Former U.S. Generals Foretell Geopolitical Conflict

Global Warming Will Lead to Political Instability, Wars over Water

WASHINGTON – The United States must take immediate measures to curb global warming pollution to avoid a war-torn world fighting over reduced water and food supplies, according to a report written by six retired admirals and five retired generals in the U.S. military. The report confirms what policy experts and scientists from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) have long warned: National security is on the long list of potential casualties of global warming. The following is a statement from Daniel Lashof, PhD, the science director of NRDC’s Climate Center: Military leaders who are trained to recognize looming threats to our national security have identified global warming as a critical threat to peace throughout the world, and particularly to places where conflict is already widespread, like the Middle East and Africa. The report shows that environmental security is essential for our national security. Americans are committed to protecting ourselves from terrorist threats from all corners of the world. The report confirms that stopping global warming is critical to keeping ourselves safe. It underlines the urgency of addressing global warming with the same level of national resolve as homeland security. The Natural Resources Defense Council is a national, nonprofit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment. Founded in 1970, NRDC has 1.2 million members and online activists, served from offices in New York, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Beijing. ###