Sailors aboard the USS Nicholas as it departs Naval Station Norfolk ahead of Hurricane Irene. (U.S. Navy photo by Aaron Chase)
The Economist recently produced a short video, Warriors and weather: Climate change and national security in America. It’s a good overview of some of the issues the U.S. Department of Defense is grappling with in regards to climate change. The video is posted below. For those looking for more than a brief overview, also posted below are links to the documents and background sources for the information presented in the video. The background documents are listed in the order that they are mentioned in the video.
Read-A-Long with the Video
List of Administration Officials quoted on the links between climate and security: On the Record: Climate Change as a National Security Risk According to U.S. Administration Officials
List of major climate and security policy and documents by year: Climate Security Chronology
List of U.S. Department of Defense policies on climate and security: Climate Security Resource Hub, U.S. Government, Defense
Background on Hampton Roads climate vulnerability: Hampton Roads, Virginia and the Military’s Battle Against Sea Level Rise
U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on climate vulnerabilities: GAO Report on Climate Change: Three Recommendations for the Secretary of Defense
Secretary of Defense Hagel at the Conference of the Defense Ministers of the Americas: Secretary Hagel on Climate Change Affecting the Security Environment
Climate and Security in the Arctic: US Navy and Coast Guard Testimony on Climate and Security in the Arctic
Syria: Syria: Climate Change, Drought and Social Unrest
Complexity of the link between climate and conflict in Syria: On Syrian Refugees and Climate Change: The Risks of Oversimplifying and Underestimating the Connection
Sen. Inhofe and Admiral Locklear Senate Testimony: Admiral Locklear’s Testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee
Climate security in the Asia-Pacific: New Report: The U.S. Asia-Pacific Rebalance, National Security and Climate Change
For a general overview of the links between climate change and security see the Climate Security 101 Project.
