This article mentions "Climate Change" seven times but not one use of the term "Global Warming". I have told everyone I know, the term will disappear. Climate change is an easier sell when your up to your armpits in snow in March.
Always easier to sell something when you don't have to explain what it is you're selling.
The risks of climate change have turned from a threat to reality impacting the conflict in Darfur, migration from flood-prone Bangladesh and hopes for stability in the Middle East, according to a new EU report. From Africa to Asia, and from pole to pole, climate change has become "a threat multiplier which exacerbates existing trends, tensions and instability," warns the seven-page report on "Climate change and international security", to be presented to a European summit in Brussels on March 13-14.
Among the listed threats are "reduction of arable land, widespread shortage of water, diminishing food and fish stocks, increased flooding and prolonged droughts."
These problems, according to the report drawn up by the offices of EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana and EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, "are already happening in many parts of the world".
Even a temperature rise of two degrees Celsius by 2050 "will pose serious security risks". Change beyond that level "will lead to unprecedented security scenarios, as it is likely to trigger a number of tipping points that could lead to further, accelerated, irreversible and largely unpredictable climate changes," the report warns. "The core challenge is that climate change threatens to overburden states and regions which are already fragile and conflict prone," it adds, echoing a warning from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in January.
Receding coastlines and the submerging of large areas, including whole island states, means that "more disputes over land and maritime borders and other territorial rights are likely," the report stresses.
Africa is adjudged to be particularly vulnerable. "Already today climate change is having a major impact on the conflict in and around Darfur," it states. Throughout the continent reduced rainfall and increasing temperatures are taking their toll, bringing poor harvests. Given these factors, migration both within Africa and towards Europe "is likely to intensify".
But that's been going on in Africa for thousands of years. Why is this year any different?
The UN predicts there will be millions of "environmental migrants" by 2020 which may in turn "increase conflicts in transit and destination areas," says the report. In the Middle East, "existing tensions over access to water are almost certain to intensify in this region leading to further political instability with detrimental implications for Europe's energy security and other interests". The security and environmental risks are joined and exacerbated by the economic risks, the report says.
It cited estimates that "a business as usual scenario" in dealing with climate change could cost the world economy up to 20 percent of GDP per year, with "the east coasts of China and India as well as the Caribbean region and Central America would be particurly effected."
The report's authors have no miracle cure to put forward. Among its proposals is to build up early warning systems for disasters and intensify research and analysis. The report stresses the importance of multilateral leadership notably among the major G8 nations and UN bodies.
Zimbabwe has issued invitations to more than 40 countries and organizations to observe its national elections, on March 29. But Peta Thornycroft reports for VOA that Western countries, which observed Zimbabwe's elections eight years ago, have not been invited this time. Zimbabwe's foreign minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi has invited countries which he said are allies. Meaning they're like peas in similar pods.
The only European country invited to send observers is Russia. The European Union and the United States, regularly accused by President Robert Mugabe of plotting regime change, have not been invited.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/08/2008 00:00 ||
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The ANC embrasing the Russians as democratic observers? Absolutely shocking. Ian Smith must be chuckling softly in his grave.
RIYADH - Saudi police have foiled an attempt to smuggle 140 kilograms (308 pounds) of hashish from neighbouring Yemen, SPA state news agency reported on Friday. A border patrol in the southwestern region of Najran clashed on Thursday with a group of smugglers after spotting them trying to infiltrate into the kingdom through rough terrain, SPA said.
The smugglers who were trying to cross the borders on foot fired at the patrol before they retreated, leaving behind the narcotics and a number of machine-guns and ammunition, it added.
In October, Saudi authorities announced foiling an attempt to smuggle 1,050 kilograms (2,300 pounds) of hashish through the same area, along the borders with impoverished Yemen.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/08/2008 00:00 ||
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Isn't Hashish an old-timey, traditional sand flea treat from back in the days of Mo himself? Odd they should put the death penalty on importing hash.
The presidents of Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela agreed Friday to resolve their angry recriminations over a cross-border Colombian commando raid, a crisis that has brought troop movements and talk of war.
The uneasy neighbors joined in a declaration noting that Colombian President Alvaro Uribe apologized for the last weekend's attack on a Colombian rebel base in Ecuadorean territory and that he pledged not to violate another nation's sovereignty again.
The declaration signed by presidents of the 20-nation Rio Group also reiterated a commitment to fight threats to national stability posed by "irregular or criminal groups."
Their emergency summit was an hours-long passion play, with finger-jabbing lectures, furious speeches and pleas for goodwill.
The dramatic high point came when the host, Dominican President Leonel Fernandez, urged Uribe to shake hands with his antagonists to show his goodwill. Uribe then marched around the table and shared stiff handshakes with Ecuador's Rafael Correa and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez.
Correa appealed to Uribe to respect their border and never again act unilaterally to send troops into his territory to attack a rebel camp. If such an act is justified, then no border will be safe, Correa said, drawing perhaps the day's loudest applause.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/08/2008 00:00 ||
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Latin American Leaders agree to meet again. Maybe in Aruba next time. And have more of that roast beef too, that was good, and the potatoes with the cheese stuff on them. Only next time, lets go 5 stars, not 4 and lets get the whole floor, not just a block of rooms. And lets get the rates for the escort service settled instead of a case by case negotiation thing like we had here, that really sucks.
Nicaragua broke off diplomatic ties with Colombia on Thursday, widening a Latin American crisis over a raid by Colombia on a rebel camp inside Ecuador last Saturday.
Think the Colombians will notice?
Venezuela and Ecuador have also cut relations with Colombia and sent troops to their frontiers with the US-backed state in reaction to the cross-border raid, which prompted leftist allies in Latin America to line up against Colombia. Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, an ex-guerrilla whose country is in a territorial dispute with Colombia, said he was breaking off relations in solidarity with Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, who was visiting Managua.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/08/2008 00:00 ||
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Ortega? Just another tin-pot socialist looting his country and trying to distract the populace with an external "threat".
#3
Was Nicaragua really holding the country together this whole time? Seems to me like they really didn't lose much in a tangible sense. They don't really need friends like that.
#4
I thought they had settled this thing yesterday. Sounds like Nicarawha is a day late and a peso short again. Also, isn't Panama in between Columbia and Nicarawha? How can they send their troops to the border with Columbia much less have a territorial dispute?
#7
No tinfoil hat and no wishful thinking. I've just been around long enough to have seen this pattern before. Sometimes it leads to war, sometimes not.
Nice new 'nym you have today, Canadian troll. It's been a little while since you left droppings at the Burg.
But not if you can help it, of course (either way).
It's been a little while since you left droppings at the Burg.
Oh you ain't seen nothing yet, wait til November. I haven't been this excited since that night in Vegas. McCain, Obama, Clinton...my oh my it doesn't get any better than this :-) There is a God afterall
#12
Somehow I imagine that a Furries convention would be more our Toronto visitor's thing than Star Trek. But I could of course be wrong. And there is a select group whose economically unproductive time is sufficient to indulge in both.
#15
I agree with you lotp. Perhaps you wouldn't have such a dim view of the world if you got out once in a while (or stayed away from rantburg, same thing).
#23
ahhhh but part 2 of teh question is what matters - as a Canadian, why the fuck should we care or even bother to listen to your input in OUR presidential election, after all, I bet you weren't happy with the latest election in your own country. I, for one, have been happy with Harper, not that you do or should care
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/08/2008 18:44 Comments ||
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why the fuck should we care or even bother to listen to your input in OUR presidential election
But that's the point isn't it? You only listen to yourself, and look where that's got you.
Harper is perpetually teetering on the brink of another election. What's keeping his ass in power is that the Liberals elected a boob as their leader. In fact, I'll make a prediction: someone will force an election soon, whether it be Harper or the opposition, just so that the Liberals can lose and force a leadership review in their party. Then the next election will boot Harper out.
All else being equal, I couldn't give a shit who you elect as your president, except that your little fuck ups in the world tend to affect my life as well. Any chance you going isolationist again? Soon I hope.
#26
perhaps, then your little personal welfare existence might become harder, tho' Be careful what you wish for. The Western Canadian provinces might wanna secede to get away from the East's sucking maw
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/08/2008 19:06 Comments ||
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Question for the Canadians. Do you folks have a huge illegal population or what's that like up north?
#28
Isolationist or not, I sure hope McCain steals one position from Obama and Clinton and dumps NAFTA and closes 90% of the border crossings east of the Dakotas.
Posted by: ed ||
03/08/2008 19:37 Comments ||
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#29
Back to the original thread. Oh Noes! Columbia's banana supply in jeopardy.
Posted by: ed ||
03/08/2008 19:41 Comments ||
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The Western Canadian provinces
lol, you mean Alberta. Because if you count the Liberal & NDP vote together, that just leaves Alberta. Saskatchewan is the birthplace of the NDP. British Columbia had the Social Credit party...'nuff said. Manitoba is currently in the hands of the NDP. Perhaps you should look further east, Atlantic Canada, the Maritimes. You should be able to find some conservatives there.
Do you folks have a huge illegal population or what's that like up north?
Believe it or not Mexicans have been sighted in Windsor, Ontario just across from Detroit. Romanian strippers are plentiful though supposedly they are here on valid visas, something about a stripper shortage in Canada. Other than that, yes there are people here working illegaly but I doubt it's a sizable problem. In fact, the Canadian government has been lifting visa restrictions left and right lately (but don't worry, the bad guys still need one. Harper made sure of it.)
#35
Damn right. A double wall for Ontario and points east. Nothing in, nothing out. Keep the $65 billion annual in jobs in the US. Pity the 500,000 Canadians (mostly in the east) that will lose their industrial jobs (and gain in the American rust belt), but I'm willing to live with it.
Posted by: ed ||
03/08/2008 20:04 Comments ||
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#36
You'll come crying north soon enough when you run out of water. In fact that's the only reason why I want Canada out of NAFTA.
Btw, Canada is not the primary source of your economic problems, and neither are the illegal Mexicans you love to hate. But I'm sure you already know that, right?
#37
Ya got me there. We'll just have to hire all the unemployed to carry water over the border. I won't make any jokes about the migration of the Great Northern Wet Whitebacks.
Posted by: ed ||
03/08/2008 22:05 Comments ||
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#1
That is seriously bad news that the DoD IT system at the Pentagon, of all places, is subject to attack. The comm system has always been the most sensitive military system with highest levels of secrecy. They had better concentrate on this and conquer the ability to penetrate fast.
#3
Seems the IT folks at the Pentagon are clueless traitors. Probably didn't get fired either.
It would not surprise me if there are people on the inside helping these attacks get through. Our gubbmint is astonishingly stupid...on so many levels. Criminally so.
#4
It was probably just run of the mill stuff, like Aegis Destroyer codes, lists of operatives in China, nuclear installation details, you know, just stuff.
#5
From what I gather, it's another case of Lawfare as the lawyers are obstructing counter measures because of 'liability' concerns. Someone really needs to start cleaning out these type of people. If you allow your router/server/computer to be a zombie for an attack, tough crap when you find it smoking and the harddrive frozen from melted components from the heat overload in its death spin. Its just another version of the Hague Convention of 1907 - "a neutral country has the obligation not to allow its territory to be used by a belligerent. If the neutral country is unwilling or unable to prevent this, the other belligerent has the right to take appropriate counteractions."
#6
From what I gather, it's another case of Lawfare as the lawyers are obstructing counter measures because of 'liability' concerns.
Treasonous Lawyers and their never ending Lawfare will be the death of us. Maybe we should return the favor.
Posted by: Pearl Unitch6506 ||
03/08/2008 9:21 Comments ||
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The reason for people to be fired would be for choosing to use Microsoft Windows. That was the root cause of the problem and the reason access was gained to those systems.
I wonder if this event is the reason for the Pentagon choosing Macs.
ANY computer on the internet is open to being attacked. ANY computer that receives emails or attachments is open to attack.
#8
The Pentagon has stepped up its network protection since the intrusion, and added additional protection in the form of smart cards and digital signatures.
This boggles, we've been using smart cards and digital signatures for well over a year and I just work in a hospital. Our internet time (I'm told) is closely monitored as it should be, however, this does put a crimp on my Rantburg time while at work. ;)
Posted by: Jan ||
03/08/2008 11:25 Comments ||
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What a sweet way to turn women into second class citizens. Don't let's forget that under Muslim law a woman's testimony isn't worth as much as a man's.
Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson yesterday called on the Democratic National Committee to sanction and pay for a new presidential primary in Florida to avoid a "train wreck."
Florida's senior senator said it's crucial that either the results of the state's disqualified Jan. 29 contest be reinstated or another election held to prevent an intraparty battle at the August national convention in Denver. "If [party leaders] go to the Democratic convention and they stiff-arm the Florida delegation, how in the world do you think Floridians are going to support the Democratic nominee on [Election Day] November 4?" said Mr. Nelson, who has endorsed Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for president.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/08/2008 00:00 ||
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"If [party leaders] go to the Democratic convention and they stiff-arm the Florida delegation, how in the world do you think Floridians are going to support the Democratic nominee on [Election Day] November 4?"
With the usual blind, mindless enthusiasm of course.
#2
Florida isn't going to go (D) in the general election anyway.
Posted by: Steve White ||
03/08/2008 1:30 Comments ||
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Hillary putting the squeeze on the Dems. nelson's an ally - he knows they will not pay for it so that means reinstatelment of the delegates. Meaning Hillary gets enough to win.
#5
Imagine this: Hillary decides she should pay for the Dem re-vote in Michigan, because B.O. wasn't on the original ballot, so it wouldn't really be fair for her to get all the delegates, and besides, the people should choose.
Then, B.O. says he'll pay for the second election in Florida, becasue it's important for the voice of the people to be heard.
Actually, the only way out of this, not that I think it'll happen, is the wackos that voted to hold the primaries early, in violation of the rules, should pay for a vote that does count. That's less likely than the other two dreams/nightmares.
Posted by: Bobby ||
03/08/2008 7:16 Comments ||
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That's right. If the little chirping monkey Howard Dean wants to create a mess, let him pay to clean it up.I hope this becomes a hot Demo topic for the next two months. Haha !
#7
"They're going to keep recounting those goddamned votes until I win!!!!"
Posted by: Hillary Clinton ||
03/08/2008 8:44 Comments ||
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keep burning through the cash....heh
FLA and MI Dems should pay for their own revotes, they are the ones that violated the DNC directives....
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/08/2008 9:01 Comments ||
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I'm feeling contrarian today. Must be the rain.
The republican legislature and governor in Florida are to be congratulated for maneuvering Dean and the DNC into a position where they shot themselves in the foot. How they are escaping blame for this in the MSM is beyond me.
The best solution here is for George Soros to offer to pay for the primary and then endorse bHo.
#10
How they are escaping blame for this in the MSM is beyond me.
Too late NS, thats been the Dem talking point for some time now. Problem is there are a couple of monkeys in that wrench. The muckity-mucks in the Florida Democratic Party not only co-sponsored the legislation they argued for it quite forcibly. The other little inconvenient detail is no one carped about it until this cluster-fuck became inevitable
A day before Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama were to compete for a small scattering of delegates in Wyoming, Clinton cast herself as the underdog and said the odds are not in her favor. Clinton's campaign has sought to set low expectations for the Saturday caucuses in Wyoming as well as next week's primary in Mississippi, states where her campaign believes Obama has a better shot at winning. "I said, 'Well you know what, I'm going to go to Wyoming anyway I know it's an uphill climb, I'm aware of that," Clinton told an audience of more than 1,500 at a community college in Cheyenne. "But, you see, I am a fighter, and I believe it's worth fighting for your votes."
She set a similar tone while campaigning in Mississippi Thursday night and Friday morning. She said a win for her in that state would be a heavy lift because of Obama's appeal there. Twelve delegates will be awarded in Wyoming's caucuses, followed by 33 on Tuesday in Mississippi.
Posted by: Fred ||
03/08/2008 00:00 ||
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Wyoming Territory granted women suffrage in 1869. In 1890, Wyoming was admitted to the Union as the first state that allowed women to vote. In 1925, it became the first state to elect a female governor.
Now wouldn't it be ironic for Wyoming to reject the idea of putting the first woman president in the White House?
#2
Now wouldn't it be ironic for Wyoming to reject the idea of putting the first woman president in the White House?
maybe it would be because they have always seen women for their worth as human beings rather than objects to be classified as women? Perhaps they will vote for the person whom they think will make the best candidate rather than base their decision on the shallow fact that she is a woman. sheesh.
#3
What a wishy-washy, esoteric comment woodrow. Do you really believe that bullshit? They want to elect the person they believe will beat McCain. Be it Obama , Shrillery, or the devil himself. Neither one of them, not one of them on either ticket, are worth the powder it would take to blow them to hell.
#7
Now wouldn't it be ironic for Wyoming to reject the idea of putting the first woman president in the White House?
Maybe it has something to do with the specific woman running. If they reject Hillary, I would say it is just good judgment on the part of Wyoming voters.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
The risks of climate change have turned from a threat to reality impacting the conflict in Darfur, migration from flood-prone Bangladesh and hopes for stability in the Middle East, according to a new EU report. From Africa to Asia, and from pole to pole, climate change has become "a threat multiplier which exacerbates existing trends, tensions and instability," warns the seven-page report on "Climate change and international security", to be presented to a European summit in Brussels on March 13-14. 
RIYADH - Saudi police have foiled an attempt to smuggle 140 kilograms (308 pounds) of hashish from neighbouring Yemen, SPA state news agency reported on Friday. A border patrol in the southwestern region of Najran clashed on Thursday with a group of smugglers after spotting them trying to infiltrate into the kingdom through rough terrain, SPA said.
Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson yesterday called on the Democratic National Committee to sanction and pay for a new presidential primary in Florida to avoid a "train wreck."
