Despite all evidence to the contrary, a Washington D.C.-based climate group released a statement saying extreme weather from #Climate Change was posing a significant risk to the United States and we’re running out of time. The Center for Climate and Security (CCS) said the U.S. military and national security officials are under an extreme weather threat, which will expose our military to climate risks.
The climate group wants the next U.S. president to create a cabinet-level position specifically for climate change. Regrettably, this is not a satire from The Onion. In a supplemental report, they argue that global warming is already posing a threat to military bases along the coast. They note that sea level rise, storm surges, and operational readiness are all at risk and dramatic #Policy changes need to be implemented.
No ‘proliferation of disasters’
But based on the actual data available, there hasn’t been an increase in extreme weather or risks to military bases. Coastlines have actually gained more land than lost. According to Dr. Roger Pielke Jr., a climatologist in the Environmental Studies at the University of Colorado, linking global warming to extreme weather simply doesn’t comport with the facts.
He notes that flood disasters are sharply down, despite the heavy rainfall that caused the recent Louisiana floods. Pielke also rebuked NY Times economist Paul Krugman, who blamed the floods on climate change, and tweeted a graph that any grade schooler could understand:
Howz Krugman get away w/this?
“a proliferation of disasters like the one in Louisiana” https://t.co/KrXXiDibkG
Data: pic.twitter.com/1n1bhinf9g— Roger Pielke Jr. (@RogerPielkeJr) August 22, 2016