Perspective – Arctic Climate Change: Implications for U.S. National Security
Summer 2020 has seen unprecedented public engagement with the issue of Arctic climate change. The Far North has dominated international headlines by breaking record after record: hottest temperature, lowest sea ice extent, and most extreme wildfire season. Arctic climate change threatens U.S. national security by undermining American infrastructure, disrupting regional food webs, and degrading population health. A melting Arctic is also a more accessible Arctic—we are already seeing renewed great power competition in the region, as well as greater opportunities for natural resource exploration. Positive feedback mechanisms at work in the Far North further accelerate the rate of both polar and global warming. The U.S. government must respond by reducing American emissions, building climate resilience, and crafting an Arctic strategy that acknowledges climate change as the key to the region’s future.
Arctic Climate Change – Imp… by The American Security Project
