skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, September 19, 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 but 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 to 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 17 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 Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Military Faces Risks from Rising Seas, Climate Change

play audio
Play

Thursday, December 26, 2019   

RALEIGH, N.C. -- The U.S. Senate soon is expected to consider the National Defense Authorization Act, which passed in the House last week.

For the first time, the bill provides funding that would help the military reduce security risks from climate change, including at vulnerable coastal military bases such as Marine Corps Base Camp Lajeune, near Jacksonville.

Esther Sperling, program manager for climate security at the American Security Project, a public policy organization in Washington, D.C., says the military already is grappling with climate change-induced storm surges and flooding.

"On the tactical side, you face increased extreme weather that can impact base operations," says Sperling. "You saw that at Camp Lejeune. When hurricanes hit, they create challenges where troops that were going to deploy end up having to stay and respond to the challenges at home."

An analysis of 18 East and Gulf Coast military installations by the Union of Concerned Scientists found the majority of bases will experience increased tidal flooding and land loss within the next few decades.

Sperling says climate change also drives global instability that could prompt military intervention. She cites the Lake Chad region in Africa as an ongoing example, where millions of people dependent on the lake for water and fishing income are seeing their natural resources dwindle because of longer and more severe drought.

"And so, they were forced to resort to joining the terrorist organization to be able to support their families, to be able to provide income, food," says Sperling. "In a time when their previous livelihood, which was dependent on that lake, has disappeared."

Sperling adds that defense experts are increasingly viewing climate change as a threat multiplier.

"It takes situations that are already strained and makes them significantly worse," she says.

She notes national security threats could also arise as global agricultural production and migration shift due to climate-change events.




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