Chris Targo
Given events in Ukraine and the Middle East and the rise of China as a major adversary of the United States, one would think that the Department of Defense is fully engaged in responding to real threats to U.S. national security. It is also believed that in today's fraught geopolitical situation in the world, the Department of Defense will use its valuable resources to identify future threats that actually pose existential threats to U.S. security.
Climate change does not currently pose a threat to U.S. national security. Defense Department leaders, however, don’t think so. In fact, the Department of Defense considers the climate crisis a “national security priority.”
On December 11, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that it was very concerned about climate change in Africa because “climate-stressed areas are opportunities for terrorist organizations to recruit members.” As a result, the Department of Defense declared, “The consequences of inaction on climate will be severe and our allies and partners will face increasing security challenges as a result.”
Sadly, this is just the latest example of the Department of Defense getting off track in addressing climate change.
Even more worrisome is the fact that this is part of a larger effort to shift the nation's military's primary focus from preventing real-world threats to mitigating the non-existent threat of climate change.
In September 2021, the Department of Defense released its Climate Adaptation Plan, which stated: “The Department of Defense (DOD) has identified climate change as a critical national security issue, threat multiplier, and senior management challenge… [and] Bold steps must be taken to accelerate adaptation and reduce the adverse impacts of climate change. As expected, the 32-page plan outlines in detail how the Department of Defense must “integrate climate change adaptation and climate resilience into agency programs, real estate management, public lands and waters, and financial services.”
A month later, the Department of Defense released a climate risk analysis, explaining: “Climate change is reshaping the geostrategic, operational, and tactical environment, with significant implications for U.S. national security and defense. Increased temperatures; altered precipitation patterns; climate change-related More frequent, intense, and unpredictable extreme weather conditions are exacerbating existing risks and posing new security challenges to U.S. interests.
Shortly after, the Department of Defense announced that the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Air Force had all developed “action plans” to mitigate the so-called climate crisis. Here's a brief excerpt from the Navy's action plan: “The Department of Defense must reduce greenhouse gas emissions, absorb greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, stabilize ecosystems, and work as a business to achieve the nation's commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050.”
In case you were wondering, the other two military services have also committed to “net-zero emissions” by 2050 under their action plans.
It is, of course, a credit to the Biden administration that the Department of Defense has focused on combating climate change rather than ensuring U.S. national security as its ultimate priority.
As Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin wrote, “On January 27, 2021, President Biden issued Executive Order 14008 to address the climate crisis at home and abroad, making climate considerations a fundamental element of U.S. foreign policy and national security. elements as government policy”.
Fortunately, the Biden administration will be gone soon. Unlike Biden, President-elect Trump understands that the U.S. military’s focus should be on protecting the country from viable threats, not reducing its carbon footprint.
In 2017, Trump removed the word “climate change” from the list of global threats in his national security strategy. Instead, Trump has made clear that his administration will focus on Russia, China, and other nation-states that pose serious threats to U.S. interests.
In addition, Trump also accused the former president of putting “American energy on lockdown” while saying that he “embraces a future of American energy dominance and self-sufficiency.”
During Trump’s first term, the United States achieved energy dominance and became a net exporter of oil for the first time in 75 years. Unfortunately, much of this progress has been undone by Biden, who has “mobilized a whole-of-government effort” to combat climate change.
However, what Biden destroyed Trump can be redone. When Trump returns to the Oval Office on January 20, 2025, he will do everything in his power to ensure that the U.S. military is focused solely on protecting U.S. national security. He will also unleash the power of the U.S. energy sector as he did in his first term, which will further consolidate U.S. hegemony. The days when the Department of Defense was preoccupied with battling the weather are over. Going forward, America and the world will clearly be safer.
Chris Targo (ctalgo@heartland.org) is the editorial director of the Heartland Institute.
Originally published in American Thinker
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