JK and Teresa are going to be talking with Lynn Cullen of WPTT in Pittsburgh from 9:30 – 10 am ET today. WPTT has a live webcast so tune it in and join us for a live blog session.

For those of us who missed the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing yesterday morning, the topic was climate change as a national security threat. Blogger KarenNJ watched it on the web and took notes for us all. Here’s her report:

Climate Change: National Security Threat

Yesterday, Senator Kerry and the other Senators on the SFRC had a hearing, requested by Senator Kerry in an April 17, 2007 letter to Chairman, Joe Biden. During the hearing, three retired high level officers spoke about the report, “National Security and the Threat of Climate Change” that they wrote for the Center for Naval Analyses. The hearing can be viewed via this link on the SFRC web’s site. CNA also has a report summary available here.

Senator Biden opened the hearing by explaining the purpose of the hearing and introducing the panel. The overall goal of that study was to assess what the national security impacts might be because of the stresses that climate change could bring. He mentioned that one recommendation of the committee was to have the National Intelligence Estimate reflect potential climate change threats. Senators Durbin and Hagel have introduced legislation to require this.

Senator Lugar, in his opening statement, listed the 6 problems that they found were connected to our use of oil.

1) Oil supplies are vulnerable to natural disasters and to war. 2) As the economies of India and China grow, they increase the demand for oil. 3) Oil is the weapon of choice for the countries that have it. 4) Oil revenues go to some of the least accountable countries 5) Third world countries with no oil resources have economic difficulties. 6) Global Change

Lugar pointed out that the US has abundant coal resources – so we need to work on clean coal. He also said that we need to participate in international forums involving both developed and developing nations <!-more-> Admiral Joseph W. Prucher, USN (retired) , who was also a former ambassador to China, said that climate change was linked to national security because it will exasperate problems, and as climate change increases it will get worse. The lower end of possible problems was described as like Katrina. The higher end would lead to massive migrations, increased disease, and lack of sufficient food and water in poorer nations. This would increase political, military and cultural tensions, leading to instabilities and more extremism. He observed that oil was foreign, finite and fickle and that we need a global solution. He said that just as “the military must fight the right war, at the right time in the right way.” It has think about climate change that way.

Vice Admiral Truly, USN (retired) said that they all agreed on the findings of the report because it came back to the effects on the environment, which impacted societies, which could lead to conflicts. He saw the danger greatest in Africa and the Middle East. In the Middle East, water is scarce as it is and climate change is predicted to make it worse. The rise in sea levels affects the coasts, where most of the trade is. Many US military facilities would be in jeopardy. The often heavily populated river deltas would be flooded leading to mass migrations. He mentioned Bangladesh as a place where this migration would cause enormous problems. He noted that as the oceans rise, all these deltas could be in trouble at the same time.

General Charles F. Wald, USAF (Ret), who was formerly a deputy commander in Africa and the Middle East, sees Africa as the biggest problem. The fear is of giant migrations as water and food become scarce. Darfur partially started due to climate change, where people migrated as land became unusable. The alternation of floods and droughts in Somalia led to problems there, which causes extremism to grow. Wald said, “Climate change is a threat multiplier everywhere.”

When it was Senator Lugar’s turn to ask questions, he asked whether someone running for President could run on the environment, promising that all government vehicles would meet a high CAFÉ standard and all new government buildings would be energy efficient. This would be an example and prove to countries, like India and China, that it could be done economically. Admiral Prucher said he didn’t know if an environmental ticket could win, but that we need to be the model if China is going to do it. Lugar and the panel agreed that a huge technology change is needed.

Then it was Senator Kerry’s turn. He said that he DID run for President saying those things but much of it was hidden by the terror warnings. He agreed with Lugar that all government vehicles and buildings should be energy efficient. He explained that he was at Senate hearing with Al Gore in 1987 and at the Rio convention, which led to a voluntary program that has not worked. He said that top scientists all agree that there is warming and it is partly caused by humans and we are “duty bound” to make changes. Scientists, he said are conservative in their claims, saying only what they can prove. They are now saying that change is happening faster than had been anticipated and that the problem is more drastic. Kerry said that we can’t allow any more old technology plants to be built. He then spoke of how this was also a national security problem.

Senator Kerry issued this press release which summarizes his comments.

After explaining the urgency with which we needed to move, Senator Kerry apologized for speaking for his entire time rather than asking questions. Senator Biden responded that Kerry did not need to apologize that he had been speaking about these things for 15 years and “the rest of us” should have listened.

Senator Hagel then said that much time had been wasted and that he agreed with Kerry, Lugar and Biden. He spoke of how China will use the energy source available to it – coal and mentioned that was why he thought the India nuclear deal was good.

Senator Casey said the debate on global warming is nearly over and the issue was what to do about it. He complimented Senator Kerry on his quick and excellent summary of the problem and the urgency. He then questioned the panel on how it could impact readiness. The answers ranged from possible loss of facilities to dealing with a broader range of threats.

Senator Murkowski asked whether the Chinese think we are hypocritical given our higher usage or if they understand the urgency. Admiral Prucher responded that Chinese are proud that they have recently pulled so many people out of poverty and they do see hypocrisy. General Wold agreed saying that getting 6 million people out of poverty is more important to them than clean coal technology. He then stressed that even if they don’t do anything, we still should. Truly added that doing nothing is not a moral stance.

What was striking listening to this hearing on the web was how much agreement there was between the panel, the Democrats and the Republicans.

  Thanks for that report, KarenNJ.