In their article, “Confronting Climate Change and Reframing Security”, Carol Dumaine and Irving Mintzer discuss how the issue of climate change has become a topic of discussion and study in security and military circles. They discuss how since the 1970’s American policy makers have “securitized” the issue of climate change and discussed how the United State’s military and security apparatus should prepare for the incoming affects of climate change. They contrast the American security lens with that of Germany. The German lens does not focus on security and military matters, instead it focuses on using strong multilateral and cooperative approaches to deal with and mitigate the damage that will come from climate change. Dumaine and Mintzer quote some German experts as stating that they believed that America’s focus on the security aspect of climate change is a distraction from the real issue. I believe that American policymakers are correct in “securitizing” climate change .As the environmental situation continues to degrade resources such as water and arable land will become scarcer and only countries that can physically defend their resources will be able to keep them. I would also consider it unwise for nation states to rely on multilateral approaches when dealing with climate change considering the fact that the United States left the Paris Agreement. In my opinion, it is the German experts who are acting foolishly in believing that the international community would come together during such a crisis and not crumble into a state of chaos in which every nation is solely looking out for the survival of its own people.
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Harry,
This is an interesting and provocative blog post! There can be little doubt at this point that climate change has gotten the attention of policymakers and planners in the Department of Defense, including the Joint Chiefs of Staff–and there are multiple public documents to prove it. They are worried about everything from the impact on military bases all over the world (e.g., flooding, wild fires, water shortages, etc.) to new missions and threats that the US might have to confront as the affects of climate change worsen. The Pentagon even worries about how it will fuel its ships and planes and tanks if fossil fuel can no longer be used!
Despite the current president’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement (which the President-elect has stated he will reverse on Day #1 of his administration), it’s also the case that Germany does not have the global presence or global security role that the US does. So, it’s easy for them to avoid adopting a security frame (even though it will obviously affect their security as well). If things get bad enough, and German starts being flooded with “climate refugees” from North Africa and/or the Middle East, it is likely to change its tune.
–Professor Wallerstein