Bill Keating: “The Defense Department's National Defense Strategy has consistently included climate change as one of the most critical…”

“The Defense Department's National Defense Strategy has consistently included climate change as one of the most critical enduring threats. The 2022 National Defense Strategy is no exception. In fact, Secretary Austin, just 8 months ago, called climate change an existential threat and has said: ``No nation can find lasting security without addressing the climate crisis.'' Intelligence officials have repeatedly warned that climate change leads to food and water shortages, ecological degradation, and extreme weather patterns, conditions that reduce our military readiness, enable mass population displacement, terrorist activity, and other forms of violence and conflicts between nations. In fact, U.S. national security experts have dubbed climate change disaster response the military's new forever war, and a 2021 Pentagon report detailed how recent extreme weather has already cost billions of dollars in damages to U.S. military installations like Florida's Tyndall Air Force Base, Nebraska's Offutt Air Force Base, and other military installations as well. It interrupts our training and our other operations. It is also projected to undermine bases vulnerable to rising seas, such as Guam and the Marshall Islands. This legislation does not necessitate any additional funds, despite the billions of dollars it costs to our military.…”