Book Review - Oceans Rise, Empires Fall - Stratheia Gerard Toal argues geopolitics itself is driving climate catastrophe as empires prioritize power over planetary survival.

From Ukraine to the South China Sea, war and environmental destruction are deeply intertwined.
#WarAndEnvironment #GeopoliticalConflict #EcologicalSecurity
stratheia.com/book-review-...

Taps run dry as water crisis forces Iran to consider evacuating its capital A prolonged drought along with years of overconsumption, an inefficient agricultural sector and mismanagement have led to the problem, analysts say.

I first alerted US principals about this possibility in the early 2010s, and speculated then that new avenues of diplomacy might be possible with respect to Tehran. Fifteen years later we see a catastrophe unfold.

#ecologicalsecurity

www.nbcnews.com/world/iran/i...

The dismantling of the US Forest Service is imminent The public has less than a week remaining to comment on the administration's plans.

The US Forest Service strengthens homeland security by reducing wildfire risks, protecting water supplies, storing carbon, and safeguarding supply chains.

Closing USFS is destabilizing to the nation on the order of shuttering USAID.

#ecologicalsecurity

www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

SA algal bloom shows new criteria for climate disasters needed, Hanson-Young says – video The Greens senator says South Australia's algal bloom is yet to be declared a national disaster

Some people are waking up that the harmful algal bloom crisis is not just another water quality issue to be managed. But HABs are beyond climate disasters since nutrient pollution is usually the driving force .

#ecologicalsecurity

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Hundreds of struggling Arkansas farmers ask federal government to save them Hundreds of struggling Arkansas farmers are pleading with the federal government to provide emergency funding amid a farm economy crisis.Almost everything that

The rainfall experienced in Arkansas April 3-6, 2025 was the heaviest ever recorded in the region, wiping out many crops and farms. Closures of USAID and USDA programs have made such climate impacts even worse for farmers and food system stability.

#ecologicalsecurity

katv.com/news/local/h...

Trump to rename Department of Defense the 'Department of War,' official says U.S. President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order on Friday to rename the Department of Defense the "Department of War," a White House official said on Thursday.

This tells you all you need to know about how mired in outdated notions of security this administration is. Very much out of step with the global move underway towards a new security doctrine.

#ecologicalsecurity

www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...

For the first time in 40 years, Panama’s deep and cold ocean waters failed to emerge, possibly affecting fisheries and coral health The natural phenomenon of upwelling, which occurs annually in the Gulf of Panama, failed for the first time on record in 2025. A study led by scientists from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institut...

This is how fisheries collapse, with all the socioeconomic and security shocks that accompany it. Another warning sign that our willful blindness to Earth system stress is dangerous for people and nations.

#ecologicalsecurity

www.eurekalert.org/news-release...

Let me fix this headline:

The ICJ ruled that nations have an obligation to act on climate change under international laws that bolster human, national, and global security.

#TheParisSecurityAgreement
#ecologicalsecurity

The ocean is changing colors, researchers say. Here's what it means. Warming waters are causing the colors of the ocean to change -- a trend that could impact humans if it were to continue, according to new research.

The oceanic color change arises from different levels of chlorophyll, which is connected to phytoplankton abundance.

It’s the kind of quiet, unsettling news report playing in the background of a disaster movie just before everything unravels.

#ecologicalsecurity

abcnews.go.com/US/ocean-cha...

U.S. plans to combat spread of "man-eater" screwworms with $8.5M facility of flies in Texas The facility will breed millions of sterile New World screwworm flies at Moore Air Base, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Wednesday.

It’s worth noting that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) was one of the USDA agencies initially targeted for closure by DOGE. (And most people don’t understand the heightened risk landscape emerging from Earth system stress.)

#ecologicalsecurity

www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/usd...

2028 will be an important year for those of us promoting an #ecologicalsecurity adjustment to security doctrine

www.ipbes.net/second-globa...

US Commercial Honeybee Crisis and National Security - The Council on Strategic Risks US honeybee colony deaths are expected to rise this year—a sharp uptick that could signal greater risks to global food systems and national security.

🆕 🐝 US honeybee colony deaths are expected to surge this season—an ominous sign for global food systems and #ecologicalsecurity, underscoring how quickly local collapse can trigger worldwide ripple effects.

⬇️ Read the latest from Andrea Rezzonico

Honey bee colony declines grow as WSU researchers work to fight losses Commercial honey bee colony losses in the U.S. could reach 60 to 70% in 2025, according to entomologists at WSU.

Alarming honeybee colony losses—over 60% this past winter—are a threat to our food supply and wallets. Expect higher prices for almonds, berries, apples, and other pollinator-dependent crops. More so if we see substantial beekeeper bankruptcies.

#ecologicalsecurity

news.wsu.edu/news/2025/03...

Looking forward to guest lecturing about the #Arctic and the changing nature of the threat environment at @middleburycollege.bsky.social this AM! It’s more important than ever to engage students in conversations about threats & solutions
#climatechange #ecologicalsecurity #democracy #russia #china

A Recommended Listen:
The connections betw what we farm/eat, global conflict & #NationalSecurity are fascinating.
Genetically diverse crops make you, the farmer next door, our nation more secure.

#Agrobiodiversity #Food #Seeds #FoodSecurity #EcologicalSecurity #EconomicSecurity #EcosystemServices

Establishing an Ecological Security Framework for Southeast Asia - The Council on Strategic Risks From deforestation to food insecurity, how can Southeast Asia address complex, interconnected environmental challenges using an ecological security framework?

🌏 From deforestation to food insecurity, Southeast Asia is facing a litany of interconnected environmental challenges. John Lichtefeld provides recommendations for addressing these threats using an #ecologicalsecurity framework

⬇️ Read the briefer:

The Answer to Democrats’ Class Problem Is Staring Them in the Face The climate crisis offers one of the strongest fields imaginable for proving fealty to the working class against rapacious elites.

I might take this argument even further. If you believe, as I do, that climate change is an acute security risk, then climate disinformation — and their funders — likewise threaten our national and global security. #ecologicalsecurity

newrepublic.com/article/1886...

🌱 First up: What happens when ecosystem services within forests and oceans fail? CSR's Lily Boland brings together strategic foresight methods—including horizon scanning, a futures wheel, and a 2×2 analytical matrix—to explore potential #ecologicalsecurity drivers, stressors, and solution pathways.

When bats were wiped out, more human babies died, a study found. Here's why | CBC News Researchers found that infant deaths increased after farmers used more pesticides to battle pests when bats weren't around. The findings are part of growing evidence that humans rely on the animal and plant species around them, and are harmed when those species decline or go extinct.

This is a less clickbaity version of the study that made the rounds last week. It would be great for the US government (and the security community) to support more research into how ecosystem service degradation impacts people and nations. #ecosecurity #ecologicalsecurity

www.cbc.ca/news/science...