Climate change and national defense
Bernie Sanders’ invocation of global warming as the leading national security threat may have seemed to come out of, well, left field. But the Pentagon itself is concerned about climate change. The 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review warned that “the impacts of climate change may increase the frequency, scale, and complexity of future missions” and promote terrorist activity.
Among the concerns of defense experts are:
-Likely impacts on agriculture, which could lead to food shortages and increased competition for arable land and other resources.
-Water shortages resulting from droughts.
-Increased storm activity and rising sea levels affecting naval installations and operations.
-Recurring refugee crises and resulting political instability./p>
-Strain on civil defense and military resources to deal with more frequent natural disasters.
