National Security Impacts of Climate Change
Climate change threatens America’s national security as well as communities around the world. Climate change effects like extreme weather, food and water scarcity, and sea-level rise can lead to political instability and even war. The U.S. military, intelligence community, and nations around the world are taking these threats seriously. These two forums explored how climate change is disrupting communities around the world and impacting America’s national security.
These events were free and open to the public.
Both events were co-sponsored by the Natural Resources Council of Maine, American Security Project, and the World Affairs Council of Maine and were held in Hannaford Hall, University of Southern Maine, 88 Bedford Street, Portland.
You can watch recordings of both forums here: www.nrcm.org/projects/federal/federal-climate-and-energy-issues/
EVENING FORUM: 7:00–8:30 PM
Featured Senator Angus King, Lt. Gen. Castellaw, USMC (Ret.), and Roger Sorkin, Executive Director and Producer of the American Resilience Project
This event brought together Maine’s U.S. Senator Angus King, who serves on both the Armed Services and Intelligence Committees, with military and foreign policy experts from the American Security Project and American Resilience Project for a discussion on how climate change will impact America’s national security and what measures Congress and the Defense Department will need to take to address these concerns.
AFTERNOON FORUM: 3:00–4:30 PM
Climate Change: Disrupting Communities Around the World
The climate around the world is changing, contributing to droughts, floods, sea-level rise, and extreme weather events. In some nations, water and food shortages have been linked to political instability and forced migration. Some recent immigrants to Maine have left their homelands because of such instability. Hearing their perspectives helps all of us better understand the long-term impacts of climate change, as unfolding environmental and humanitarian crises.
This roundtable discussion featured Lt. General Castellaw and Esther Babson of the American Security Project and new Mainers from Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zambia who had perspectives to share about how climate change is impacting their homelands.
