Podcast: Climate Change and Global Security

Friday, June 25 5:34 pm

Neil Morisetti, Anthony Broccoli, Dennis McGinn, and Andrew Nagorski at the American Museum of Natural History. © R. Mickens/AMNH

This Tuesday, June 22, several hundred people gathered at the American Museum of Natural History for a fresh examination of climate change. A group of academic and military experts explained why any discussion about global warming should include a broader look at the implications for long-term global security.

“What often does not come across in the discussions of climate change…is that the militaries of the U.S., the U.K., and other countries have for a long time operated on the assumption that climate change is something that you have to deal with,” began moderator Andrew Nagorski of the EastWest Institute. “Whatever the causes, the consequences [of climate change], you have to factor it into your planning.”

Panelist Vice Admiral (Retired) Dennis V. McGinn could not agree more. As a member of the Center for Naval Analyses Military Advisory Board, he participated in writing National Security and the Threat of Climate Change (2007) and Powering America’s Defense: Energy and the Risks to National Security (2008). To McGinn, the conversation about climate change before the two reports were issued had been a deadlocked back-and-forth between environmentalists and business interests. But “the effects of climate change will act as a threat multiplier in the most volatile parts of the world, [and]…a recipe for more military action,” said McGinn. “Our posture is a serious threat to our national security militarily, diplomatically, and economically, and that vulnerability can be used by those who wish to do us harm.”

Listen to the Podcast: Download | RSS | iTunes (1 hr 25 mins, 98.4 MB)

Another military voice on the panel was that of Rear Admiral Neil Morisetti, climate and energy security envoy of the U.K. Ministry of Defense and Foreign Commonwealth Office. Morisetti pointed out that the U.K. military has a carbon budget and that adapting to the changing world quickly is critical. “Our responsibility is to look after national security of our citizens today and in the future,” he said. “We need to adapt our capability to deal with the changes that will come with climate change.”

Atmospheric scientist Anthony J. Broccoli, a professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences at Rutgers University, rounded out the panel. The symposium was sponsored by the British Consulate-General New York to raise awareness of the current environmental challenges facing the polar regions and the globe.

Neil Morisetti Discusses Climate Change and National Security

Monday, June 21 1:59 pm

UK Climate and Energy Security Envoy Rear Admiral Neil Morisetti will be a featured speaker at the panelClimate Change: the Threat and Opportunity for Global Securityat the Museum on June 22.  He recently answered some questions about the connection between climate change and national security.

Why is the Ministry of Defence concerned about climate change?

The objectives of the UK Ministry of Defence are to achieve success in military tasks at home and abroad, be ready to respond to tasks that might arise, and, to build for the future. To be able to achieve this it is necessary to fully understand the threats and challenges that we are likely to face. In the case of climate change it is unlikely that it will be the direct cause of conflict. Rather it will act as a ‘threat multiplier’ in the regions that are already experiencing multiple stresses. Conflict in many of these regions has the potential to impact UK’s interests and security. Therefore we need to better understand how people will react to the second and third order consequences of climate change, including the loss of land and livelihood.

At the same time it is important to ensure that we have the appropriate capabilities to undertake missions in the future world, whether it is humanitarian assistance in response to extreme weather events, conflict prevention, or conflict resolution. In all cases we must also make sure that delivery of that capability is sustainable and does not substantially contribute to the causes of climate change: key to this is reducing our dependency on fossil fuels.

Can you explain what the bipartisan climate bill is? What effect has it had in the UK?

The Climate Change Act 2008 arose out of significant cross-party agreement in the UK on the importance of action to tackle climate change. As well as improving carbon management domestically, the Act aims to provide strong leadership internationally which is essential as we work towards a post-2012 global agreement . The Act established ambitious, legally binding targets to reduce emissions, including a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, against a 1990 baseline, of at least 80% by 2050. Perhaps the most important consequence of this legislation so far has been the Low Carbon Transition Plan, which provides a long-term road map for delivering cuts in emissions. It includes plans to get more of our power from renewable sources, make our homes greener, cut emissions from transport and farming and even make government greener.

How do the UK and US currently cooperate on climate change, and what are the areas in which our approaches differ?

The US and UK understand that climate change does not recognize boundaries. One area that the US and UK work closely together on is technology development.  The UK is currently a world leader in offshore wind technology and we are sharing our expertise with US counterparts.  Another technology we work closely on is carbon capture and storage (CCS).  The UK and US are both developing CCS demonstration plants, in order to test the new technology.

One area of difference is that in the UK, we have a comprehensive and legally binding climate change bill that mandates significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.  In the US, the House of Representatives passed a similar bill last June, but the Senate has not yet approved their version.

Dennis McGinn Discusses Climate Change and National Security

Thursday, June 17 10:59 am

Vice Admiral Dennis McGinn USN (Ret.), CNA Military Advisory Board, will be a featured speaker at the panel Climate Change: the Threat and Opportunity for Global Security at the Museum on June 22.  He recently answered some questions about the connection between climate change and national security.  Make sure to visit the News section later for another Q&A with McGinn’s co-panelist, UK Climate and Energy Security Envoy Rear Admiral Neil Morisetti.

The connection between climate change and national or global security is a key part of the larger debate. What is that connection?

First, that the likely conditions created by climate change—droughts, floods, extreme weather events, loss of coastal regions, reduced water supplies, crop failure and potential pandemics—will act as a “threat multiplier” for instability in volatile regions of the world. Second, the destabilizing effect of these stressful conditions on fragile governments and societies will cause them to fail, creating a growing need for U.S. military missions ranging from humanitarian assistance to peacekeeping to conflicts over resources in regions critical to U.S. national security.

What are some recent examples of the implications of climate change for national security?

Failed states create a fertile breeding ground for organized crime, paramilitary forces and extremists. Two present examples are the Darfur region of Sudan and the failed state of Somalia. If the destabilizing effects of climate change go unchecked, we can expect more frequent, widespread, and intense failed state scenarios creating large scale humanitarian disasters and higher potential for conflict and terrorism. The effects of climate change can significantly magnify and accelerate regional pressures on long-standing tensions along political, ethnic, religious, and economic fault lines. This is a recipe for failed states and societies which, in most cases, will lead to conflict.

The Department of Defense and national intelligence communities recognize this clear link between climate change, national security, and instability and have begun strategic plans and programs to both mitigate and adapt to the most likely and serious effects in key areas around the globe.

You argue that our current reliance on fossil fuel for energy affects us diplomatically, economically, and militarily.  How so, and what are the best alternatives?

Our current overreliance on fossil fuel is a serious and urgent threat to our national security. Diplomatically, the fact that we use of 25 percent of the oil produced every year and only control 3 percent of the known oil reserves undermines our moral authority and national leverage with other nations as we attempt to solve serious international issues.

Economically, we send more than $ 1 billion dollars each day to foreign countries, some of them unfriendly to our national interests, to pay for our oil addiction, thereby undermining our domestic economy. And militarily, we pay an enormous price in lost lives and national treasure to put our troops in harm’s way around the world, in many instances primarily to ensure the free flow of oil. Read more »

Previous Museum Podcasts

Thursday, May 14 3:41 pm

Michael Pollan: In Defense of Food

Starting with his best-seller, The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s Eye View of the World, Michael Pollan has uncovered hidden aspects of the industrialized American diet. In his newest book, he encourages us to take control of our eating habits with a simple resolution, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” Michael Pollan discusses ways of doing this with Peter Hoffman, chef and owner of Savoy. Recorded on May 14, 2009.

Download | RSS | iTunes (55 mins, 53 MB)

Global Kitchen: Climate Change and Coffee

Todd Carmichael, La Colombe Torrefaction; Coffee Roasters & Blenders; and Danner Friedman, Rainforest Alliance, discuss growing coffee amid the realities of climate change. Learn how the coffee you purchase can help protect against deforestation, one of the leading causes of carbon dioxide emissions. A coffee cupping introduces several coffee varietals (plant strains) grown under different environmental conditions, from slash-and-burn farms to rainforests. Recorded on February 3, 2009.

Download | RSS | iTunes (1hr 16 mins, 70 MB)

Is God a Mathematician?

For centuries, mathematical theories have proven uncannily accurate at describing—and predicting—the physical world. What is it that gives mathematics such power? Mario Livio attempts to answer this question in his new book Is God A Mathematician?. Spanning such fields as cosmology, physics, and cognitive science, Dr. Livio offers an accessible and lively account of the lives and thoughts of some of the greatest mathematicians and scientists in history, from Archimedes to Galileo, Descartes to Gödel, and on up to today. Recorded on January 12, 2009.

Download | RSS | iTunes (1hr 5 mins, 60 MB)

From the Field: Evolution: What the Fossils Say and Why it Matters

Donald R. Prothero vividly illustrates how the fossil record is now one of the strongest lines of evidence for evolution. Tackling subjects ranging from flood geology and rock dating to neo- Darwinism and macroevolution, he takes us on a grand tour that sheds light on such subjects as invertebrate transitions, the reign of the dinosaurs, and the leap from chimpanzee to human. Donald R. Prothero is Professor of Geology at Occidental College and author of the new book Evolution: What Fossils Say and Why it Matters. Recorded on January 8, 2009.

Download | RSS | iTunes (1hr 14mins, 74 MB)

The How and Why of Climate Change and What It Means for the Future

In this talk, Edmond A. Mathez presents the scientific evidence for climate change, describes some of the possible impacts, and explores potential solutions. Dr. Mathez is curator of the exhibition, Climate Change: The Threat to Life and A New Energy Future and author of the new book, Climate Change: The Science of Global Warming and Our Energy Future. Recorded on January 6, 2009.

Download | RSS | iTunes (1hr 10mins, 65 MB)