ericgrimsrud

As evidenced by a report just put out by the Pentagon, we can be glad that our military branches acknowledge the dire need for both mitigation against and adoption to the changes that are occurring around the world due to our increasing emissions of greenhouse gases.  The title of this report is Department of Defense, FY 2014 Climate Change Adaption Roadmap and begins with following paragraph:

“Climate change will affect the Department of Defense’s ability to defend the Nation and poses immediate risks to US national security.  The Department is responding to climate change in two ways: adaptation, or efforts to plan for changes that are occurring or expected to occur; and mitigation, or efforts that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.   This Climate Change Adaptation Roadmap focuses on the Department’s climate change adaptation activities.”

The full document is 20 pages long and clearly written.  I urge you to read or at least scan it at  http://www.acq.osd.mil/ie/download/CCARprint.pdf .

What is made clear in this statement is that our military’s view of the climate change issue is very close to, if not identical to, the views held by our nation’s leading scientific organizations. Since the latter group has been widely dismissed as “alarmists” by the deniers of climate change – which has included most within the Republican Party – it follows that the Republican Party will now also consider our military to be overly alarmist. This, in turn, can be expected to lead to further actions by our Republican Congressmen to frustrate our military’s efforts to do their jobs. Note, for example, in May of this year, the Republican-dominated House passed an amendment sponsored by Rep. David McKinley (R-WV) that would have forbidden the Pentagon from using any of its funding to address the national security impacts of climate change.  Can you believe that one?!

While the Republicans of the House have made it clear on this most important issue of our time that they live in some sort of “La La Land” of their imagination, we can be glad that our military forces operate in the real world and are in an excellent position for observing the changes occurring throughout it.  If the Republicans also gain a majority in the Senate via our upcoming November elections, let’s hope that the new set of Republicans show more respect for both the military and scientific organizations of their own country.  We cannot afford to dismiss the advice of either of these groups if we hope to prosper on this planet.  The present inhabitants of Earth need leadership that is both strong and wise.