Kerry: ‘Those Who Make’ Global Warming Political, ‘Put Us All at Risk’

“Climate change is a threat to the security of the United States and, indeed, to the security and stability of countries everywhere. When we talk about climate change, we’re not just talking about the harm that is caused to the habitat for butterflies or polar bears, as some people try to mock it, as serious as those effects might be. We are talking about the impacts on people.
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Long story short, climate change is not just about Bambi; it’s about all of us in very personal and important ways. Now, those who paint climate change as just another partisan, political issue actually don’t like to hear that line of argument. Last year, when my friend Chuck Hagel, our Secretary of Defense at the time, argued that climate change and security were closely linked, the editors of one major newspaper actually labeled him a ‘tree-hugger.’ And before that, when I made the same argument, one prominent politician called on me to resign.

Now, believe me, I wish I were wrong about this. It would be better for all of us if I was exaggerating the urgency of this threat. But the science tells us unequivocally: Those who continue to make climate change a political fight put us all at risk.
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When extreme weather leads to natural disasters and humanitarian suffering, guess what? Our military responds. And they respond bravely and with great skill, but it takes our troops away from work on other important missions. Which leads me to another major factor and another major reason that climate change is a security threat: It has a direct impact on military readiness.
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Today I am pleased to announce that I will be convening a task force of senior government officials to determine how best to integrate climate and security analysis into overall foreign policy planning and priorities.
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The solution to climate change is not some pie-in-the-sky theory. It’s not sitting in some professor’s mind or desk somewhere in the world waiting for them to pronounce it. It’s here now. We see it. We know what it is. It’s called energy policy. And the sooner we can move rapidly to a low-carbon economy and lead the world in the new technologies to do so, the sooner we will solve this problem in its entirety. It’s that straight. (Applause)
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It shouldn’t be a hard choice, folks. We have a moral responsibility to protect the future of our nation and our world. That is our charge. That is our duty. And for our ship, for our shipmates, all of us, and for the generations that follow in their footsteps, we have to get this right.”