>>> NEW POLL SHOWS THAT MORE AMERICANS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT
CLIMATE CHANGE AND FEEL THE TIME
TO ACT IS NOW.
THE CBS POLL FOUND THAT 64% OF
AMERICANS THINK CLIMATE CHANGE
IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM.
MAJORITY OF AMERICANS THINK THAT
CLIMATE CHANGE NEEDS TO BE
ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY.
ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY. 18% HOWEVER THINK THAT IT
DOESN’T NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
SO THAT CONTINUES TO BE A
SERIOUS PROBLEM FOR THE MEDIA TO
CONTINUE TO THINK ABOUT.
THIS WEEK NBC, MSNBC AND
TELEMUNDO WILL FOCUS ON THE
CLIMATE EMERGENCY IN A SPECIAL
SERIES CALLED CLIMATE IN CRY SIX
AND THIS THURSDAY AND FRIDAY,
MSNBC WILL BE HOLDING A CLIMATE
CHANGE FORUM WITH MOST OF THE
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES -- A FEW
HAVEN’T SIGNED ON AND WE
CONTINUE TO INVITE THEM TO JOIN
US.
US. TODAY WE WANT TO LOOK AT ONE
GOVERNMENT AGENCY THAT DOES TAKE
CLIMATE CHANGE SERIOUSLY AND
THAT IS THE DEPARTMENT OF
DEFENSE.
DEFENSE. U.S. MILITARY IS UNIQUE IN ITS
SERIOUS LOOK AT CLIMATE CHANGE
BECAUSE EFFECTS OF PLANETARY
WARMING, SEA LEVEL RISE AND
STORM INTENSIFICATION ALL AFFECT
THE MILITARY’S MISSION AND ITS
ABILITY TO GET THAT MISSION
DONE.
DONE. THE PENTAGON REPORTS THAT SINCE
2008, AT LEAST 17 TROOPS HAVE
DIED OF HEAT EXPOSURE DURING
TRAINING EXERCISES ON U.S.
BASES.
BASES. 2018 ALONE, 2792 CASES OF HEAT
STROKE OR HEAT EXHAUSTION WERE
REPORTED.
REPORTED. THAT IS UP FROM MORE THAN 1700
IN 2008.
IN 2008. THAT IS A VERY BIG STATISTICAL
INCREASE.
INCREASE. NOW, THOSE HEAT ILLNESSES ADD
UP.
UP. THE PENTAGON ESTIMATES THAT IT
SPENT NEARLY $1 BILLION IN THE
LAST DECADE TREATING THE EFFECTS
OF HEAT EXPOSURE AND IT IS NOT
JUST THE TROOPS BEING HIT BY
WARMER WEATHERS, THE PENTAGON
REPORT WAURNRNED THAT IN FAIRBAN
THAWED PERMAFROST DECREASED THE
STRUCTURAL STABILITY OF
INFRASTRUCTURE.
INFRASTRUCTURE. THESE ARE JUST SOME, THERE ARE
MANY.
MANY. A 2007 REPORT COMMISSIONED BY
THE PENTAGON WARNS ABOUT
WEAKENED AND FAILING FOREIGN
GOVERNMENTS CONCLUDING THE U.S.
MAY BE DRAWN MORE FREQUENTLY
INTO THESE SITUATIONS TO HELP
PROVIDE RELIEF RESCUE OR TO
STABILIZE CONDITIONS BEFORE CON
CONFLICTS A RISE.
AND MILITARY RESOURCES COULD BE
SPREAD INCREASINGLY THIN.
JOINING US NOW IS DIRECTOR OF
THE CENTER FOR CLIMATE AND
SECURITY.
SECURITY. HE OVERSAW ENVIRONMENTAL POLLICY
AT THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.
HOW DO PEOPLE -- YOU KNOW, THERE
ARE LOTS OF WAYS TO TRY TO HELP
PEOPLE TAKE THE ISSUE OF YK
CLIMATE CHANGE SERIOUSLY.
BUT WHENAT WOULD YOU TELL PEOPLE
TO THINK ABOUT?
>> I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO
RECOGNIZE THAT THE MILITARY IS
RECOGNIZING THE THREAT FROM
CLIMATE CHANGE FOR A VERY LONG
TIMING.
TIMING. AND I THINK THAT THAT IN AND OF
ITSELF IS A VERY COMPELLING
FACT.
FACT. WHEN YOU HAVE DIFFERENT VOICES
TALKING ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE PRO
AND CON, BUT WHEN THE MILITARY
SAYS THIS AFFECTS MY MISSION, IT
HAS A VERY IMPORTANT IMPACT AND
SOMETIMES A MORE IMPORTANT
IMPACTENVIRONMENTALIST
IMPACTENVIRONMENTALIST SAYING IS THIS A BIG DEAL.
WHEN MILITARY VOICES ARE ON
CAPITOL HILL SAYING THIS WILL
AFFECT MY BASES, THIS WILL
AFFECT MY TRAINING, MY TROOPS,
THIS WILL AFFECT WHERE I’M GOING
TO HAVE TO FIGHT IN THE FUTURE,
THAT IS A COMPELLING MESSAGE.
>> SPECIFICALLY WHY AND HOW.
FOR THOSE AT HOME WHO DON’T
KNOW, WHY IS IT THAT IT IS GOING
TO COST YOUR TROOPS SO MUCH
MORE?
MORE? WHAT ARE THE CONTRIBUTING
FACTORS?
FACTORS? >> SO LET’S TALK ABOUT A FEW
DIFFERENT WAYS THAT CLIMATE
CHANGE AFFECTS NATIONAL SECURITY
AND THE VERY BASIC LEVEL, IT
AFFECTS YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE.
SEA LEVEL RISE AND FLOODING
IMPACTS INFRASTRUCTURE AND YOU
CAN’T FLY PLANES OFF A FLOODED
RUNWAY.
RUNWAY. IT AFFECTS DROUGHT AND WILDFIRE
IN THE SOUTHWEST.
YOU CAN’T USE LIVE FIRE MUNITION
DURING TRAINING WHEN YOU HAVE
THE POTENTIAL FOR STARTING A
WILDFIRE.
WILDFIRE. AND SO YOU HOLD BACK AND YOU
DON’T TRAIN AS WELL AS YOU
MIGHT.
MIGHT. YOU CITED THE FIGURES ON TROOPS
AND THE HEAT.
WELL, IF THEY CAN’T TRAIN DURING
HIGH HEAT DAYS, IT AFFECTS
WHETHER THEY CAN GET THE
TRAINING WILL BE DONE AND
WHETHER READINESS IS AS HIGH AS
IT NEEDS TO BE.
BUT THERE IS ANOTHER PIECE WHICH
IS THAT ONE PIECE OF IT.
THERE’S ANOTHER PIECE WHICH HAS
NEW MISSIONS CREATED.
WITH THE ARCTIC ICE MELTING AND
RUSSIANS AN CHINESE MOVING TO
EXPERT INFLUENCE OVER THAT
REGION, THE U.S. MILITARY HAS A
WHOLE NEW MISSION.
THE U.S. NAVY HAS A WHOLE NEW
MISSION TO PATROL.
THAT’S ANOTHER SET OF
REQUIREMENTS THEY HAVE TO
FULFILL.
FULFILL. >> JOHN --
>> GO AHEAD.
>> WE HAVE STRANGELY TURNED
NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUES THESE
DAYS, IF ONE IS WORRIED ABOUT
PEOPLE SHOWING UP ON OUR SHORES
OR BORDERS, MIGRATION IS
ABSOLUTELY GOING TO BE AN
OUTCOME OF A WARMING PLANET?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. SO WHEN YOU HAVE WATER SCARCITY.
WHEN YOU HAVE FOOD INSECURITY.
WHEN YOU HAVE SEA LEVEL RISE
THAT DRIVES PEOPLE FROM THEIR
PREVIOUS HOMES, THESE ARE LARGE
NUMBERS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING
TO BE MOVING AND THEY’VE GOT TO
HAVE SOME PLACE TO GO.
AND I’LL GIVE YOU ONE EXAMPLE,
IN SYRIA, YOU HAD A SITUATION
BEFORE THE CURRENT CIVIL WAR
WHERE HUNDREDS THOUSANDS OF
IRAQI REFUGEES HAD COME ENTIREIA
AND HAD SETTLED IN CITIES,
UNKNOW, UNEMPLOYED LARGELY IN
ADDING REQUIREMENTS TO THE
CITIES.
CITIES. BUT THEN HAD YOU THE RECORD
DROUGHT THAT THE ENTIRE SYRIAN
AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY.
AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY. AND ALL OF THOSE FARMERS MOVED
INTO THE CITIES AS WELL SO YOU
GET THE SEEDS OF CIVIL WAR
GETTING CREATED THERE BY JUST
THE HUGE POPULATION THAT’S BEING
MOVED.
MOVED. >> AND POLITICS WERE DISRUPTED
BY 2.5 MILLION REFUGEES.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> ESTIMATES ABOUT CLIMATE
CHANGE WOULD SAY THAT WE’D BEEN