Full Title: Broadening Horizons: Climate Change and the U.S. Armed Forces
Author(s): Commander Herbert E. Carmen (USN), Christine Parthemore, & Will Rogers
Publisher(s): Center for New American Security (CNAS)
Publication Date: April 1, 2010
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
Climate change holds important consequences for national security and the way the Department of Defense (DOD) does business. The effects of global climate change are likely to reshape the current and future security environment. Analysts expect changes such as extreme drought, more frequent heat waves, desertification, flooding and extreme weather events. The combined impact of these effects will intertwine with exist- ing political, social, cultural and economic trends, with significant implications for U.S. interests worldwide. Countries and regions of strategic importance – from Afghanistan to the Arctic, China to Yemen – are likely to confront major environmental pressures on both their societies and ecosystems. Physical changes to the environment may also disrupt U.S. military capabilities and facilities. For instance, military installations or training ranges may experience increased flooding, wildfires or major coastal erosion.