Open Letter to RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson on Climate Change and National Security
Dear RCMP Commissioner Paulson,
It may sound strange that I am writing to you to recommend an article in Rolling Stone, but the piece entitled "The Pentagon and Climate Change: How Deniers Put National Security at Risk" outlines issues that are very important to the safety and security of the people of Canada. This seems particularly relevant given this week’s news about a controversial RCMP intelligence assessment report focused on the so-called "anti-petroleum" movement in Canada.
I thought it may be useful to explore the reasons why so many of your fellow Canadians are taking these issues so seriously—and how other national security agencies are responding.
The Rolling Stone piece highlights a quote from former U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, who called climate change:
"A threat multiplier that has the potential to exacerbate many of the challenges we are dealing with today—from infectious disease to terrorism."
These comments come from Hagel’s foreword to the Pentagon’s 2014 Climate Change Adaptation Roadmap, which details how a changing climate will have “real impacts” on the U.S. military and “the way it executes its missions.”
This is in stark contrast to the RCMP's threat assessment document, which characterizes climate change concerns as mere "claims" made by environmental groups.
Commissioner Paulson, you once said:
"I'm in the business of policing, and others are in the business of policy and law."
That’s what makes this report so disturbing—it reads as a highly political document.
Your agency’s assessment relies heavily on oil industry lobbyists and commentators for background and source material. Of particular concern: it quotes the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers asserting that we have no choice but to continue relying on fossil fuels, stating:
"All forms of energy production must continue to expand to meet global demand."
This sounds like an explicit endorsement of fossil fuel infrastructure projects—including pipelines and tankers—which are the very focus of the social movements targeted in the RCMP report. That position is in direct opposition to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which has made it clear that vast reductions in fossil fuel dependence are necessary to avoid the worst outcomes of climate change.
It also contradicts analysis by the International Energy Agency (IEA), which has shown that transitioning off fossil fuels is not only technologically viable, but also economically responsible.
For example, a 2014 IEA report concluded that solar power would likely become the number one source of global energy in the near future due to falling costs.
As of the writing of this letter, solar power is at cost parity with fossil fuel-derived energy in much of the United States. According to Deutsche Bank, solar is expected to be on par with—or cheaper than—fossil fuels in 47 U.S. states by 2016.
Change takes time. But the notion that we have no alternative but to double down on fossil fuels is simply not true—and it does a disservice to the people of Canada for the RCMP to claim otherwise.
Commissioner Paulson, I do not believe this risk assessment document reflects your intention to keep the RCMP out of politics. I urge you to take steps to repair the damage this report has done—particularly to relationships with British Columbians and others across the country who care deeply about these issues. These citizens now face the added fear that their civil liberties may be threatened.
With all due respect, this is an opportunity for you to show leadership and publicly affirm that the RCMP will not allow political interests to interfere with its responsibilities.
Finally, I believe it would be appropriate for the RCMP to proactively assess and communicate the real national security threats posed by climate change—and demonstrate the kind of planning and preparation being done by the Pentagon and other security agencies worldwide.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Ben West