Severe storms Maverick Milton and Harmony Helene underscore climate change as a significant national safety concern.
Hurricane Hurricane Milton has left parts of Florida in shock, and scientists are certain that the intensity of such storms is amplified by rapidly heating oceans.
This comes two weeks after Hurricane Helene wreaked havoc on Asheville, North Carolina, causing significant damage to communities that were thought to be resistant to climate change's worst effects. Helene is estimated to have claimed at least 232 lives.
Regarding climate change as a matter of national security is not only a liberal perspective but also a pragmatic one. In fact, the Pentagon has recognized this and has placed climate change high on its list of threats facing the United States. Three years ago, Lloyd Austin, the then-US Secretary of Defense, was straightforward, stating, "We encounter various threats in our line of work, but few are genuinely existential. The climate crisis falls into this category."
Key US Navy bases in vulnerable areas like Norfolk and Virginia Beach, Virginia, are at risk due to climate change-induced rising sea levels, and the Pentagon is working to lessen its impact.
Climate change is also causing an exodus of climate refugees, contributing to the turmoil of conflicts worldwide, for example, in Sudan, where one of the deadliest battles on Earth is currently underway.
In the words of historian Peter Roady, who recently released the book "The Contest Over National Security," Franklin Delano Roosevelt had a broader view of American national security than what it is now, emphasizing the protection of all American citizens' lives. This is why Social Security, a program that Roosevelt signed into law in 1935, is called Social Security rather than Social Welfare, and it remains one of the most popular U.S. government programs.
On January 6, 1941, as Nazis were conquering vast regions of Europe, Roosevelt spoke about his expansive perspective on national security during his State of the Union address, highlighting the importance of "freedom from want—which, in global terms, equates to economic agreements that ensure every nation has a peaceful, healthy existence for its people around the world."
The Cold War and competition with the Soviet Union led to a shift in how national security was perceived, and it took on its present narrower meaning of freedom from an attack by a rival, according to Roady.
This view of national security persisted even after the 9/11 attacks. The George W. Bush administration's 2002 National Security Strategy said, "Our duty is to defend the peace by combating terrorists and tyrants... Protecting our Nation against its adversaries is the fundamental responsibility of the Federal Government."
Reappraising what represents national security should now be a top priority, and it's not only climate change that poses an existential threat. Consider that the Covid-19 pandemic, which killed approximately the same number of Americans as in all wars since the American Revolution (around 1.2 million), underscores this point.
Politicians are under pressure to seriously consider preparing for future pandemics, given the ease of global travel. The non-partisan COVID Crisis Group, which released a detailed report last year, noted that the U.S. is still largely unprepared for the next pandemic.
The catastrophic aftermath of this fall's hurricanes may also encourage American politicians to start seriously considering mitigating the risks of climate change, as seen in restrictions on new construction in flood zones.
After Hurricane Milton, Americans should question: Are they safer now from threats like climate change and pandemics? And if not, isn't it time for a genuine discussion on what truly constitutes national security to commence?
The discussion on national security in the United States has expanded beyond traditional threats, with climate change being recognized as a significant and existential concern by the Pentagon. This shift in perspective is necessary, considering the impact of climate change on key military bases, such as those in Norfolk and Virginia Beach, and its role in contributing to conflicts and displacement, as seen in Sudan.
Politicians should also consider the risks of pandemics, given the ease of global travel, and the fact that the Covid-19 pandemic had a similar death toll to all wars since the American Revolution. The catastrophic aftermath of Hurricane Milton further emphasizes the need for serious consideration of mitigating climate change risks, such as restrictions on new construction in flood zones.
