Republican Senator Inhofe Dismisses Top US Military Strategists on Climate Change Concerns

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Republican Senator James Inhofe (R-OK), is dismissing a report out yesterday on the human security threats of climate change, authored by 11 three and four-star US Admirals and Generals, saying the group is desperate forย โ€œpublicity.โ€ย 

The report, National Security and the Threat of Climate Change, issued by the non-profit group CNA Corporation, concludesย that:

~ Projected climate change poses a serious threat to America’s nationalย security.ย 

~ Climate change acts as a threat multiplier for instability in some of the most volatile regions of theย world.

~ Projected climate change will add to tensions even in stable regions of theย world.

~ Climate change, national security and energy dependence are a related set of globalย challenges.

One of the reports authors, Gen. Charles F. Wald told the New York Timesย that:

โ€œIn the past, the thinking was that climate change multiplied the significance of a situation. Now weโ€™re saying itโ€™s going to be a direct cause ofย instability.โ€

The report authors are all retired high-ranking US military โ€” eleven retired three-star and four-star Admirals andย Generals.

Senator Inhofe is dismissing the collective wisdom of this group, telling theย New York Timesย that:

โ€œThere is no one in more pursuit of publicity than a retired military officer.ย I look back wistfully at the days of the Cold War. Now you have people who are mentally imbalanced, with the ability to deploy a nuclear weapon. For anyone to say that any type of global warming is anywhere close to the threat that we have with crazy people running around with nuclear weapons, it shows how desperate they are to get the public to buyย this.โ€

Over the years Senator Inhofe has made his delusion around the realities of climate change famous by making public proclamations like โ€œglobal warming is the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the Americanย people.โ€ย 

Inhofe is now taking his denial to a whole new level by going after this group of militaryย experts.

Take for example retired General Gordon Sullivan, who was the 32nd chief of staff โ€” the senior general officer in the Army and a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff โ€” and now serves as theย president and chief operating officer of the Association of the United States Army.

Or Lieutenant General Lawrence P. Farrell Jr., USAF (Ret.), Former Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, who is now the President and CEO of the National Defense Industrial Association.ย 

With 97% of the world’s top scientists saying that the threat of climate change is real and dangerous, and high ranking military brass echoing this concern, Senator Inhofe’s behavior is moving quickly from ridiculous to outrightย irresponsible.ย 

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Kevin is a contributor and strategic adviser to DeSmog. He runs the digital marketing agency Spake Media House. Named a โ€œGreen Heroโ€ by Rolling Stone Magazine and one of the โ€œTop 50 Tweetersโ€ on climate change and environment issues, Kevin has appeared in major news media outlets around the world for his work on digital campaigning. Kevin has been involved in the public policy arena in both the United States and Canada for more than a decade. For five years he was the managing editor of DeSmogBlog.com. In this role, Kevinโ€™s research into the โ€œclimate denial industryโ€ and the right-wing think tank networks was featured in news media articles around the world. He is most well known for his ground-breaking research into David and Charles Kochโ€™s massive financial investments in the Republican and tea partyย networks. Kevin is the first person to be designated a โ€œCertified Expertโ€ on theย political and community organizing platformย NationBuilder. Prior to DeSmog, Kevin worked in various political and government roles. He was Senior Advisor to the Minister of State for Multiculturalism and a Special Assistant to the Minister of State for Asia Pacific, Foreign Affairs for the Government of Canada. Kevin also worked in various roles in the British Columbia provincial government in the Office of the Premier and the Ministry of Health. In 2008 Kevin co-founded a groundbreaking new online election tool called Vote for Environment which was later nominated for a World Summit Award in recognition of the worldโ€™s best e-Content and innovative ICTย applications. Kevin moved to Washington, DC in 2010 where he worked for two years as the Director of Online Strategy for Greenpeace USA and has since returned to his hometown of Vancouver, Canada.

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