The War College chimes in: "Time is ripe" for US leadership on climate security
An August paper from the Strategic Studies Institute at the Army War College, Taking Up the Security Challenge of Climate Change, adds another unequivocal call for preparative action from the US government and military to address security risks posed by climate change.
The paper lays out the importance of US leadership in the global response to climate change, the need for a sustainable security paradigm to drive that response, and a case study of how Sino-American collaboration in combating the worst effects of climate change in Africa would not only alleviate security and humanitarian threats to African populations but also improve US-China relations, bolster US influence in Africa, and strengthen our diplomatic standing worldwide.
Some highlights:
Stemming the tide of climate change and adapting to its far-reaching security implications must therefore rank among the most vital U.S. strategic priorities this century. The military instrument of national power should be used innovatively to mitigate manmade contributions to global warming, to assist especially vulnerable peoples and states to adapt to climate change, and to promote stability and sustainable security in places where climate change effects are most likely to occur. The time is ripe, perhaps overdue, for the United States to take up the security challenge of climate change.”
Climate change is a multifaceted threat to America’s well-being, and the world’s. The life-sustaining capacity of our planet may be in jeopardy. Fears are growing that climate change, that which is already occurring and the even more dire consequences that may lie ahead, will generate instability and lead to conflict. The most violent conflict is foreseen in and near areas that become uninhabitable, for example, due to desertification or sea-level rise. The nature, underlying uncertainty, growing prevalence, and possible intractability of climate change exacerbate its tensions, risks, and threats.”
…although (responding to climate security threats) necessarily includes a significant military dimension, the economic and diplomatic instruments of power must play the greater role.”
The report also cites ASP’s A New American Arsenal, saying:
Another high-powered group, the American Security Project…cites climate change as one of four “grave challenges” for the United States. Among its recommendations are entreaties to advance sustainable development and environmental stewardship, to develop capabilities to deal with the consequences of climate change, especially “climate refugees,” and to formulate environmental conflict resolution mechanisms. The report advocates a collective, collaborative view of security and strategies that combine all instruments of national power, placing the economic and diplomatic instruments above the military.”
Read A New American Arsenal here.
