Get On The Bus: Veterans Push for Clean, American Energy

The Operation Free bus tour pushed through Missouri today, calling for new policies to reduce America's dependence on foreign sources of energy and reduce climate changing pollution that jeopardizes national security. A national tour with Midwestern flair, speakers included Billy Froescher of Columbia, Matt Victoriano of Fayetteville, AR, and Ed May of Jeffersonville, IN. 

Today's stops were part of a 21-state tour to raise awareness of the looming climate change crisis, and its associated consequences for national security.

Politico wrote about the organization and its supporters today as well:

In September, Operation Free organized a group of more than 150 veterans from across the country to visit Senate offices and the White House to raise awareness of the national security threats of climate change. They were joined by former Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), who had also served as Navy secretary and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Warner, along with Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), sponsored a climate bill last year...

The intelligence community is also taking action on climate change.
In September, the CIA announced it was opening a Center on Climate Change and National Security to examine how global warming could affect the country’s military strategies.

The new unit, led by specialists from the agency’s intelligence bureau and directorate of science and technology, aims to advise policymakers as they negotiate international environmental agreements.

“Decision makers need information and analysis on the effects climate change can have on security,” CIA Director Leon Panetta said in a press release. “The CIA is well-positioned to deliver that intelligence.”

Their efforts build on recent research by the National Intelligence Council.

The council, which gathered input from all 16 intelligence agencies, issued a classified report saying the crop failures and rising sea levels could produce political instability and multiple relief crises.

In response to questions about the reality of climate change, organizers also pointed to the analyses and concerns of top military leaders.  From the documents provided at the event:

• Climate Change acts as a ‘Threat Multiplier’ that decreases stability and increases the conflicts that our military will have to be engaged in.
• Hostile regimes profit up to $500,000.00 per minute from oil sales to the US economy
• In 2003, a Pentagon study stated that climate change “should be elevated beyond a scientific debate to a U.S. national security concern.”
• Desertification, worsened by climate change, affects 25% of the world’s total surface, and will cause massive refugee and humanitarian crises – that provides breeding grounds for extremist groups.

More at OperationFree.net