FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - Global warming is turning up the heat on national security, according to the Pentagon. Factors that military strategists now must consider include global food and water scarcity. These can lead to populations migrating, with all the potential conflicts that could create.

According to Assistant Secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and the Environment Katherine Hammack, preparing for climate change has become a constant concern.

"Although the effects of climate change alone do not cause conflict, they act as accelerants of instability, which influences our operating environment roles and mission," Hammack said.

Concerns about climate change are prompting the Defense Department (DOD) to reach out for more input, including a public meeting set for Tuesday in Fayetteville with representatives of the Pentagon and President Obama's Cabinet. They will also tour Fort Bragg, which has a long history of sustainability practices.

Hammack pointed to recent weather events as evidence of climate change, including tornadoes in the Midwest and Colorado wildfires. She noted that the 12 hottest years on record have occurred in the last 15 years, and she said extreme weather is also placing demands on the DOD itself.

"The Department of Defense needs to adjust to the impact climate change will have on our facilities, because our operational readiness hinges on continued access to land, air, sea training and test space," she said.

The team from Washington, D.C., is in North Carolina, in part, to recognize the long-term focus at Fort Bragg on being "cleaner and greener" in its everyday operations, she added.

"Fort Bragg really has a tremendous sustainability program and has been focused on resource conservation for many years," she explained.

DOD installations work hard to use less water and power, she said, in order to place fewer demands on resources that are also needed by others in their local communities.

The Fayetteville public meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. on June 17 at VFW Post 6018.


get more stories like this via email

This week, Hispanic environmental advocates are heading to Washington, D.C., from around the country to engage lawmakers on issues affecting us all, like clean air, pristine waters, and the fight against climate change.

In California, the third annual Latino Advocacy Week kicked off with a kayak trip for youth leaders in Morro Bay, part of the proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, which would run from Santa Barbara to Cambria.

Juan Rosas, conservation program associate for the Hispanic Access Foundation, led the event, and said the beaches must be protected for future generations.

"To be able to protect this coastline from offshore drilling, to be able to put our toes in the sand and enjoy the ocean," Rosas emphasized. "Not only for our generation, but I think of our great-grandkids that are going to be able to see this amazing coastline, like we're able to see it today."

Latino Advocacy Week also includes in-person and virtual presentations in English and Spanish on a range of topics, including ways to train future leaders on advocacy work and engage the media and clergy on environmental issues.

Rosas noted too many communities of color are plagued by dirty air.

"A lot of our Hispanic communities are suffering from asthma," Rosas pointed out. "We would definitely love to see the Hispanic community to raise their voice up and fight for quality of air. There's nothing more valuable than the air we breathe."

Data from the Public Policy Institute of California showed Latinos comprise 35% of the adult population in the state, but just 22% of likely voters.

Virginia environmentalists are frustrated by the state Department of Environmental Quality's $27,000 fine of Norfolk Southern for a 2020 train derailment.

The derailment caused 16 boxcars to spill almost 1,400 tons of coal into the Roanoke River. The town of Salem's water plant had to halt intake for about a month over concerns of possible water contamination.

Tim Cywinski, communications manager for the Virginia chapter of the Sierra Club, said the fine is disheartening because it does not deter derailments from happening again. He feels the state failed to take certain things into consideration while determining this fine.

"I think they should have taken into account that Norfolk Southern is one of the biggest and most profitable train and freight services industries in the United States," Cywinski pointed out. "And to give them a fine that is less than the price of a new car is honestly laughable and just offensive to the fact that it impacted the people and environment of Salem, Virginia."

Cywinski added state and federal protections need to be put in place to better hold companies accountable, and to prevent such derailments from happening again.

Derailments are not uncommon. According to the Federal Railroad Administration, there were more than 1,100 derailments in 2020, a number which has fluctuated in the few years since.

Since Norfolk Southern first came under fire for a crash involving hazardous materials in East Palestine, Ohio, numerous railroad safety groups have been working to improve the industry's safety regulations.

Ann Creasy, acting deputy director of the Virginia chapter of the Sierra Club, said new regulations need to go hand in hand with levying appropriate fines against companies to deter future incidents.

"It's really about corporate accountability of ensuring that safety and workers and proactive measures are invested in on the front end," Creasy contended.

A bill has been introduced in the U.S. Senate called the Railway Safety Act of 2023. The bill aims to boost safety requirements for trains transporting hazardous materials. Hearings have been held, and it is currently under review by the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

New York environmentalists are protesting banks heavily invested in the fossil fuel industry as part of a national day of action today (Tuesday). Led by the group Third Act, protests across the U.S. will consist of rallies, art installations, and activists cutting up credit cards. According to the Rainforest Action Network's 2022 Fossil Fuel Finance report, the world's 60 largest banks invested over $4.5-trillion in fossil fuels since the Paris Climate Agreement was adopted in 2016.

Vanessa Arcara, president and co-founder of Third Act, said banks like JP Morgan Chase, Citi, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America are some of the biggest offenders in the U.S.

"These four banks alone have provided well over one trillion dollars in lending and underwriting to the fossil fuel companies that build things like new coal plants, fracking wells, gas export terminals, and more," she said.

Arcara said one person at a time closing their accounts with these banks will not force them into bankruptcy, but hopes these protests shine a light on what these banks are doing. Since 2017, several so-called "green banks, including one in New York, have opened. They are dedicated to investing in myriad environmentally friendly and positive climate change projects.

Some banks have made commitments to turn over a new leaf on investing in green projects. In its 2022 Climate Report, JP Morgan Chase aims to finance over $2.5 trillion dollars in sustainable development, with over $106-billion of green activities financed. Yet, according to Third Act, the company has been playing both sides of the environmental game. Arcara noted people need to pay attention to where banks are putting their money to use.

"A lot of these banks have signed on to the various councils, saying publicly that they're in support of climate targets. But that certainly doesn't bear out when you look at the numbers and the types of investment strategies that they continue to pursue," she said.

Along with the large investment made in green projects, JP Morgan Chase, along with Citi, provided the most financing to offshore oil and gas in 2021, according to the Rainforest Action Network report. In total, big banks funneled about $53-billion into that industry.


get more stories like this via email