skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Post-presidential debate poll shows a shift in WI' Teamsters won't endorse in presidential race after releasing internal polling showing most members support Trump; IL energy jobs growth is strong, lacks female workers; Pregnant, Black Coloradans twice as likely to die than the overall population.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The Teamsters choose not endorse a presidential candidate, county officials in Texas fight back against state moves to limit voter registration efforts and the FBI investigate suspicious packages sent to elections offices in at least seventeen states.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Military Veterans: National Security Threatened by Less Climate Protection

play audio
Play

Thursday, April 6, 2017   

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The safety of Tennesseans could be threatened by a rollback in climate change protections, according to numerous current and retired members of the military.

Retired Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Stephen Cheney, CEO of the American Security Project, points out climate change already is destabilizing volatile regions such as the Middle East, and threatening U.S. military bases as sea levels rise.

Cheney says the president's statement that the EPA's Clean Power Plan would do irreparable harm to the nation is simply not true.

"Let's not be rash and say things just because the Obama administration did something, now we're going to do just the opposite,” he states. “Let's look at all the parameters that are around these decisions and recognize what truly is best for our country."

The administration maintains that climate regulations cost jobs and hinder growth. But Cheney notes that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is among those who believe climate change is man-made and a threat to stability, and Mattis is likely to include it in his national security plans.

Jonathan Gensler is an Iraq war veteran who now works as an energy consultant in Nashville. He says while the federal government talks of dialing back climate protections, cities such as Nashville are blazing their own trail.

"Here in Tennessee, it's the action of the cities not the state,” he points out. “Specifically the City of Nashville has some tremendous sustainability initiatives going on and has become a resilient city."

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry initiated a Livable Nashville Committee to enhance the city's livability and environmental quality. Knoxville also has an Energy and Sustainability Initiative.

Cheney sees the administration's efforts to roll back protections in direct conflict with the very people charged to protect the country.

"Now we have a commander in chief who is in direct disagreement with the generals who he claims to support and trust,” Cheney observes. “I think you would be hard pressed to find senior leadership at the Pentagon that doesn't take the threat of climate change seriously, all the way up to and including his own Secretary of Defense."

While the Defense Department has been planning for climate change for more than a decade, in 2014 and 2016 Republicans in the House of Representatives added language to Defense Department spending bills prohibiting funds from being spent to plan or prepare for climate change.





get more stories like this via email

more stories
Including the $236 million in federal funding for wildland fire management recently announced for 2025, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has invested a total of $1 billion to the cause, according to the Department of the Interior. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

This month, the federal government announced funding for next year's wildfire management, totaling $236 million and experts hope threatened …


Social Issues

play sound

From gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson to Superintendent of Public Instruction hopeful Michele Morrow, some Republicans running for office have …

Social Issues

play sound

California is home to more than 181,000 people who are unhoused, with 75,000 in Los Angeles alone, so the Los Angeles Food Policy Council will host a …


The California Department of Conservation is holding a public meeting online on Sept. 24, to update the public on its progress in plugging abandoned oil wells. (Alizada Studios/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Groups concerned about pollution and climate change are asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a trio of bills dubbed the "make polluters pay" package…

Social Issues

play sound

This week, National Voter Registration Day was another timely reminder for Ohioans preparing for the 2024 general election. The latest reports from …

The American Heart Association said caregivers often experience personal and spiritual growth, discovering their own resilience, competence and capacity for sacrifice as they help a friend or loved one. (Justlight/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Self-Care Awareness Month and the American Heart Association in Missouri is urging caregivers to take some much-needed time for themselve…

Environment

play sound

In Virginia's waters, the decline of a small but critically important fish is causing growing concern among conservation groups and fishermen alike…

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado voters will decide whether to change the state's constitution to ensure families have school choice as a fundamental right. Kallie Leyba…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021