Finally, in an area in which the science is most definitely not settled, more frequent or more dangerous hurricanes or tornadoes threaten vulnerable communities across the country. Climate change is a growing threat to our very existence. It would be a stretch to say that any of these examples threaten the narrowly defined ‘national security’ of the United States: we’re not likely to see civil conflict or state collapse here at home from violent weather. "The [2012] insurrection in Mali where the Tuareg went north -- drought caused that," said Cheney. Similarly, the number of acres burned in U.S. wildland fires increased from 5.3 million acres in 2008 to 8.8 million acres in 2018, according to data from the National Interagency Fire Center. Specifically, he says that the Pentagon’s Northern Command, which deals with non-military domestic emergencies, should receive more funding for planning and training related to environmental events. But – climate change is not a matter of ‘belief’ – it is a matter of fact. Indeed, the concept of contingency planning is being embraced by others who are sounding the alarm about climate change effects because they say that better preparation on the front end will make a large difference. (April 8, 2019). Join our mailing list to receive weekly newsletters and exclusive invites to upcoming events. . The 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review labeled climate change as a "threat multiplier," meaning the stressors already present around the world ("poverty, environmental degradation, political instability, and social tensions") will likely be amplified and worsened by the introduction of climate impacts. Nowadays, Stavridis, who served as NATO Supreme Allied Commander from 2009 to 2013, has a busy post-naval career as a security expert commentator, author, and operations executive for the Carlyle Company. Military leaders will be faced with ever more tough decisions in terms of providing humanitarian assistance in the face of extreme weather events and disruptions to their own supply chains while coping with declining defense budgets in many parts of … In terms of the actual frequency of disastrous events, experts point to a disturbing increase in recent years. Both hurricanes required major military deployments. The report recommends "quickly reducing and … The response to Irma required activation of approximately 8,000 Florida National Guard troops. Climate change is an accelerating threat to national security. Our domestic security is threatened by the effects of climate change. Joshua W. Busby Associate Professor of Public Affairs, University of Texas-Austin Climate change and national security aren't two separate issues, retired Brigadier General Stephen Cheney told Public Radio International last week. Such instability presents national security challenges because it can breed more terrorist attacks and push the United States into more foreign conflicts. In the same letter, the group of leaders also noted how disastrous weather events can cause significant harm to the nation’s security infrastructure. And the potential consequences of this development go beyond environmental damage. But, we should all agree that the science is conclusive enough that we cannot simply ignore it – or claim that it’s some sort of UN plot. 1. Dan Eggleston, president and board chairman of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, advocates that states and localities increase their disaster mitigation efforts now. President-elect Barack Obama said on Tuesday attacking global climate change is a "matter of urgency" that will create jobs as he got advice from Al Gore, who won a … “When extreme weather hits the United States, it degrades the fighting force,” the group said. Instead, the possibility of rapid or dangerous non-linear changes in climate could cause widespread damage. Global climate change presents a serious national security threat that could affect Americans at home, impact U.S. military operations and heighten global … Not only does it increase the sense of urgency, but it also creates a path for environmental solutions. The climate is notoriously difficult to predict, and models are imperfect. The fact is that the earth is warming, and has been for at least a century. . Each of us is a hard-nosed leader with decades of experience evaluating national security risks. The predicted effects of climate change over the coming decades include extreme weather events, drought, flooding, sea level rise, retreating glaciers, habitat shifts, and the increased spread of life-threatening diseases. It is not difficult to foresee conflict emerging from any of these possibilities. The Global Security Defense Index on climate change evaluates the extents of governments in considering climate change to be a national security issue. Once we move beyond the scientific debate, we do see that there are real threats to international stability and security from a changing climate. I will not get into arguments about the science of climate change: I will leave that to the scientists. “And folks having to move from their family farms into cities where they then were not getting any support, and therefore a civil war began.”. Submissions to this inquiry close on 4 August 2017. Climate change is destabilising the world and becoming 'threat to national security', US security chiefs warn. That means that addressing climate change is not simply a matter of deploying new energy sources or buying more efficient light bulbs. It is spurring more disastrous and deadly weather events like catastrophic hurricanes; the response to these events often includes troops, billions of dollars in disaster relief, and other resources. American Competitiveness & Economic Diplomacy, What we are reading | American Security Project, As Climate Envoy, John Kerry will lead Climate Action from the National Security Council, Building Caribbean Resilience with Fossil Fuel Revenues, Sanctions on Nord Stream 2? And, that warming is accelerating: the warmest decade on record was the 2000s, with each of the three decades previous to that warmer than the decade before. Climate change presents a serious threat to the security and prosperity of the United States and other countries. This blog post, cross-posted from Energy, Security, Policy, explains why it is so important.. A changing climate is important enough that our national security planners are studying it closely. Climate change is a pressing risk to national and global security. As explained by the group of 58 military and national security leaders in the open letter, “Our climate will continue to change, and the threats will continue to grow.”, ASIS International Eggleston also argued for federal support for building code adoption incentives, community preparedness efforts, and emergency response initiatives. When national security planners look to prevent future threats to our security, they know that you cannot act with certainty: once you have 100% certainty, it is too late to act. Moreover, rising sea levels are damaging the U.S. security infrastructure, including coastal military bases, Stavridis adds. The president claimed yesterday that the true danger to U.S. security is not climate change, but regulations Sam Dorman is a … CCS is a nonpartisan research institute of the Council of Strategic Risks that supports policies that will best manage the effects of climate change on security. ASP has been a leader in looking at the national security implications of the Climate Change, since the publication of the Climate Security Index in 2009. “This diverts resources away from the armed forces that are needed to ensure security,” Stavridis says. The letter was sponsored by CCS and the American Security Project. Trump Drops Climate Threats from National Security Strategy. WASHINGTON — President Trump is preparing to establish a panel to examine whether climate change affects national security, despite existing reports … “The effects of a changing climate are a national security issue with potential impacts to Department of Defense missions, operational plans, and installations,” states the 22-page document, which was published Thursday. “It’s a pretty significant national security threat,” he tells Security Management. 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