Megan Rowling, Reuters
Dec 11, 2007

How should the U.S. government and army respond to the national security challenges posed by climate change? While it's been pretty much accepted that risks exist, there hasn't been much discussion of exactly what they are or what to do about them.

A recent report from the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) has a stab at setting out some of the options for Washington - not just in terms of countering threats from global warming, but also exploiting the opportunities for improving military relations and averting terrorism.

"The security dimension comes from more extreme weather events that could exceed civilian capacity and require military mobilisation," Joshua Busby, assistant professor at the University of Texas and author of "Climate Change and National Security: An Agenda for Action", told reporters.

Besides disasters that could lead to civil disorder inside the United States, his report warns that extreme weather events, like hurricanes, could severely damage U.S. military bases, both at home and overseas. They could also cause humanitarian crises in impoverished neighbouring countries, such as Haiti, provoking refugee flows or even state failure.

Another risk lies in international tensions over territorial waters as summer sea ice in the Arctic disappears. Countries, including Canada and Russia, are already trying to lay claim to the North Pole and its resources.

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