How curbing climate change can prevent Russia from becoming a superpower

[applegrove]

How curbing climate change can prevent Russia from becoming a superpower

By Matthew Fleischer, guest blogger at the LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/opinion-la/la-ol-climate-change-russia-super-power-20140311,0,5497942.story#axzz2vjxyoS7q

"SNIP.....................


The science on climate change is clear enough that most conservatives don’t deny it; they just don’t care. The Earth has warmed and cooled throughout its history, they argue. Big deal. It’s not worth the cost of prevention. To all those out there who hold this view, I would caution this: you have a powerful ally in Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

''10,000 years ago, the mammoths started to die out,” Putin mused in 2010. “This was linked to a warming of the climate, a rise in sea levels, a reduction of pastures. All this happened without human influence."

Whether or not Putin actually believes this or was just being coy remains to be seen. What is clear is this: according to a 2011 report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, two-thirds of Russia’s land mass is currently buried under permafrost. Underneath that frost lie vast stores of nickel, cobalt, copper and diamonds --not to mention oil and natural gas.

...

Melting of permafrost will further open up previously marginal or even unworkable lands to agriculture. Melting Arctic ice will create new shipping routes along Russia’s northern coast and will open up previously inaccessible oil and gas reserves. Russia’s warming has already helped the country hit record harvests of rice, corn and sunflower seeds in recent years. Continued warming could conceivably allow the country to become the world’s bread basket -- and control the planet’s food supply.




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[LittleBlue]

1. Interesting

Thanks for posting

[Scootaloo]

2. Well now maybe someone in Washington will perk up and give a shit... n/t

[applegrove]

3. Watch the GOP finally wake up!

[Warren Stupidity]

4. they want russia or china or both to become credible military threats.

gotta justify the ongoing boondoggle, the whole GWOT is laming out, need a new threat.