ClimateU.S. should lead climate change fight to bolster global stability: U.S. defense, diplomacy leaders
Forty-eight former U.S. leaders, both Republicans and Democrats – among them secretaries of state and defense, national security advisers, leaders of the intelligence community, diplomats, generals in all four branches of the armed services, senators, and members of the House of Representatives – have published an open letter in the Wall Street Journal which called on U.S. political and business leaders to “think past tomorrow” and lead the fight on climate change. The U.S. security establishment has long recognized the threat posed by climate change to U.S. national security, defining climate change as a “threat multiplier,” adding fuel to conflicts. Security experts and military leaders no longer regard climate change as only a threat multiplier, but rather as s serious danger on its own – with droughts, sea-level rise, food shortages, and extreme weather events triggering migration and armed conflicts.
Forty-eight former U.S. leaders, both Republicans and Democrats – among them secretaries of state and defense, national security advisers, leaders of the intelligence community, diplomats, generals in all four branches of the armed services, senators, and members of the House of Representatives – have published an open letter in the Wall Street Journal which called on U.S. political and business leaders to “think past tomorrow” and lead the fight on climate change.
The bi-partisan group say it is time for America to claim global leadership on climate change.
The Independent reports that the appeal aims to apply pressure to Republicans in Congress who are trying both to block President Barack Obama’s plan to cut carbon pollution at home and limit U.S. involvement in negotiations to reach a global deal on fighting climate change in Paris in December.
The open letter declares that climate change poses a severe threat to U.S. national security.
“America’s elected leaders and private sector must think past tomorrow to focus on this growing problem, and take action at home and abroad,” the letter says.
“This issue is critically important to the world’s most experienced security planners. The impacts are real, and the costs of inaction are unacceptable.”
Climate change is “shaping a world that is more unstable, resource-constrained, violent and disaster-prone,” the letter says.
The letter adds that “The U.S. must grab the mantle of global leadership to engage other nations and overcome this challenge.
“Combating the consequential national security dangers posed by the changing climate cannot be done alone…we can ensure a prosperous future for our nation by shoring up resilience and mitigation efforts at home, assisting vulnerable partners abroad and planning past tomorrow – where Americans will live with the decisions of today.”
The U.S. security establishment has long recognized the threat posed by climate change to U.S. national security (see, for example, “Pentagon: Climate change aggravates U.S. security risks,” HSNW, August 2015; “U.S. exposed in Arctic as a result of climate change: Military experts,” HSNW, 2 July 2015; “U.S. military must be ready for climate change: Hagel,” HSNW, 14 October 2014).
In 2006 a report by the influential Center for Naval Analysis defined climate change as a “threat multiplier,” adding fuel to conflicts.
Security experts and military leaders no longer regard climate change as a threat multiplier, but rather as s serious danger on its own – with droughts, sea-level rise, food shortages, and extreme weather events triggering migration and armed conflicts.
“Climate change is certainly going to destabilize situations,” General Ron Keys, retired leader of the air force command, told a seminar at the Wilson Center think-tank on Wednesday. “There are some countries out there that are just hanging on by their fingernails.”
Military leaders are also worried about troop deployments to deal with natural disasters, further straining already-stretched resources and potentially leaving the United States exposed.
“The real problem is what do we do if we are involved in a Fukushima or a hurricane Sandy times three and somebody like ISIS decides to make a big push,” Keys said. “If I were a bad guy I’d wait until the United States was involved in a big situation and then I would make my move.”
