Sanders doubles down: ‘Climate change is directly related to the rise of global terrorism’
By Nick Gass
11/14/2015 09:23 PM EDT
Bernie Sanders stood by his remark from the last Democratic debate in which he called climate change the greatest threat to national security, a day after the deadliest attack on French soil since the end of World War II.
“Absolutely. In fact, climate change is directly related to the rise of global terrorism,” he said. “This is what the CIA says,” he went on to say, noting a struggle for limited resources like water and land.
During the October debate, Sanders explained it in a different context.
“The scientific community is telling us if we do not address the global crisis of climate change, transform our energy system away from fossil fuel to sustainable energy, the planet that we’re going to be leaving our kids and our grandchildren may well not be habitable,” he said.
Martin O’Malley has voiced similar concerns about climate change being the underlying cause of unrest in the region.
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…22 TIMES OBAMA ADMIN DECLARED CLIMATE CHANGE A GREATER THREAT THAN TERRORISM
ISIS has taken responsibility for the horrifying attacks in Paris that have left more than 150 dead and hundreds wounded. French President Francois Hollande is calling for the closure of his country’s borders. President Barack Obama didn’t condemn Islamic radicals for the attacks, but he did call them “an outrageous attempt to terrorize innocent civilians” and “an attack on all of humanity and the universal values we share.”
Friday’s deadly attacks thwarted Al Gore’s long-planned Paris webcast and star-studded concert to promote climate change awareness.
“Out of solidarity with the French people and the City of Paris, we have decided to suspend our broadcast of 24 Hours of Reality and Live Earth,” the group said in an online statement.
Coincidentally, in July 2008, Al Gore called climate change a more dangerous threat than terrorism. “I think that the climate crisis is, by far, the most serious threat we have ever faced,” Gore told ABC News.
Below are 23 times Obama or his administration officials claimed climate change a greater threat than radical Islamic terrorism.
In a January 15, 2008 presidential campaign speech on Iraq and Afghanistan, Barack Obama said the “immediate danger” of oil-backed terrorism “is eclipsed only by the long-term threat from climate change, which will lead to devastating weather patterns, terrible storms, drought, and famine. That means people competing for food and water in the next fifty years in the very places that have known horrific violence in the last fifty: Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. Most disastrously, that could mean destructive storms on our shores, and the disappearance of our coastline.”
On January 26, 2009, Obama delivered remarks at the White House on the “dangers” of climate change:
These urgent dangers to our national and economic security are compounded by the long-term threat of climate change, which, if left unchecked, could result in violent conflict, terrible storms, shrinking coastlines, and irreversible catastrophe.
In May 2010, the Obama White House released it’s national security strategy, which said, “At home and abroad, we are taking concerted action to confront the dangers posed by climate change and to strengthen our energy security.” The document declared climate change “an urgent and growing threat to our national security.”…
Climate activists suggest Paris Terror attack linked to ISIS-OPEC attempt to kill UN climate treaty & raise oil prices
Climate activists are suggesting a conspiratorial plot in the aftermath of the Paris terror attack.
“Could the attacks and [the UN climate summit] COP21 possibly be related?,” asked Oliver Tickell, who edits The Ecologist, in an article on November 14.
Tickell’s article asked: “Is it a coincidence that the terrorist outrage in Paris was committed weeks before [the UN’s] COP21, the biggest climate conference since 2009? Perhaps. But failure to reach a strong climate agreement now looks more probable. And that’s an outcome that would suit ISIS – which makes $500m a year from oil sales – together with other oil producers.”
Tickell asked “ISIS Inc defending its corporate interests?”
“To answer that question we should first ask, what do the attacks mean for COP21?” he continued.
“So, assuming – as seems probable at this stage – that the Paris outrage was carried out by or for ISIS, was it in any way motivated by a desire to scupper a strong climate agreement at COP21? And so maintain high demand for oil long into the future, together with a high oil price? Let’s just say that it could have been a factor, one of several, in the choice of target and of their timing.”
Tickell seems to allege that the Paris Attacks were committed by some coalition of ISIS & OPEC to derail the UN climate treaty and raise oil prices.
“And of course ISIS was not necessarily acting entirely on its own. While not alleging direct collusion between ISIS and other oil producing nations and companies, it’s not hard to see a coincidence of interests,” Tickell wrote.
Reaction from climate skeptics was swift.
“Looney green tunes at @the_ecologist. A real OMG moment here folks. Completely and utterly bonkers,” wrote Andrew Montford at the blog Bishop Hill.
Montford ridiculed Tickell’s notion “that the Paris terrorist attacks were intended to disrupt the COP21 climate talks, driving up oil prices and putting petrodollars in the pockets of ISIS. Oh yes, and western oil interests were probably in on it too.”
Montford said of Tickell’s assertions, “Blimey, he’s so bonkers.”
Tickell laments terror attacks’ impact on UN climate summit
Tickell lamented that tighter security would detract from the upcoming UN climate summit. “Undoubtedly France already had a high level of security planned for Le Bourget. But now, whatever those plans are, they will be redoubled. Expect a ring of steel and …
Will anyone now seriously claim Climate Change is the most urgent ‘national security threat’?
France Says It’s ‘Essential’ To Fight Global Warming In Wake Of Paris Terror Attacks
France’s foreign minister says the summit is “essential” to fighting global warming.
.@LaurentFabius says #COP21 is essential to combat #climatechange and that it will take place despite #ParisAttacks https://t.co/mHTZR3hQe8
— UN Climate Action (@UNFCCC) November 14, 2015
Despite the deadly attacks carried out by terrorists linked to the Islamic State, the U.N. has no plans to cancel the summit. U.N. and French officials likely see the summit as too important to cancel even in the wake of these shocking attacks. (RELATED: French Authorities Secure Concert Hall: 12 Freed, 118 Dead)
Brian Williams Asks About How Paris Attacks Will Affect Climate Summit Messaging
UN climate conference to go ahead despite terror attacks – Obama confirms attendance
US President Barack Obama still plans to participate in a UN climate conference near Paris in two weeks, despite attacks that killed 128 people in the French capital, a US official told AFP Saturday.
Obama is scheduled to attend the talks which begin on November 30 at Le Bourget, on the northern rim of Paris, and aim to secure a deal staving off catastrophic levels of global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions.
At this point, no change is planned in Obama’s attendance, the official said.
Islamic State jihadists have claimed the series of coordinated attacks Friday by gunmen and suicide bombers who killed at least 128 people in scenes of carnage at a concert hall, restaurants and the national stadium.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Saturday the climate conference would go ahead as planned.
“COP21 must be held,” he said, using the conference’s technical name, but he added that security would be increased.…
Paris Massacre Heightens Security Fears For UN Climate Summit
http://www.thegwpf.com/paris-massacre-raises-security-concerns-about-un-climate-summit/
In the 11 months since a trio of gunmen shook the city with that series of shootings, the French government has deployed thousands of soldiers to protect sensitive targets and repeatedly boosted its surveillance powers to protect itself.
But yesterday’s shootings and explosions across Paris illustrate the difficulty authorities in France and elsewhere face in containing a diffuse but deadly terror threat.
They also underscore the security challenge France will face when a global summit on climate change begins at the end of the month. The government this week decided to restore border checks during the summit, the first time it has taken that step in years. Over 100 world leaders are expected to attend the opening of the summit.
see also: Paris Bloodshed Elevates Terrorism Fight to Top of G-20 Agenda
The attacks in Paris that killed at least 120 people in Europe’s worst terrorist bloodshed for more than a decade will elevate the challenge of combating militant groups such as Islamic State to the top of the agenda at this weekend’s G-20 summit in Turkey.
The sophistication of the assault — involving bombs, high-powered assault weapons and hostage-taking across different venues — will broaden the planned discussion on terrorism at the meeting, according to Nick O’Brien, associate professor for counter terrorism at Charles Sturt University in Canberra.
“After an attack like this I wouldn’t expect it to be much about deradicalization,” O’Brien said. “I would expect the focus to be on the tough end of security — how to cooperate, better communicate. If we have someone we suspect in our country, do we tell you and how do we do that?” …
Bolstering Security
One immediate concern is ensuring the safety of delegates at the Turkey summit and a key climate-change conference in Paris that starts late this month.
”There will be a complete review of security” for the G-20 and the Paris climate talks, O’Brien said. ”The people responsible for looking after the safety of leaders will want to know what extra precautions will be taken. The events may be held at completely secure venues. The leaders won’t even see Paris.”
– See more at: http://www.thegwpf.com/paris-massacre-raises-security-concerns-about-un-climate-summit/#sthash.t5Mb4qqF.dpuf…