Climate change threatens U.S. national security and will likely create conflict around the globe.
That was the consensus conclusion of four reports released Thursday by the Biden administration, including a report on migration, a National Intelligence Estimate, and separate analyses from the Defense Department and the Department of Homeland Security.
In particular:
- Extreme weather – including drought – will likely force mass waves of migration that could spur ‘geopolitical tensions.’
- Some of the countries most vulnerable to climate change – like India and Pakistan – are nuclear powers. Climate catastrophes might jeopardize the security of their weapons.
- Poorer countries – including Haiti, Afghanistan, and Nicaragua – will likely require humanitarian aid, straining America’s ability to participate in other relief efforts.
- Countries crippled by climate emergencies are vulnerable to influence by bad actors, like China and Russia.
- More powerful storms and more frequent flooding are threatening military preparedness. Domestic bases like Tyndall Air Force Base and Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune have already endured billions of dollars worth of damage, and sea-level rise in the Pacific jeopardizes key ‘warfighting infrastructure.’
- As the Arctic melts, world powers will scramble to the region in an attempt to exploit its resources, including its fisheries. Conflicts could ensue.
In a forward to the Pentagon report, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin wrote “Climate change touches most of what this department does, and this threat will continue to have worsening implications for U.S. national security.”
The National Intelligence Estimate adds that “current policies and pledges are insufficient” to meet the goals outlined in the Paris climate accord.
In a statement introducing the four reports – which President Joe Biden commissioned via a February executive order – the White House said “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.”
Biden will join other world leader in Glasgow next month to discuss climate change.