Why the US military has cared about climate change since the Cold War

Why the US military has cared about climate change since the Cold War

In this commentary, the author examines how the U.S. military sees climate change as a threat in itself and a threat multiplier for national security.

The U.S. military’s climate change concerns date back to the Cold War

In 1957, Hollywood released The Deadly Mantis, a B-grade monster movie starring a praying mantis of nightmare proportions. Its premise: Melting Arctic ice has released a very hungry, million-year-old megabug, and scientists and the U.S. military will have to stop it. The rampaging insect menaces America’s Arctic military outposts, part of a critical line of national defense, before heading south and meeting its end in New York City. Yes, it’s ov…

US military has cared about climate change since the dawn of the Cold War — for good reason • New Hampshire Bulletin

Military engineers managing supply routes in Greenland in the 1950s paid attention to the weather and climate. (Photo by US Army/Pictorial Parade/Archive Photos/Getty Images)In 1957, Hollywood released “The Deadly Mantis,” a B-grade monster movie starring a praying mantis of nightmare proportions. Its premise: Melting Arctic ice has released a very hungry, million-year-old megabug, and scientists and the U.S. military will have to stop it. The …

The US federal government's drive to cut spending has already hit climate programs run by the military, with ninety programs losing funding despite opposition from experts who see global warming as a "threat multiplier." And it's unlikely the government will save as much as it plans.