Home » Posts tagged 'General Keys'
Tag Archives: General Keys
General Keys: The military thinks climate change is serious
General Ron Keys, United States Air Force (ret), in his capacity as Advisory Board member with the Center for Climate and Security and Chairman of the CNA Advisory Board, recently opened up the annual Common Good Forum with an excellent speech titled “Planning for Disaster – Climate Change and National Security.” In the speech, General Keys emphasized that the U.S. military doesn’t play politics with climate change and energy security, because it doesn’t have that luxury. The U.S. military looks at both climate change and energy security through the lens of how they effect its capacity to do its job as a war-fighter and humanitarian responder. A few key passages from the General: (more…)
Weekly Wisdom: General Keys on “Silver Buckshot” Climate Solutions
General Ron Keys, U.S. Air Force (ret) recently spoke at the launch of the CNA Corporation’s new report “National Security and the Accelerating Risks of Climate Change.” The entire launch is worth watching (here), but for this week’s weekly wisdom we’d like to leave you with a quote from Gen. Keys regarding responding to climatic risks:
There is not just one solution. It is not a silver bullet. It’s silver buckshot.
If we are going to adequately prepare and respond to climate risks, we’d be wise to listen to Gen. Keys and develop broad and expansive responses to these threats and opportunities.
General Ron Keys Joins the Center for Climate and Security Advisory Board
The Center for Climate and Security is honored to welcome General Ron Keys, United States Air Force (Retired), to its Advisory Board.
General Ron Keys retired in November 2007 after completing a career of more than forty years. He is a command pilot with more than 4,000 flying hours in fighter aircraft, including more than 300 hours of combat time. No stranger to energy security challenges, Gen Keys first faced them operationally as a young Air Force Captain, piloting F-4s during the fuel embargo of the 1970s. Later, as Director of Operations for European Command, fuel and logistic supply provisioning were critical decisions during humanitarian, rescue, and combat operations from the Balkans deep into Africa… many driven by floods and famine.
As Commander of Allied Air Forces Southern Europe and Commander of the U.S. 16th Air Force, similar hard choices had to be made in operations for Northern Watch in Iraq as well as for combat air patrols and resupply in the Balkans. Later again, as the Director of all Air Force air, space, and cyber operations in the early 2000’s he saw the impact of energy choices on budget execution as well as the emerging threat of climate change on operational tempo, training, and basing. Finally, at Air Combat Command, where he commanded then the Air Force’s largest command — comprised of 1,200 aircraft, 27 wings, 17 bases and 105,000 personnel in 200 operating locations worldwide, he faced the total challenge of organizing, training, and equipping in the face of energy challenges and potential climate impacts.
General Keys resides in Woodbridge, Virginia and owns RK Solution Enterprises, LLC, an independent consultancy advising various DoD and Non-DoD related firms on energy security and climate change, cyber, advanced technologies, strategic planning, policy development, and marketing.