It’s not all about terrorism
When you ask most people what they think Homeland security is all about, they usually say terrorism.
Although this is a part of what the DHS focuses on, it is far from the only thing. As a college student majoring in the subject, I have learned a few things this semester that surprised me.
Like most people, I assumed I would be learning all about the cool guy stuff like anti terrorism, how to kick in doors, intelligence, and top secret information that no one knows about.
What I got was a far cry from the James Bond type life I imagined.
Homeland security is about protecting the homeland. And while a large piece of the funding does go toward protecting against terrorism and focuses more on stopping the bad guy, there is more to it than that.
One of the classes I had was environmental security. This class showed how climate change is an even bigger issue to worry about right now than stopping the bad guy.
Global warming has affected many areas in our life right now. With the increasing average temperatures all across the country, we can see the negative affects.
One example is with the ecosystem. Mosquitos are larger and are greater in number now than they were 100 years ago. The are able to live longer due to the warmer temperatures later in the year.
This alone is causing trouble for the ecosystem. More mosquitoes means more food for some species, but it also means an increase in diseases as well.
West Nile virus, Malaria, Zika virus and more all come from mosquitoes. Mosquitoes have killed nearly one million people in the USA alone. This is far less than the number killed by terrorists.
Climate change also destroys the number of environments some animals can live in. It has been well documented that those animals who live in Antarctica and other typically cold climates are struggling to survive right now.
The environment is part of the security of the homeland. As it gets worse, droughts and other natural diesters will only increase. This will destroy homes and can eventually get to the point where people do not feel safe. Chaos can ensue.
Diseases control and pandemics also fall under the umbrella of homeland security. We have all seen the affects of Covid and how that has changed our lives forever.
Pandemics threaten life, economies, mental health, and more. Covid has changed our lives in so many ways it is hard to believe. Keeping pandemics to a minimal and having an overall plan in place for pandemics is crucial.
Homeland security is much more than fighting terrorists or being a secret agent. It is about focusing on what causes the most harm to America and having a security plan in place to negate those things.
Environmental security should definitely be one of the first things you think of when someone asks you what homeland security is.
