ASP’s Andrew Holland featured in E&E News article
ASP’s Director of studies and senior fellow for energy and climate security Andrew Holland was quoted in Sam Mintz’s E&E News article, DOD Arctic strategy emphasizes climate change. The Article discusses the Department of Defense’s newly released strategy for the Arctic. Holland explains the accessibility of the Arctic region as an effect of climate change, the role of Russia as an arctic nation, and what to expect in this area from the new administration.
Holland says the Arctic is becoming even more open, “It’s more predictable now that you have these ice-free summer openings.” He goes on to discuss the security implications of Russia’s substantially built up military presence in the Arctic, ultimately saying, “We don’t know why the Russians are doing this, why they care about this so much.” He continued, “It’s not like they have to defend against an invasion.”
He concludes by expressing doubt that the Arctic will be repositioned much higher on DOD’s crowded list of priorities. The Arctic will be something that Mattis will have to think about but, “I don’t know that the military is exactly clamoring for a new mission that’s going to cost a lot more money. They’ve got plenty of other things going on elsewhere around the world,” he said.
To read the full article, click here.
