Climate Change a Threat To Nat’l Security Say Senators

Thursday, July 30, 2009 at 1:30PM
Staff in Amy Klobuchar, Barbara Boxer, Congress, Frontpage 2, News/Commentary, climate change, dennis mcginn, national security

By Sam Wechsler - Talk Radio News Service

Climate change is a real and imminent threat to national security, said a group of senators Thursday during a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing.

During a discussion regarding the value of the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (Waxman-Markey bill), the senators agreed that it is important to decrease dependence on foreign oil.

“We’re not going to say no to importing all foreign oil, but when we look at some of the countries where we rely on for energy, [they are] countries that we would rather not be dealing with, that put us at risk when they cut off our supply,” said Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.).

In addition to foreign oil, climate change may also affect the U.S.'s national security by heightening the intensity of conflicts abroad.

Vice Admiral Dennis McGinn, a witness at the hearing, likened climate change to a magnifying glass on global conflicts. He argued that climate change would create water shortages in some regions, crop failure, and cause environmentally displaced people to cross borders. “[Climate change] will place an avoidable and unacceptable burden on our young men and women in uniform now, and in generations to come,” said McGinn.

“I believe we must heed these warnings to protect our nation’s security,” added Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.).

Article originally appeared on Talk Radio News Service: News, Politics, Media (http://www.talkradionews.com/).