[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 97 (Tuesday, June 11, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E750-E751]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 DR. SCHOONOVER'S REMARKS ON NATIONAL SECURITY IMPLICATIONS OF CLIMATE 
                                 CHANGE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. CHELLIE PINGREE

                                of maine

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 11, 2019

  Ms. PINGREE. Madam Speaker, on June 5, 2019, Dr. Rod Schoonover, a 
Senior Analyst in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research of the U.S. 
Department of State, testified before the House Permanent Select 
Committee on Intelligence. The hearing sought answers on the very real 
dangers and national security risks caused by climate change. The 
Administration, however, continued its pattern of anti-science and 
climate denial behavior. Though Dr. Schoonover was allowed to give his 
invaluable testimony, the Administration blocked his testimony from 
being entered into the record. We must recognize that climate change is 
a threat to our country's economic well-being, public health, and 
national security. I include in the Record part of Schoonover's 
summary, but urge my colleagues to read the full report here: https://
games-cdn.washingtonpost.com/notes/prod/default/documents/23db973-
209c-44c2-ab0f-1db57d157f51/note/7acf47a1-8ec4-4e76-a93e-
2d4dba26cb28.pdf#page=l

                              Unclassified

       Chairman Schiff, Ranking Member Nunes, and distinguished 
     members of the Committee, thank you for inviting me to speak 
     with you today on the national security implications of 
     climate change.
       As a U.S. intelligence officer in the Department of State 
     Bureau of Intelligence and Research it is my job to provide 
     clear, objective, and independent analysis to policymakers to 
     advance U.S. national security objectives. As a scientist in 
     the intelligence community (IC), I blend insights derived 
     from peer-reviewed journal articles and other scientific 
     reports with information gathered from daily intelligence 
     reporting to provide science-informed national security 
     analysis. My understanding of this and other issues is 
     deepened by the cadre of talented and dedicated officers in 
     the IC, many with technical expertise, who quietly serve U.S. 
     interests. This Committee is already aware that the IC does 
     not advocate for any particular set of policies, including 
     those that address climate change.


                            The Bottom Line

       Fundamental characteristics of the global climate are 
     moving outside the bounds experienced in modern history and 
     there is uncertainty on how some aspects of the climate will 
     evolve. Given the complex social and political contexts in 
     which a multitude of changes are occurring, however, we can 
     expect new and compounded stresses on people and societies 
     around the world, many with outcomes important for national 
     security.
       Climate change will have wide-ranging implications for U.S. 
     national security over the next 20 years through global 
     perturbations, increased risk of political instability, 
     heightened tensions between countries for resources, a 
     growing number of climate-linked humanitarian crises, 
     emergent geostrategic competitive domains, and adverse 
     effects on militaries. Increasingly probable amalgamations of 
     these security concerns are especially worrisome. Climate 
     change alone is unlikely to trigger state failure in the next 
     few decades but it will affect factors that that contribute 
     to conflict, such as access to natural resources. People will

[[Page E751]]

     increasingly decide to move because of deteriorating 
     conditions, both within nations and into countries that are 
     more prosperous. Perhaps most importantly, the rapidity of 
     concurrent and compounded changes to Earth's systems, from 
     human and natural causes, heightens the risk for unwelcome 
     and possibly severe climate-linked surprises.


                         Framework for Analysis

       The IC's task with respect to climate change is to inform 
     policymakers of the myriad risks and uncertainties that may 
     lie ahead, rather than trying to predict the future. We have 
     therefore examined a wide range of climate change effects, 
     including those currently believed to have low probability, 
     particularly if the ramifications could be highly impactful. 
     The IC focuses on security considerations outside the United 
     States, so we do not address the direct effects of climate 
     change on the U.S.homeland. We expect, however, that many 
     judgements could nonetheless apply to the United States.