Pirate's Cove

You’d think that a retired Marine general would remember that America saved the world multiple time, from WWI to WWI to the Cold War, to providing protection for European and other nations, to spreading Freedom. But, no, Brigadier General Stephen Cheney, who has seemed to link himself to a hardcore leftist agenda and groups, has another idea

America’s leadership on climate change will define its global standing

As I celebrated this Fourth of July, I was grateful — grateful to spend time with my grandchildren, grateful to be moving on from an unprecedented year and a half of the pandemic, and grateful for normalcy. At the same time, our “new normal” will forever be changed. This year, more than any other time in recent history, showed us how vulnerable we are as a world to previously unknown threats.

In the military, we plan and plan again for contingencies. Weaknesses are unaccounted for vulnerabilities. In my time as the Commanding General of Parris Island, I worked with young Marines to prepare them for whatever the enemy threw at them. It was my job to protect our national security and protect our Marines by showing them the tools and tactics to prepare them for any scenario.

Looking ahead, we need to prepare ourselves for a different type of enemy. Natural disasters, forced migration, and regional instability all can be traced back to a single catalyst: climate change. Climate change acts as a threat multiplier, exacerbating ongoing conditions and spurring regional instability.

So, what, earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes are ‘climate change’? How about big snow storms and cold snaps? Hurricanes, tropical systems, and the equivalent in the Pacific Ocean have occurred well before anthropogenic climate change.

Studying climate change as a national security threat is not new. We at the American Security Project have dedicated the better part of a decade researching the nexus of climate change and national security. Climate change increasingly has acted as the impetus for conflicts throughout the world. The Syrian civil war in part stemmed from an ongoing drought that spurred poverty and food scarcity. Sporadic rainfall near the Lake Chad region in Africa led to regional instability that became the breeding ground for groups such as Boko Haram. Melting sea ice in the Arctic has led to increased tension over new maritime routes and resource access. In the U.S., rising sea levels threaten the readiness of our military installations. Climate change is the greatest national security challenge we have faced.

Drought happens. It has caused lots of problems with many civilizations, well before the industrial revolution, fossil fuels, and “carbon pollution.” What caused that? The general was certainly around for the Soviet Union. That wasn’t a threat?

America’s leadership on climate change will define its global standing for years to come. We have made commitments to developing clean energy at home and financing clean energy in developing countries. Following through is imperative, as is encouraging our partners to follow through on their promises.

I haven’t made a commitment. Those were made by climate cultists in government. The same ones who refuse to modify their own behavior to accord with their beliefs. Let them lead in their own lives.

We do best when American business can lead by example. Congress rightly has recognized that competing with China requires investing in innovation, but that innovation must be just the start of a deliberate effort for the planet and U.S. national security. If we are to put this crisis behind us before another decade of Independence Days has passed, we must have American leadership, American investment and American ingenuity now.

In other words, more Big Government authoritarianism. Government dictating how citizens live. Funny it always comes down to that.