Climate change is putting the focus on Greenland, Canada and the Panama Canal
As Americans prepare for a second Trump term, it seems we are less focused on the prices of eggs, gas and homes and more on Greenland, Canada and the Panama Canal.
For many of us, it seems preposterous that President-elect Donald Trump would even float the idea of taking back the canal, using military force to seize Greenland or making Canada the “51st state.”
However, what isn’t preposterous to most Americans is climate change. Trump seems less intent on combating climate change and more intent on capitalizing off it.
With temperatures rising and water becoming scarcer, there will be an increased need for fresh water. Guess which two places have a lot of fresh water? That is right — Greenland and Canada. If you have paid attention, the Southwest United States risks running out of water. As temperatures rise, the scarcity of water can range from California through Texas.
And as we know, it isn’t just the U.S. Access to fresh water has always been one of the key indicators of whether a society thrives or fails. From the ancient Indus Valley civilization to the present, entire societies can fall apart if water isn’t accessible. The most obvious reason is that where there is no water, there is no food. The world’s food production is already at risk because of water scarcity.
There will be a race for fresh water, and Trump is already looking at securing both Greenland and Canada’s before anyone (including Greenland and Canada) have a say in it. Canada has faced mounting pressure from other countries to export water. Trump isn’t one to want to compete with other countries when he can just take it.
On the subject of competition, climate change also opens up another opportunity for Trump. Most of us are fearful of melting ice at the poles, but many people are looking at it as a way to make money through the opening of new shipping lanes. For centuries, explorers, traders, militaries and governments have looked into new ways of moving cargo through Northern Canada. It was virtually impossible, but there is a good chance that climate change will open more trading routes in the north. Trump wants to control those lanes.
Take that and the Panama Canal and the United States will have total control over one quarter of the world's hemisphere when it comes to shipping. This would not only put the United States at a tremendous economic advantage but would also give Trump (and future presidents) incredible leverage over China and the European Union.
But at what cost? Adapting to climate change is something we all must come to terms with. There doesn’t seem to be any hope that the U.S., EU, China or India will actually restrict their economic output to reduce climate change. As a result, the world will face hotter temperatures, catastrophic weather and a higher danger to its population at large. But there is money to be made, and if there is one thing humans are good at, it is making money off of a problem instead of fixing it.
That is where we are with the next administration. Trump will wax poetic over the military importance of Greenland — and he may even be right about that — and how control over the Panama Canal would keep us safer. But have no illusions that Trump isn't also looking to make money off climate change, even if it means changing the world map to do it.
Jos Joseph is a master’s candidate at the Harvard Extension School at Harvard University. He is a Marine veteran who served in Iraq and lives in Anaheim, Calif.