Pentagon: Climate Change a Threat to National Security
Posted June 17, 2013 08:45 am
29 major military bases and installations in Florida.
Climate Change in Florida
The global threat of climate change
poses a particular challenge for Florida. Because
Florida is surrounded almost entirely by low-elevation
coastline, sea-level rise is a concern for coastal
ecosystems. A reasonable projection for global sea-level
rise is three feet by 2100 (Mulkey 2007), which will
certainly cause flooding and tremendous changes in
coastal habitats. The Florida peninsula is also expected
to become progressively more tropical as the frost-line
moves northward.
Government agencies and
conservation organizations have begun to address these
issues but are hindered by the limitations of current
data models. In 2007, Governor Charlie Crist established
the Action Team on Energy and Climate Change, a
committee charged with creating the Florida Climate
Change Action Plan and developing strategies to combat
climate change.
For more information on the
potential environmental impact of climate change in
Florida, visit the
Florida Department of Environmental Protection Climate
Changewebsite.
WASHINGTON – Global warming is turning up the heat on national security, according to the Pentagon. Factors that military strategists now have to consider include global food and water scarcity. These can lead to populations migrating, with all the potential conflicts that could create.
Katherine Hammack, Assistant Secretary of the Army
for Installations, Energy and the Environment, said that
preparing for climate change has become a constant
concern.
"Although the effects of climate change alone do not
cause conflict, they act as accelerants of instability,
which influences our operating environment, roles and
mission," she stated.
Hammack sees recent weather events as evidence of
climate change, including the tornadoes in the midwest
and Colorado wildfires.
She pointed out that the 12 hottest years on record have
been within the last 15 years, and said extreme weather
is also placing demands on the Defense Department
itself.
"The Department of Defense needs to adjust to the impact
climate change will have on our facilities, because our
operational readiness hinges on continued access to
land, air, sea training and test space," she said.
Hammack said there's a focus at DOD installations on
using less water and power, in order to place less
demand on resources also needed by the rest of their
local communities - including the 29 major military
bases and installations in Florida.
Photos,links, and climate change box added by the Observer; Photo © Eric Zamora