Climate Change ‘Significant and Direct’ Threat to U.S. Military

A new report signed by former top military officers and national-security officials declares that climate change—and its symptoms—is putting U.S. military operations at risk. A statement Wednesday by the Washington-based Center for Climate and Security said, “There are few easy answers, but one thing is clear: The current trajectory of climatic change presents a strategically significant risk to U.S. national security, and inaction is not a viable option.” More than a dozen ex-national-security officials and retired military officers signed the statement, including retired Gen. Anthony Zinni, former commander of the U.S. Central Command, and retired Admiral Samuel Locklear, head of the Pacific Command until last year. The report recommends that the next president create a Cabinet-level post to address the effects of climate change.