Miami Herald Op-Ed: Climate change a threat to national security

Rear Admiral Neil Morisetti currently serves as Honorary Professor and Director of Strategy at University College London's Science Technology Engineering and Public Policy Department
Rear Admiral Neil Morisetti currently serves as Honorary Professor and Director of Strategy at University College London’s Science Technology Engineering and Public Policy Department

United States Air Force Lt. Ken Eickmann (retired) and Rear Admiral British Royal Navy Neil Morisetti CB (retired) “have seen first-hand how the risks of climate change affect military operations and national security around the world.”

That’s why we are visiting Miami this week to meet with a wide range of local leaders to talk about the fact that a more diversified energy posture makes for a safer nation. And South Florida has a key role to play in moving the world to a stronger energy future.

According to the U.S. National Climate Assessment, global sea levels rose about eight inches in the last century. They are predicted to rise anywhere from one to four feet in the coming century. That especially matters in a place like Florida, where 2.4 million people live within four feet of current sea levels.

But picture that kind of destabilizing change coming to a region in conflict — exacerbating disputes over politics, resources, religion, and economics — and you can readily see why national security leaders around the world have identified climate change as a key threat to the global security system.

Lieutenant General Kenneth E Eickmann is the Senior Research Fellow, Energy Institute and Deputy Director Center for Energy Security at University of Texas
Lieutenant General Kenneth E Eickmann is currently the Senior Research Fellow, Energy Institute and Deputy Director Center for Energy Security at University of Texas

The opinion piece published in the Miami Herald’s March 3rd edition goes on to highlight how climate change “represents a direct challenge to national security and global stability” but that the British and United States military using renewable energy to cut costs, reduce environmental impact, and perhaps most important, “cutting the number of dangerous re-supply convoys that all too often turn our troops into targets.”

Click here for a pdf of the full article: Climate change a threat

Published byMelanieDawn

Melanie Dawn Molina Wood is a Miami native currently living in the historic downtown district. She has earned her LEED Green Associate accreditation, the NAR GREEN designation, and an Eco-broker credential. She is also a proud member of the US Green Building Council, and a member of the Sierra Club. For more information about sustainability in Miami, or to connect with a real estate agent anywhere in the world, contact Melanie Dawn by text/phone at 305.801.3133, or by email at MelanieDawn@MelanieinMiami.com

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