Editorial: The military’s climate challenge
The leaders of the nation’s military have been telling us for years that climate change and its far-reaching effects are a threat to our security. Now they are actively and wisely trying to include considerations about climate change in how they carry out their mission.
In the foreword to the Department of Defense Climate Risk Analysis (DCRA) report submitted to the National Security Council in October, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called climate change an “existential threat.” The DCRA was created in response to one of President Joe Biden’s first executive orders, one that officially made climate change considerations “an essential element of United States foreign policy and national security.”
In reality, military leaders have for some time been sounding the alarm and doing what they could to deal with the problems driven by climate change and to prepare for whatever the future might hold. That hasn’t been easy when some people in key positions were still trying to deny the reality of climate change.
Now that it’s official national policy to make climate change considerations an integral part of all defense planning, strategy and preparation, it should be easier for the military to take the strong actions that will be needed to deal with this challenge.
Those of us here in Hampton Roads know first-hand some of the problems climate change poses for the U.S. Navy. Sea level rise and flooding threaten Naval Station Norfolk, the largest navy base in the world. The region’s other military installations, including Navy bases, Langley Air Force Base and other facilities along the water, are also already battling flooding. The water also complicates life for military families and the communities they are a part of. Urgent and extensive efforts are needed to increase resilience, reduce flooding and control erosion.
The problems the Navy — and all our military — face from climate change reach far beyond those obvious threats to strategic bases.
The ice that has largely kept the Arctic region closed is melting and breaking up. That means ships will be able to navigate there much of the year, and other nations — most notably Russia — will be competing with us and our NATO allies for control of shipping lanes and access to untapped natural resources.
The more frequent and severe droughts, sea-level rise, flooding, fires and storms caused by climate change will likely contribute to global instability, with food shortages, increased migrations and fierce competition for resources including food supplies and fresh water. Countries such as China may try to take advantage of the changing conditions.
Climate-related massive storms and other disasters could further disrupt the global supply chains that are now struggling because of COVID. Calls for humanitarian aid after disasters could stretch the ability of our military to guard U.S. security while helping those in need.
Our defense leaders are right to try to understand these and other potential security threats. We need to protect the bases we have from floods and rising seas. We must prepare and train for more Arctic action. Climate-change considerations should help shape our decisions about such things as what ships, planes and equipment are needed, where our troops should be deployed and how best to deal with disasters and instability.
The military, of course, also is a major contributor to climate change and related problems. The Navy and other services should redouble efforts to shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, as well as to minimize erosion and stormwater runoff that contribute to flooding.
Climate change is real and already having devastating effects. We can’t separate dealing with climate change from dealing with national security. We can’t separate protecting the environment from protecting our country and way of life. They are inextricably linked.
Defense leaders are right to factor climate change considerations into all their planning and strategy. Climate change is bringing profound changes to the local, national and global landscape. Understanding that is essential to protecting our security and our future.
