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Yes, this January once again set a surprising global heat record (as did the year 2024). It was the 18th of the last 19 months that saw an average global temperature rise of more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above that of pre-industrial times. It couldn't be more obvious, in other words, that this planet is getting dangerously hotter (with far worse likely on the horizon). And America's response? You got it: elect one Donald J. Trump, a climate-change denier, as president. And he's already fulfilling his promises when it comes to pure environmental disregard.
The government isn't even supposed to acknowledge a climate crisis anymore. As the Guardian recently reported, "A major climate portal on the Department of Defense's website has been scrapped, as has the main climate change sectionon the site of the Department of State. A climate change page on the White House's website no longer exists, nor does climate content provided by the US agriculture department, including information that provides vulnerability assessments for wildfires." As climate scientist Michael Mann commented recently, "The keys to the car have been given to the polluters and fossil fuel plutocrats and they intend to drive it off the climate cliff."
And that, of course, is just the beginning. I'm sure you won't be surprised to learn that workers at the Environmental Protection Agency are already being threatened with mass layoffs, while environmentally-oriented parts of the government are heading for shut-downs, and there's undoubtedly far worse to come. Yet here's the strange thing, as TomDispatch regular Joshua Frank reports today: among the places Donald Trump wants to take possession of on this planet, the vast island of Greenland is right at the top of his list and his interest in it is that it's rich in critical minerals crucial to a global green revolution. And if that doesn't seem odd, what does? But let Frank explain why it makes all-too-strange sense in the world of Donald Trump. Tom
The Heart (or Graphite) of Greed
Why Donald Trump's Obsession with Greenland Is All About China
By Joshua Frank
In early January, Donald Trump Jr.'s private plane landed on a snowy airfield in Greenland. There was little fanfare upon his arrival, but his 14 million social-media fans were certainly tagging along.
"Greenland coming in hot"well, actually really really cold!!!" President Trump's eldest son captioned a video he posted on X. It was shot from the cockpit of the plane, where a "Trumpinator" bobblehead (a figurine of his father as the Terminator) rattled on the aircraft's dashboard as it descended over icy blue seas.
It was a stunt of MAGA proportions. Don Jr. was arriving in Greenland on behalf of his father who, along with his new buddy Elon Musk, had announced a desire to seize that vast Arctic landmass from Denmark through strong will or even, potentially, by force. There's been plenty of speculation as to why Trump wants to make Greenland, the largest island on this planet, a new territory of the United States. And yes, his inflated ego is undoubtedly part of the reason, but an urge for geopolitical dominance also drives Trump's ambitions.
His fascination with Greenland can be traced back to his first administration when, in late 2019, he signed the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act establishing the U.S. Space Force. "There are grave threats to our national security," he said shortly after signing the bill. "American superiority in space is absolutely vital. The Space Force will help us deter aggression and control the ultimate high ground."
The following year, the U.S. government renamed Greenland's Thule Air Base, the Department of Defense's northernmost outpost since 1951, Pituffik Space Base. According to the official United States Space Force Website, the "Top of the World vantage point enables Space Superiority" Pituffik SB supports Missile Warning, Missile Defense, and Space Surveillance missions." As such, it's a key military asset for NATO and the United States. Denmark, a founding member of NATO and the country that has long controlled Greenland, had no problem with Trump's Space Force operation taking root on that island's soil.
Some have argued that Trump's obsession is related to the Pituffik Space Base and Greenland's strategic importance for U.S. power, given its proximity both to Europe and to the melting Arctic. Yet, given that the U.S. Space Force already operates there with NATO's and Denmark's blessing, it's hard to understand why this would be the case.
So, what gives? Do you wonder whether Trump has his sights set on exploiting Greenland's natural resources? A few small problems there: it has no accessible oil. Tapping its sizable natural gas reserves -- mostly parked beneath massive sheets of glacial ice -- would be challenging, if not impossible, and certainly not profitable. Even pipelines and other infrastructure would be difficult to build and maintain in its icy climate. Besides, the U.S. already has the world's fourth-largest natural gas reserves.
Let's assume that Trump's fascination with Greenland is unrelated to fossil fuels or military installations. If so, that leaves one other obvious possibility: Greenland's expansive reservoir of minerals, deposits crucial to making the gadgets we use and producing the green technologies that Trump appears to oppose.
Trump's Green Energy Paradox
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