Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change
Today, at 11:00 a.m, Thursday March 13, the Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change hosted distinguished military leaders in the U.S. Capitol, including ASP’s CEO, Stephen Cheney. Other expert participants include Brigadier General Gerald Galloway, USA (Ret) and Fmr. Captain Jon Gensler, U.S. Army.
Climate change creates “conditions that can enable terrorist activity and other forms of violence,” according to the 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review. Mass migrations, flooding, drought, sea level rise, and food supply instability are all causes for increased conflict around the world. Climate change will act as a “threat multiplier” in the most volatile regions and will stress supplies and access to military installations around the world. Today’s military leaders are already taking steps to prepare for the enhanced security threat posed by climate change.
The Bicameral Task Force on Climate Change, founded in January 2013, focuses on drawing congressional and public attention to climate change and developing effective policy responses to this urgent challenge. The current co-chairs are Rep. Henry A. Waxman, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, Rep. Bobby L. Rush, Sen. Ben Cardin, Rep. Earl Blumenauer, and Sen. Ed Markey.
For more information from the American Security Project on how climate change threatens national security, check out our reports including Climate Change & the Homeland, Pay Now Pay Later, a state-by-state assessment of the costs of climate change, and our recently released Briefing Note on this subject.
