We must protect our Environment

The BP disaster in the Gulf is the latest in a long line of environmental wakeup calls that include lead contamination in Picher, OK; the Three Mile Island meltdown, the Exxon Valdez oil spill, Love Canal's toxic chemicals, the Tennessee coal ash spill, and many more. Setting aside the immediacy of the devastating impact on communities, industries, and habitat in the Gulf states areas and beyond, climate change remains the single largest threat to the environment. We, as Americans, must seriously address the impact we have on our environment. Properly done, America's leadership in this arena will lead to increased economic opportunity and environmental security.

By addressing greenhouse gas emissions and reducing the use of carbon fuels, we will reduce the risks to our environment including global warming, rising sea levels, water shortages, more intense storms, droughts, wildfires and the like.

Economic security and opportunity will arise from the investment and development of new, green, sustainable, alternative forms of energy. 

Greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced.  Resilient habitats can recover, With a modernized energy grid, the development of green industries, new forms of transportation, retrofitting or rebuilding homes and buildings with high performing materials, and the reduction in the use of hydrocarbon fuels will foster millions of jobs while saving the environment.

Global Warming
Global warming and projected climate change pose a serious threat to America's national security. Failure to address climate change will become a “threat multiplier for instability in some of the most volatile regions in the world. Threats to safe water, food supply, health, and weather will impact countries in places like Darfur, Indonesia, Somalia, and the Middle East.

Tensions will also rise in stable regions around the globe. Mass immigration, flooding, heat waves, and disease can be anticipated if action is not taken to reduce the impact of manmade greenhouse gas emissions. National security, climate change and energy dependence are all interrelated.

American economic and security stability are dependent upon critical factors including water, energy and the environment. Armed conflict, higher death rates and greater poverty are likely scenarios expected to occur with these factors out of balance.

As a result of climate change, different regions around the world will experience weaker governments, economic collapse, cross border migrations, loss of coastal areas, infectious diseases, loss of food, loss of water and more.

For all of these reasons, America must take a leadership role both nationally and internationally to help arrest climate change before significant disruption occurs affecting domestic security and global stability.