{"id":57603,"date":"2017-03-19T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-03-19T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2017\/03\/19\/the-white-house-doubts-climate-change-here-s-why-the-pentagon-does-not\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T09:16:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T09:16:00","slug":"the-white-house-doubts-climate-change-here-s-why-the-pentagon-does-not","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/news\/your-army\/2017\/03\/19\/the-white-house-doubts-climate-change-here-s-why-the-pentagon-does-not\/","title":{"rendered":"The White House doubts climate change. Here’s why the Pentagon does not"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 The contentious debate over climate change is entering a new phase, with skeptics in the Trump administration poised to roll back regulations governing everything from clean-water standards to fracking \u2014 convinced that doing so will boost the U.S. economy. But the Pentagon views the issue differently.For Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, climate change represents a significant national security threat, one that’s “impacting stability in areas of the world where our troops are operating today,”\u00a0according his written testimony to Congress provided in January ahead of his confirmation. The news site\u00a0ProPublica\u00a0was first to publish Mattis’ remarks<\/a>, pitting the retired Marine general’s views against those held by the commander in chief and others in his administration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

The topic has renewed relevance as the White House aims to grow defense spending substantially \u2014 hoping to add personnel, and buy more ships, aircraft and weapons \u2014 while making major reductions to other parts of the federal budget, including at the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic\u00a0and Atmospheric Administration, which researches climate change and provides weather forecasting\u00a0data to the military.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s a tricky predicament for the Pentagon, which has conducted substantial climate-related research, too, dating back at least to the 1990s. Officials continue to factor this data into core military doctrine. In fact, the most recent Quadrennial Defense Review<\/a>, a 90-page document that outlines the Defense Department’s strategic trajectory, includes the phrases “climate change” or “severe weather” at least 10 times. On the one hand, the Defense Department stands to benefit from funding rollbacks at other agencies. But on the other, senior officials see immediate, practical reasons to be worried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are three:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Economic competition.<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thawing in the Arctic has opened new maritime routes and revealed new energy sources, creating new competition between the U.S. and Russia. The Pentagon’s 2013 Arctic Strategy<\/a>statement details its plans for safeguarding American interests there and ensuring freedom of navigation. It calls the region a “strategic inflection point,” noting that as the ice caps continue to melt, there will be rush to claim the oil, natural gas and other resources there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pentagon views the Arctic as vital for establishing ballistic missile defenses to safeguard the homeland. But Russia’s buildup there<\/a>has greatly exceeded that of the United States.\u00a0Its military has established a new Arctic command, added four brigades, 14 airfields, 16 ports, and has 40 operational icebreakers and 11 in production. The U.S. has only one working icebreaker, and it was commissioned in the 1970s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

In the South China Sea, warming waters have forced fish stocks to migrate north, increasing the potential for conflict between China and U.S. allies whose economies depend on that trade, says Frank Femia, who heads the Center for Climate and Security. The non-partisan think tank includes several senior retired military officers concerned about climate change and its impact on national security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tensions are particularly high between Vietnam and China, which have competing territorial claims to the Spratly and Parcel islands. The Chinese have harassed several Vietnamese fishing boats, even sinking some of them. One such incident, in 2014, was caught on video. The Chinese maintain the Vietnamese boat ventured too close to one of its oil rigs, an incident documented by The Diplomat<\/a>. Another confrontation happened in 2015 near the Parcel islands, when armed men boarded the Vietnamese boat and removed navigation equipment, according to Voice of America<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The U.S. Navy has stepped up its presence in response. Tension in the region will only increase as China aggressively defends its claims there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n