By Dick Jones
In January the Pentagon issued an ominous report to Congress on how climate change impacts the armed forces and national security. Two-thirds of 79 “mission-essential” military installations are vulnerable to flooding. Half are exposed to wildfires and mudslides.
“The effects of a changing climate are a national security issue with potential impacts to DOD missions, operational plans and installations,” said Defense Department spokesperson Heather Babb in a Bloomberg News story about the report.
Recent storm damage to Air Force bases Tyndall in Florida and Offutt in Nebraska will require $1.2 billion in expenditures to get them operational. The nation’s largest naval base, Norfolk-Hampton Roads, is threatened by flooding.