Climate Change And Military Preparedness
Climatic conductions can have significant impacts on military operations, preparedness and personnel. Unchecked climate change is likely to have deleterious effects on U.S. military installations, ship and aircraft operations and overall risks.Even today, climate change is impacting military calculations in the Arctic region. The rapid and widespread melting of the Arctic sea ice is expanding the Northwest Passages, with significant implications for international resource conflicts, maritime shipping and a growing scope of U.S. naval operations. Long-term, the melting of the polar ice caps and other forces are causing the level of seas to rise, threatening strategic military installations on low-lying islands and military bases in coastal areas.
Projected increases in storm intensity also threaten to impact military installations situated in hurricane allies, such as those on the east coast of the United States. Recent hurricanes have had devastating impacts on Homestead Air Force Base and the Naval Air Station at Pensacola. Storms and altered weather patterns impact the readiness and operations of naval and air force operations, can impact energy supplies vital to the operation of fixed military operations and put our servicemen and women at greater risk.
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