Gen. Cheney (left); J. Eric Smith (center); Amy Davidsen (right)

On July 16, I took part in the kickoff of Climate Week NYC, an event to publicize a series of major events on climate change set to take place in New York from September 23-30. Now in its fifth year, the launch event hosted by The Climate Group was a great success.

First, I participated in a panel discussion on the risks, threats, and opportunities presented by the changing global climate. As a retired Marine Brigadier General, I brought the national security perspective of climate change.

I talked about how climate change is already underway and is posing complexities to national security planners. Climate change may not directly cause conflict, but its effects – rising sea levels, severe weather, drought, water scarcity – exacerbate problems that already exist. Populations living on marginal lands may be forced to migrate in the event of a severe drought. Increasing scarcity of fresh water could heighten tensions between communities with delicate deals on water management. Rising food prices could contribute to unrest in packed urban areas.

It is not just fragile states that may experience instability. Severe storms, drought, and floods pose threats to the United States as well. J. Eric Smith, CEO of Swiss Re Americas, a major insurance company, understands this full well. Swiss Re and other insurance companies are being forced to pick up the tab for the increasingly devastating effects of climate change. He spoke on the panel about these economic risks from climate change.

Our message was clear. The U.S. needs to significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions. But it also needs to plan for the inevitable consequences of a climate that is already changing. This will require resiliency of the nation’s coastal areas, electric grid, and infrastructure. It will require clean energy, both in the short-term, but also developing the next-generation energy technologies to power the American economy into the future. And it will require the U.S. military to prepare for conflict and emergency response that may stem from climate events.

The effects of climate change are multifaceted, and cannot be solved by one sector alone. That is why Climate Week NYC will be so important. It will bring together businesses, military planners, and non-profits to discuss what needs to be done to prepare for climate change.

After our panel discussion, I joined the Executive Director of the Climate Group, Amy Davidsen and Swiss Re’s Eric Smith to ring the closing bell of the NASDAQ stock exchange. I was proud to participate in this event and proud to bring awareness to the vital national security issue of climate change. Stay tuned for Climate Week from September 23-30.

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