Australian Military Report Scans Potential For Failed States Across Pacific As Climate Breaks Down

[hatrack]

Australia's military has warned that global warming could create failed states across the Pacific as sea levels rise and heighten the risk of conflict over resources, a report said Wednesday.

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) analysis found the military could be called on to undertake more security, disaster relief and reconstruction missions as a result of climate change, the Sydney Morning Herald said. "Environmental stress, caused by both climate change and a range of other factors, will act as a threat multiplier in fragile states around the world, increasing the chances of state failure," the analysis said.

"This is likely to increase demands for the ADF to be deployed on additional stabilisation, post-conflict reconstruction and disaster relief operations in the future." The analysis, a summary of which was obtained by the paper using freedom of information laws, also noted the possibility of a serious conflict over the undersea oil and gas deposits of the Arctic as shrinking icecaps make these more accessible.

"Climate change is unlikely to increase the risk of major conflict, although there is one exception," it said. "The Arctic is melting, potentially making the extraction of undersea energy deposits commercially viable. Conflict is a remote possibility if these disputes are not resolved peacefully."

EDIT

http://www.spacedaily.com/2006/090107030542.eoln0tdv.html

[phantom power]

1. "conflict is a remote possibility"

Yeah, what could go wrong in a dispute over a disappearing resource that runs our civilization, and every nation's military?

:eyes: