Climate security
We are constantly reminded of the threats of unchecked climate change: Rising sea levels could decimate coastlines, hotter temperatures could lead to an increase in heat-related illnesses and diseases. While the science has never been clearer, the Trump administration and its allies in Congress have been working to roll back climate progress.
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart recently joined the majority in the U.S. House in voting to affirm climate as a threat to security. The vote retains a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act that would require the Department of Defense to study the impacts of climate change on their operations.
It’s time for our leaders move beyond studying the problem and work to cut the pollution fueling global warming and shift to 100 percent renewable energy.
Rebecca Cleveland Stout,
Environment Florida,
St. Petersburg
This story was originally published July 17, 2017 at 7:47 PM with the headline "Climate security."