Former Soldier: ‘Fighting Climate Is Just as Dangerous as al Qaeda or the Taliban’

ATKINS Good afternoon I ░░░░░░░░ Lieutenant Colonel Retired Will ░░░░░░░░ And as I ve ░░░░░░░░ over the last 22 ░░░░░░░░ of military service in ░░░░░░░░ United States Air Force ░░░░░░░░ care deeply about supporting ░░░░░░░░ uplifting those that are ░░░░░░░░ most vulnerable among us ░░░░░░░░ most of my military ░░░░░░░░ was conducting humanitarian aid ░░░░░░░░ following natural disasters that ░░░░░░░░ made worse by climate ░░░░░░░░ So imagine if you ░░░░░░░░ having to carry 100 ░░░░░░░░ body bags in your ░░░░░░░░ due to flooding and ░░░░░░░░ around the globe as ░░░░░░░░ had to Imagine losing ░░░░░░░░ friends when their aircraft ░░░░░░░░ while fighting wildfires in ░░░░░░░░ and another one in ░░░░░░░░ as I have Imagine ░░░░░░░░ from the military after ░░░░░░░░ years thinking that you ░░░░░░░░ safe and moving home ░░░░░░░░ Tampa Florida and immediately ░░░░░░░░ hit with back to ░░░░░░░░ hurricanes record storm surge ░░░░░░░░ flooding record devastation that ░░░░░░░░ has not been rebuilt ░░░░░░░░ year later as I ░░░░░░░░ We are seeing rising ░░░░░░░░ levels and flooding threatening ░░░░░░░░ naval bases along the ░░░░░░░░ We are seeing droughts ░░░░░░░░ coups in the Middle ░░░░░░░░ We are seeing a ░░░░░░░░ of food and water ░░░░░░░░ sparking conflicts around the ░░░░░░░░ For all of those ░░░░░░░░ I believe that climate ░░░░░░░░ is a national security ░░░░░░░░ not just to my ░░░░░░░░ but to all of ░░░░░░░░ countries represented here today ░░░░░░░░ around the world Now ░░░░░░░░ those of you that ░░░░░░░░ argue that climate change ░░░░░░░░ not a national security ░░░░░░░░ I would say tell ░░░░░░░░ to the numerous generals ░░░░░░░░ military officials who have ░░░░░░░░ climate change a threat ░░░░░░░░ Tell that to the ░░░░░░░░ members who are risking ░░░░░░░░ losing their lives in ░░░░░░░░ zones Tell that to ░░░░░░░░ of the military conducting ░░░░░░░░ aid bringing aid to ░░░░░░░░ cities and sometimes yes ░░░░░░░░ bodies to their final ░░░░░░░░ place Throughout all of ░░░░░░░░ I ve been there ░░░░░░░░ climate change is just ░░░░░░░░ dangerous as al Qaeda ░░░░░░░░ the Taliban When disaster ░░░░░░░░ we send troops When ░░░░░░░░ strikes the troops we ░░░░░░░░ combat capability which makes ░░░░░░░░ less safe So that ░░░░░░░░ why I argue that ░░░░░░░░ need to treat climate ░░░░░░░░ like the national security ░░░░░░░░ that it is in ░░░░░░░░ same vein as we ░░░░░░░░ Russia or China Iran ░░░░░░░░ Korea except those conflicts ░░░░░░░░ on the horizon and ░░░░░░░░ never materialize whereas climate ░░░░░░░░ is here now it ░░░░░░░░ killing us now And ░░░░░░░░ need to do something ░░░░░░░░ it to protect and ░░░░░░░░ against all threats foreign ░░░░░░░░ domestic before it s ░░░░░░░░ late. Thank you.”