Big news for the Operation Free community. Today, we’re announcing a new national television ad. It highlights the connections between our dependence on oil and funding for terrorist organizations. Watch it now:

Our very own Jon Powers had a great piece in The Hill on Friday that highlights the opportunity now before the Senate to pass a strong clean energy and climate bill that will put America back in control of our energy future and strengthen American national security.

I was with Jon and other veterans from across the country at the Clean Energy, Jobs, and Security Forum on Wednesday where we joined with leaders from the national security, agriculture, business, labor, and faith communities to discuss the need for legislation that will create a market solution to the problem of carbon pollution and reduce our dependence on oil from people who don’t like us.

As Jon wrote in his piece, we heard from top administration officials like Steven Chu and Carol Browner, as well as key Senators in the effort such as John Kerry, Debbie Stabenow, and Sherrod Brown.

But perhaps the greatest ovation came for Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who has been unabashed in his support for strong clean energy legislation (and has come under fire from some in his party for doing so).

In pointed terms, Senator Graham spoke about how Senators from both parties need to come together on this issue.  He proudly proclaimed that “as a Republican, I believe clean air is a good thing.”  And he urged the audience to loudly express their support of clean energy legislation to their elected representatives in Washington.

Later that evening, President Obama echoed Senator Graham’s consensus-building tone in his first State of the Union address.

Clearly, there is a great deal of work to be done on this issue.  But if Pres. Obama and Sen. Graham’s comments last week on clean energy are any indication, there may still be a glimmer of bipartisanship in Washington.  And that spirit of bipartisanship may just get clean energy legislation across the finish line.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 13, 2010

CONTACT
David Solimini, 757-876-0295

Veterans Launch National Tour for Clean Energy, Security

Tour to hit 16 states, highlight climate change threat to American security

Today, in front of the US Capitol, a group of US military veterans kicked off the National Veterans for American Power Tour, a 16 state, two month, nationwide bus tour in support of clean energy legislation. Sponsored by Operation Free, the tour will highlight the connection between climate change and national security.

They were joined by Rep.  Edward Markey (D-Mass), Chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

At scores of meet and greets, town hall meetings, and round table events, the veterans will describe how dependence on oil is funding our most dangerous enemies, making America vulnerable, and causing destabilizing climate change – threatening peace and security around the world.

The national tour heads to Virginia first, followed by Missouri, Colorado, and New Mexico and additional states thereafter. This tour was preceded by two smaller bus tours last year.

“As we saw on Christmas day, our dependence on oil is providing funding to our most dangerous enemies. At the same time, climate change is destabilizing already weak states and creating the failed states which provide breeding grounds and recruiting opportunities for terrorists around the world,” said Jon Powers, COO of the Truman Project and Iraq war veteran. “Climate change is making the world a more dangerous place, and America needs to stop it for our own security.”

The next month will include stops in:

• Virginia (Jan 16 & 17) Charlottesville, Martinsville, Danville
• Missouri (Jan 19-22) St. Louis, Cape Girardeau, Springfield, Columbia, Sedalia, Warrensburg, Independence, Kansas City
• Colorado (Jan 24-28) Grand Junction, Breckenridge, Denver, Colorado Springs, Pueblo
• New Mexico (Jan 29-Feb 2) Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Roswell
• Arizona (Feb 5) Flagstaff
• Nevada (Feb 6-7) Las Vegas.

The Tour will continue onto the following states: Washington, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio.

Relevant Facts:

• The Department of Defense has identified climate change as a ‘threat multiplier’ and plans on including the threat in the Quadrennial Defense Review, as does the State Department.  (New York Times, August 8, 2009)

• The Central Intelligence Agency has opened a Center on Climate Change and National Security. (Central Intelligence Agency, September 25, 2009)

• In 2008, a National Intelligence Assessment from the National Intelligence Council said “global climate change will have wide-ranging implications for US national security interests over the next 20 years.” (Senate Testimony of Dr. Thomas Fingar, June 28, 2008)

• Former Senator John Warner (R-VA), former Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), former CIA Director James Woolsey, Retired General Anthony Zinni, and Retired Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, General Wesley Clark, have all stated that climate change threatens our security.

Operation Free is a coalition of veterans and national security organizations dedicated to securing America with clean energy. Learn more about Operation Free and the National Veterans for American Power Tour at www.OperationFree.net.

# # #

Big news from Operation Free — on the tail of our hugely successful smaller bus tours, tomorrow we’ll be announcing our biggest and longest series of events, ever.  Tomorrow, in the shadow of the US Capitol, veterans and members of Congress will announce the National Veterans for American Power Tour, spanning 16 states and scores of events over more than two months. They will be joined by Rep.  Edward Markey (D-Mass), Chairman of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. He co-author of the House-passed Waxman-Markey, American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES).

The veterans will describe how dependence on oil is funding our most dangerous enemies, making America vulnerable, and causing destabilizing climate change. After the event, they will depart for the first leg of the national tour.

Can you make it? Of course you can. Come to the kickoff, see the brand new bus, and learn more about how to get involved.

The Details: Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. in Washington, DC at the US Capitol Reflecting Pool at the corner of Maryland and 3rd St SW.

The Central Intelligence Agency is stepping up efforts to address the security threats of climate change, opening up new data for researchers to share and collect. The New York Times recently covered the announcement of the new info-sharing program. As they report, “’[CIA] Director [Leon] Panetta believes it is crucial to examine the potential national security implications of phenomena such as desertification, rising sea levels and population shifts,’ Paula Weiss, an agency spokeswoman, said.”

Of course, this great news wasn’t received well by oil-funded so-called think tanks. For example, the self-described “conservative” NCPPR and several media outlets were quick to criticize this move to protect American security.

See Media Matters’ fantastic breakdown of this textbook smear.

While Sean Hannity may claim that “the CIA director redirects manpower to monitor climate change, but is it all the cost — at the cost of our security, your security, your family’s security?” it turns out that “the monitoring program has little or no impact on regular intelligence gathering” according to Federal officials. In fact, the information that is being given by the CIA to the US scientific community is data that is already being collected for other purposes.

“The monitoring program has little or no impact on regular intelligence gathering, federal officials
said, but instead releases secret information already collected or takes advantage of opportunities
to record environmental data when classified sensors are otherwise idle or passing over wilderness.”
– New York Times.

It seems clear that rather than interfere with national and global security, tracking climate change can prevent future conflicts. Nations that are already unstable can become failed states as climate disruption causes famine, flood and refugee crises — Failed states are prime recruiting targets for terrorist groups.