DR. SCHOONOVER'S REMARKS ON NATIONAL SECURITY IMPLICATIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE; Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 97
(Extensions of Remarks - June 11, 2019)
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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E750-E751]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DR. SCHOONOVER'S REMARKS ON NATIONAL SECURITY IMPLICATIONS OF CLIMATE
CHANGE
______
HON. CHELLIE PINGREE
of maine
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, June 11, 2019
Ms. PINGREE. Madam Speaker, on June 5, 2019, Dr. Rod Schoonover, a
Senior Analyst in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research of the U.S.
Department of State, testified before the House Permanent Select
Committee on Intelligence. The hearing sought answers on the very real
dangers and national security risks caused by climate change. The
Administration, however, continued its pattern of anti-science and
climate denial behavior. Though Dr. Schoonover was allowed to give his
invaluable testimony, the Administration blocked his testimony from
being entered into the record. We must recognize that climate change is
a threat to our country's economic well-being, public health, and
national security. I include in the Record part of Schoonover's
summary, but urge my colleagues to read the full report here: https://
games-cdn.washingtonpost.com/notes/prod/default/documents/23db973-
209c-44c2-ab0f-1db57d157f51/note/7acf47a1-8ec4-4e76-a93e-
2d4dba26cb28.pdf#page=l
Unclassified
Chairman Schiff, Ranking Member Nunes, and distinguished
members of the Committee, thank you for inviting me to speak
with you today on the national security implications of
climate change.
As a U.S. intelligence officer in the Department of State
Bureau of Intelligence and Research it is my job to provide
clear, objective, and independent analysis to policymakers to
advance U.S. national security objectives. As a scientist in
the intelligence community (IC), I blend insights derived
from peer-reviewed journal articles and other scientific
reports with information gathered from daily intelligence
reporting to provide science-informed national security
analysis. My understanding of this and other issues is
deepened by the cadre of talented and dedicated officers in
the IC, many with technical expertise, who quietly serve U.S.
interests. This Committee is already aware that the IC does
not advocate for any particular set of policies, including
those that address climate change.
The Bottom Line
Fundamental characteristics of the global climate are
moving outside the bounds experienced in modern history and
there is uncertainty on how some aspects of the climate will
evolve. Given the complex social and political contexts in
which a multitude of changes are occurring, however, we can
expect new and compounded stresses on people and societies
around the world, many with outcomes important for national
security.
Climate change will have wide-ranging implications for U.S.
national security over the next 20 years through global
perturbations, increased risk of political instability,
heightened tensions between countries for resources, a
growing number of climate-linked humanitarian crises,
emergent geostrategic competitive domains, and adverse
effects on militaries. Increasingly probable amalgamations of
these security concerns are especially worrisome. Climate
change alone is unlikely to trigger state failure in the next
few decades but it will affect factors that that contribute
to conflict, such as access to natural resources. People will
[[Page E751]]
increasingly decide to move because of deteriorating
conditions, both within nations and into countries that are
more prosperous. Perhaps most importantly, the rapidity of
concurrent and compounded changes to Earth's systems, from
human and natural causes, heightens the risk for unwelcome
and possibly severe climate-linked surprises.
Framework for Analysis
The IC's task with respect to climate change is to inform
policymakers of the myriad risks and uncertainties that may
lie ahead, rather than trying to predict the future. We have
therefore examined a wide range of climate change effects,
including those currently believed to have low probability,
particularly if the ramifications could be highly impactful.
The IC focuses on security considerations outside the United
States, so we do not address the direct effects of climate
change on the U.S.homeland. We expect, however, that many
judgements could nonetheless apply to the United States.