election, it would change the policy toward Palestinian recognition.  The vote follows the Swedish decision to recognize Palestine (which was an official change) and indicates a change in attitudes toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Europe.

After the Beijing government broke off negotiations with the Hong Kong protesters, the people returned to the streets.  There are rifts developing within the protest movement about the most effective strategy to move forward, but a large number believe that occupying the streets remains the best method.  Unfortunately, there is a counter-protest movement developing, comprised of some people supportive of the Beijing position and frustrated with the protests but also some masked thugs who are resorting to physically attacking the protesters.