Climate Change And US National Security

Climate change, as one of the most pressing global challenges, has had significant impacts on all mankind and many countries. It has even been a threat to the core national security interests of a country. Generally speaking, climate change will exert influence on national security in both direct and indirect ways. Being a major emitter of greenhouse gases and the world’s only superpower, the United States has to face more severe challenges of climate change to its global security interests. According to the strategic reports U.S. released over the years, climate change is deemed as a“threat multiplier” or an “accelerant of instability or conflict”, which will pose a grave threat to the national security of the country.On the one hand, the United States will be directly affected by climate change, with its sovereignty, homeland security, as well as military capabilities being undermined.On the other hand, the U.S. will more likely be subject to the adverse impacts of climate change in an indirect way. Climate change, interacting with other factors, will place massive pressures on existing stressors, then aggravate tensions and even lead to the outbreak of conflicts. Especially in the vulnerable parts of the world, social instability and political unrest shall spawn more failed states, giving rise to the forces of terrorism. The U.S. allies, as a result, will be plunged into a more dangerous situation. Considering its broad global interests, any dominoes falling will put the U.S.national security at greater risk.The U.S. military has adopted a combined strategy of mitigation and adaptation to minimize the climate change impacts and advance national security interests of the United States of America.