The Real and Present Danger to America That Both Trump and Hillary Won't Talk About
Channel: Steven D Talks
Date: 2016-10-05

Climate Change or Anthropogenic Climate Disruption (AGD) poses the greatest danger to America's national security, and to life on earth as we know it, yet neither political candidate has paid it more than lip service.  Yet, as we spend Billions upon Trillions of dollars on wars in the Middle East (including, without limitation the "War on Terror") we spend a pittance preparing to ameliorate the danger (rising seas, extreme weather events, starvation, war, economic disruption, poisoned oceans and fresh water, etc.) and to eliminate the causes (fossil fuel emissions) of AGD.  In fact we spend more money on wars to protect our access to fossil fuel resources in the Middle East than we do to address the real threat to all life on this planet, which is being caused by the emissions from burning those very same fossil fuels.

Sources:

2016 US Military spending (roughly $600 Billion) versus Federal Gov't Spending on Climate Change ($20 Billion), a 30:1 ratio and  probably an underestimate:
http://www.ips-dc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/CvsC-Report-1.pdf

US Subsidies for the Fossil Fuel Industry per year exceed $20 Billion:
http://www.ibtimes.com/us-fossil-fuel-subsidies-increase-dramatically-despite-climate-change-pledge-2180918
https://www.treasury.gov/open/Documents/USA%20FFSR%20progress%20report%20to%20G20%202014%20Final.pdf

Billions in Tax Deductions granted to fossil fuel polluters for cleaning up their oil spills:
http://www.ibtimes.com/us-fossil-fuel-subsidies-increase-dramatically-despite-climate-change-pledge-2180918

Cost of US Severe Weather events in 2015 exceeded $22.5 Billion:
https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions/events
https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions/overview

Cost of War on Terror since 9/11/2001- $3.6 Trillion total as of today, or $240 Billion per year:
https://news.brown.edu/articles/2016/09/costsofwar2

World permanently passes 400 ppm of CO2 in atmosphere leading to irreversible consequences:
http://www.climatecentral.org/news/world-passes-400-ppm-threshold-permanently-20738