On the recordNovember 17, 2015
there is a desperate need for the Senate to address one of the greatest national security and public health risks we face as a country, something that has the ability to affect up to 3.4 percent, or $260 billion, of U.S. economic output annually. What is this threat? It is climate change. In its 2010 and 2014 Quadrennial Defense Reviews, the Department of Defense identified climate change as a risk that must be incorporated into the Nation's future defense planning. Last year, I held a hearing on this issue as chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. Pentagon experts explained the far-ranging effects of this threat . . . putting the U.S. at risk around the world . . . changing the landscape and vegetation of training areas . . . accelerating regional tensions and conflict. This summer, the Department issued a new report outlining in even greater detail the threats we face. It states, ``The Department of Defense sees climate change as a present security threat, not strictly a long-term risk.'' It goes on to say that climate change is introducing ``shocks and stressors'' in the Artic, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and South America. The report argues that global warming has had ``measurable impacts'' on vulnerable areas and regional conflicts, like Syria. Due to these impacts, military leaders are now forced to include ways to respond to the risks and challenges of climate change in their planning.…
