Climate & National SecurityBiden Administration Places Climate Change at the Center of U.S. Security Planning
The administration on Thursday has released a series of reports addressing the increasingly severe impact of climate change on U.S. national security – an impact which is only going to grow in severity and scope. Taken together, the reports signal a new stage in U.S. policy, one which places climate change at the center of the U.S. security planning.
On Thursday, 21 October, the Biden administration has released several reports addressing the increasingly severe impact of climate change on U.S. national security – and impact which is only going to grow in severity and scope.
Among the consequences of climate change: Intensifying conflicts within and between nations. Increased dislocation and migration as more and more people flee climate-fueled droughts, worsening weather disasters, and instability. Heightened military tension and uncertainty as more nations move to protect diminishing resources such as fresh water – and protect their borders against mass migration.
The New York Times notes that “The documents, issued by the departments of Homeland Security and Defense as well as the National Security Council and director of national intelligence, mark the first time that the nation’s security agencies collectively communicated the climate risks they face.”
The Times adds:
The notion that climate change is a national security threat isn’t new — the Obama administration said as much, and began pushing the Pentagon to consider climate risks. But taken together, the reports signal a new stage in U.S. policy, one that places climate change at the center of the country’s security planning.
Here are excerpts from the White House’s announcement:
The climate crisis is reshaping our physical world, with the Earth’s climate changing faster than at any point in modern history and extreme weather events becoming more frequent and severe. In just 2021, wildfires raged across the western United States, throughout the Mediterranean region, and eastern Russia; Europe, China, and India experienced extreme flooding, and the world has suffered unprecedented levels of drought. The scientific community is clear: human activities have directly contributed to climate change. We are already experiencing the devastating impacts that climate has wreaked on almost every aspect of our lives, from food and water insecurity to infrastructure and public health, this crisis is exacerbating inequalities that intersect with gender, race, ethnicity, and economic security. We have reached a point where we cannot reverse some of the changes to the climate system.
