by Major General Paul Monroe, U.S. Army (ret.)

Climate change is a threat to our national security.  I know this because I spent over 42 years in the military compromising our operations and training due to the effects of climate change.

Operation Free traveled to Minnesota for a roundtable to discuss how the Rockefeller amendment to the Clean Air Act would impact the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and its ability to enforce the provisions of the Clean Air Act. And, it was extremely gratifying to also learn about the programs that the community, in and around Minneapolis/St. Paul, has developed to support clean energy.

Congress has not been able to agree on a comprehensive energy bill.  However, the EPA determined, in late 2009, that carbon pollution is a threat to public health because it causes climate change.  EPA began to regulate carbon emission for moving sources of pollution, and next year will also regulate stationary sources.  Senator Rockefeller’s bill would withdraw the EPA’s authority to regulate carbon emissions.  Should this happen, we will lose many of the gains being made with the Clean Air Act.

Brendan Flynn from Operation Free moderated the discussion.  In addition to the concerned members from the community, there were business people and members from the Minnesota state legislature.  There was also Alec Timmerman, a local high school teacher.  Alec was deployed with the Minnesota National Guard, and witnessed first hand the enormous amount of energy consumed by the military.  80% of the energy used by federal agencies, is consumed by the military.

This fact made both our civilian and military realize that this current spending of our energy resources, is not sustainable.  For the first time in history, the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) included climate change in its report to Congress.  Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and the service secretaries, committed to turn the Department of Defense (DoD) GREEN.  The Department of Navy is out front in an effort to eliminate its dependence on fossil fuels.

The Navy recently flew one of its FA-18 Super Hornet fighter aircraft, dubbed the Green Hornet, on a fuel mixture made up of bio and fossil fuels.  Just cutting half the fossil fuels required to operate tactical aircraft, will be an enormous saving for the economy and the climate.  All services are involved.  The Army and the Marine Corps are experimenting with tactical energy for use in the field, and the Air Force is converting their administrative vehicles to electric or bio fuels.

The longer we wait, the more we lose to our competitors.  The technology for a green environment will be developed by others. Green jobs will be exported, and we will have to purchase green energy from other nations, just like we do for fossil fuels now.  We will lose our sovernty to those who control clean energy.  We are two rungs up the ladder and we must keep climbing.  The Rockefeller Bill sets us back at a time when our economy and our national security demand that we begin the switch to clean energy now.

Paul Monroe is a retired two star Major General, having served over 46 years in the United States Army and the California Army National Guard.