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Climate Change and National Security: An Agenda for Action

Climate Change and National Security: An Agenda for Action

Full Title: Climate Change and National Security: An Agenda for Action
Author(s): Joshua W. Busby
Publisher(s): Council on Foreign Relations
Publication Date: November 1, 2007
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):

When Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans in 2005, Americans witnessed on their own soil what looked like an overseas humanitarian-relief operation. The storm destroyed much of the city, causing more than $80 billion in damages, killing more than 1,800 people, and displacing in excess of 270,000. More than 70,000 soldiers were mobilized, including 22,000 active duty troops and 50,000-plus members of the National Guard (about 10 percent of the total Guard strength). Katrina also had severe effects on critical infrastructure, taking crude oil production and refinery capacity off-line for an unprecedented length of time. At a time when the United States was conducting military operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, the country suddenly had to divert its attention and military resources to respond to a domestic emergency.

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