Reports continue to sound the alarm over man-made global warming or climate change, while some organizations maintain there is no reason for concern.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence forecasts an increased risk of conflict abroad resulting from disputes over water, as well as increasing migrations that exacerbate social and political tensions. The memorandum also directs federal agencies to develop plans to deal with an array of potential scenarios resulting from climate change, such as adverse effects on food prices and availability. In conjunction with the report, President Barack Obama has ordered federal agencies to consider the impact of climate change when developing national security policy.

The forecast comes on the heels of a July report from the Union of Concerned Scientists that says the U.S. military is at risk of rising sea levels caused by climate change. The Union adds there is growing exposure to coastal flooding at East and Gulf Coast military bases.

Cohen

"The study recommends that Congress and the Pentagon make sure that the military has the financial wherewithal to deal with this," responds Bonner Cohen, Ph.D. of The National Center for Public Policy Research. "The problem is the so-called study isn't based on observations at all, but rather on climate models which can [be] and are frequently manipulated to achieve a desired result."

Cohen acknowledges a rise in sea levels, but he says that is the result of events that pre-date man's burning of fossil fuels -- something President Obama and others believe contributes to global warming or climate change.

"The purpose of this particular exercise is to scare us into doing something that we otherwise would not do and have the military move resources away from troop preparedness, away from maintenance of equipment into combating climate change," Cohen concludes.