In this article, The New York Times reports that in recognition of the potential national security implications of climate change, the Obama Administration has quietly endorsed the renewal of Medea (Measurements of Earth Data for Environmental Analysis). This program has facilitated collaboration between the intelligence and scientific communities to understand climate trends through the use [...]

Washington, DC – The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) recently re-launched a program to share surveillance and other data with scientists monitoring climate change.  Images from spy satellites—declassified and degraded—will be invaluable to scientists as they monitor the effects of climate change on sea ice, glaciers, tropical rainforests, and other natural phenomena.  While some have criticized [...]

The January 12, 2010 edition of Indiana’s Courier Journal featured the article“An Energy Security Plan” coauthored byRichard Lugar, senior US Senator from Indiana (R) and General Paul Kern (US Army Retired), former commanding general of US Army Materiel Command. Since 2008, Kern has served as the President and Chief Operating Officer of AM General LLC, [...]

Last month, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus committed to making the US Navy a “green fleet” – by 2020, 50% of all energy consumed by the USN will be supplied by renewable energy sources. To that end the Navy will expand its use of hybrid vehicles, solar and wind, and perhaps even pave the way for [...]

A recent Pew study indicates that climate change has been losing its luster. In every category, from age, political leanings, region, and education, people are increasingly skeptical about the science behind global warming. According to the study, between April 2008 and October 2009 there was a notable decline in people who believe global warming is [...]

If you haven’t read Thomas Friedman’s op-ed piece today, do. It outlines the sorry state of the American solar industry, focusing on the U.S. company Applied Materials. Of its 14 solar panel factories worldwide, “not a single one is in America… five are in Germany, four are in China, one is in Spain, one is [...]

As the US lumbers on in debate over renewable energy reform, the PRC is moving forward to become the world’s biggest contender in the solar energy market. Boosted by generous government subsidies, bountiful cheap labor and an ever-increasing demand for green energy, Chinese companies like Suntech are gradually overtaking their American and German competitors.
This may [...]

IBM has released a report warning of huge risks posed to the global utilities sector by climate change. According to the report, “90% of utilities around the world know they are at risk from climate change but fewer than a third said they have performed any financial review of the possible impacts on their business.”
IBM [...]

Admiral Gunn’s testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as submitted to the record, is posted here.

Readers of this blog will quickly see that people are starting to take the national security dimensions of energy and climate change seriously.  I want to add to the discussion by trying to bring the issue closer to home.  Let me focus on three issues that are clear and present dangers from America’s current energy [...]