Patrick Tucker, technology editor of Defense One, just published an article highlighting the role the U.S. military is playing in preparing for climate change. He states:

…there’s little debate over climate change at the Pentagon, where the realities of temperature increases are now a part of everyday planning.

In the article, Tucker includes quotes from Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel (see yesterday’s blog), outgoing Assistant Secretary of Defense (ASD) for Operational Energy Plans and Programs Sharon E. Burke, and member of the Center for Climate Security Advisory Board, Brigadier General John Adams, USA (ret). Here are some notable exceprts:

ASD Burke:

We have to be concerned about all of the global impacts [of climate change], including here at home, where the Defense Department does have a mission in supporting civil authorities in the event of natural disasters. We have to be concerned about all of it…

Brigadier General John Adams, USA (ret)

I’m not seeing intransigence  [on the issue] in the Pentagon,” retired Army Brig. Gen. John Adams told Defense One.  Adams is an advisor to the Center for Climate Security, which looks at the intersection of climate change and national security. ‘The Pentagon is seeing this as a problem. Instability is accelerating. Climate change is an accelerator of instability. The Pentagon understands that. They’re looking at what sorts of force structures and equipment they’re going to need to have available to deal with increasing instability that will be most effected by climate change.