The St. Louis South County Times recently reported on a trip that four star General Ron Keys, USAF (ret.) made to Missouri which included a stop to talk to members of the St. Louis Young Republicans and the Young Conservatives for Energy Reform. Gen. Keys’ message was very clear: we need to end our dependence on fossil fuels, and address the national security risks of climate change.
The Times quotes Gen. Keys:
My pitch is that we have to end our dependency on fossil fuels for energy security reasons and because the world is going to become more and more unstable with the effects of climate change,” said Keys. “I am with the CNA Military Advisory Board, a group that is very concerned about what’s ahead for America if we don’t change our energy policies.
Gen. Keys noted that climate change can be a factor driving instability globally, but he stressed the homeland security implications as well:
However, people need to realize that the effects of global warming are not in some faraway country overseas,” said Keys. “It is here in the U.S. right now, whether it’s areas of intense drought, abnormal heat waves or unusual flooding in certain locations.
The South County Times interviewed several people who attended the event, and supported Gen. Keys’ position.
Lastly, Gen. Keys stressed another important message: climate change is a matter of national security, not partisan bickering. His devotion to national security and bipartisanship, through his work as Senior Advisor to the Bipartisan Policy Center, and his participation in CNA’s Military Advisory Board, bears this out.
The Center for Climate and Security strongly supports Gen. Keys’ efforts, and the continued work of CNA’s Military Advisory Board.
The military is key to persuading the skeptical that climate change is not only real but imminent. More than that, it can lead the way in energy efficiency. No voting needed, no stupid politics to overcome. Theirs is unquestionably a pragmatic point of view.
What are the congressional appropriations committees going to do, forbid them to be more efficient? Deploying alternate energy is a little trickier, but these projects can easily be justified to overcome the influence of fossil fuel interests because they are strategically and tactically superior to projects that depend on long supply lines, and cheaper on a net present value basis than ongoing commercial arrangements.
Some military applications will always require oil. But the military can be a true force for good in the battle against climate change.