Lloyd's Report

Lloyd's has picked-up a story that the IISS launched our Transatlantic Dialogue on Climate Change and Security.

In April, the IISS and Lloyd's will publish a report on climate change, security, and business risk. We believe this will mark some new and important ground in how businesses, particularly in the insurance industry, should prepare for a warmer climate.

DNI calls Climate Change a top threat to National Security

The new Director of National Intelligence (and former IISS-US board member) Dennis Blair recently called climate change a major threat to our national security.

He said: "The impacts (of climate change) will worsen existing problems such as poverty, social tensions, environmental degradation, ineffectual leadership and weak political institutions."

Old news, but I'm just catchin up.

Russian Bombers Near the Canadian Arctic

Earlier this week, we'd commented about the implied Russian threat to 'monitor' militarization in the Arctic. Today, there is a report from the Canadian Ministry of Defense that a Russian 'Bear' bomber approached Canada's Arctic airspace during last week's visit to Ottowa by President Obama.

Its interesting that Russian General Makarov commented that they were "Looking at how far the region will be militarized." What he didn't note is that, to a large extent, it is Russian actions that are driving the militarization of the Arctic. Flights of "Bear" bombers testing NATO defenses is a recollection of the Cold War, and is a way for the Russian military to project power.