“The planet’s changing climate has a significant effect on Defense Department missions, plans and installations. DOD is elevating climate change as a national security priority.”
DOD website
A national security priority
The US Military is facing the reality of climate change. Our armed forces are called to help with a growing number of climate-fueled disasters. Also, bases have sustained billions in damage from extreme weather in recent years. A warmer climate has real implications for our troops at home and abroad. As a result, the Department of Defense elevated climate change to a “national security priority“.
Climate-related events like wildfires and floods are on the rise in the US, putting more strain on our troops. Additionally, the impacts of the warming planet are playing out around the world, worsening migration, food scarcity, and instability. In response, the DOD is implementing new strategies at military installations, adapting to current risks, and preparing for a future with more extremes.
Some ways the US Military is responding to climate change
- Increasing the use of clean energy to reduce heat-trapping emissions
- Working to make bases more resilient to extreme weather
- Training and equipping troops for extreme conditions
A few examples:
- The DOD just announced a plan to power five military bases in the Carolinas with solar energy through a partnership with Duke Energy
- The Army is building new barracks at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, using sustainable materials to improve resiliency and decrease emissions
- The Marine Corps Logistics base in Albany, Georgia has achieved net-zero emissions, meaning they produce more energy from renewable sources than they use
Strategies to mitigate and adapt to climate change are not only helping make us more secure, but they are saving taxpayer money. That’s a combination I think we can all support.
Let’s do something about climate change. Learn about it. Think about it. Talk about it.