ASP CEO BGen Cheney on Climate Change and the National Defense Strategy
ASP’s CEO Brigadier General Stephen Cheney USMC (Ret.) authored a USA Today op-ed this past week explaining the significant implications of omitting climate change in the National Defense Strategy. The omission of climate change risks the readiness capabilities of the military and leaves the US susceptible to falling behind the growing power of Russia and China.
The USA Today article cited how the 2018 National Defense Strategy left climate change unsaid. Cheney explained how this impedes the military’s readiness to respond to stronger and more frequent storms prompted by climate change. He continued to explain the national security implications of not preparing for climate change by noting the major damage Hurricane Michael inflicted on Tyndall Airforce Base. Additionally, both China and Russia have increased their engagement in the rapidly melting Arctic. China recently launched a new icebreaker and has plans to develop a nuclear icebreaker, potentially making them superior to the United States’ icebreaker fleet. Russia recently held their largest war games since the Cold War. The US must address this growing threat. Leaving climate change out of the conversation places the safety of future generations at risk.
Cheney wrote:
“The omission of climate change in the 2018 NDS is a critical error. Climate change is a major factor in our changing security environment, and our military must prepare for the realities of climate change if we are to compete with other great powers on the world stage.”
For more information, read the full article “Two words and a big threat missing from 2018 National Defense Strategy: Climate change” on USA Today.
For the full report by ASP on how climate fits into the National Defense Strategy, click here.
