Pentagon: Climate Change, Energy Security and Economic Stability Are Inextricably Linked

The military and intelligence communities are getting serious about climate change -- preparing for the problem and advancing the solutions. 

The QDR notes that climate change affects the Department of Defense “in two broad ways:” first, global warming impacts and disasters will “act as an accelerant of instability or conflict,” and second, military installations and forces around the globe will have to adapt to rising seas, increased extreme weather, and other effects of global warming:

Assessments conducted by the intelligence community indicate that climate change could have significant geopolitical impacts around the world, contributing to poverty, environmental degradation, and the further weakening of fragile governments. Climate change will contribute to food and water scarcity, will increase the spread of disease, and may spur or exacerbate mass migration. While climate change alone does not cause conflict, it may act as an accelerant of instability or conflict, placing a burden to respond on civilian institutions and militaries around the world.

The military is working on not just responding to the impacts of global warming, but also mitigating the threat by reducing global warming emissions. Increased use of renewable energy and energy efficiency not only lessens the military’s enormous carbon footprint, but also delivers immediate security benefits:

Energy efficiency can serve as a force multiplier, because it increases the range and endurance of forces in the field and can reduce the number of combat forces diverted to protect energy supply lines, which are vulnerable to both asymmetric and conventional attacks and disruptions.

It's very very good news to see the military and intelligence communities getting behind efforts to deal with climate change and advance green economy solutions.  There's a ton of power there, and this should really help move things forward.  As well as provide the types of evidence that denialists need to see to realize that we've got a very real problem to solve here...

That said, it also makes the opponents of climate change and clean energy solutions look that much more like Ostriches -- with small brains and their heads in the ground. 

Read more>>
...