The Global Threat Multiplier- National Security Experts’ Warning on Climate Change
Retired Admiral James Loy (Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security 2003 – 2005) & Ambassador Thomas Pickering (Undersecretary of State 1997 – 2000) led a panel discussing the national security implications of climate change. This event follows the release of a bipartisan policy statement in late 2015 signed by 48 accomplished former Generals, Admirals, Secretaries, and Ambassadors in support of PSA’s efforts to advocate for bipartisan action and a stronger global leadership role in this vital issue.
The Departments of State and Defense, National Intelligence Council, and many others in the national security community have identified climate change as an emerging threat to U.S. security priorities and a new variable influencing the security landscape in critical regions across the globe. Described as an “accelerant of instability” by DoD, the impacts of this dangerous factor are a growing concern for military planners with a vested interest in long-term strategic outlooks.
Though Representative Gibson was not able to attend the event, you can learn more about his climate change resolution, which is backed by 11 other House Republicans, here.
Ambassador Thomas Pickering
Ambassador Pickering served as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (1997-2000) and as U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation, India, Israel, El Salvador, Nigeria, and Jordan. He also was the U.S. Ambassador and Representative to the United Nations in New York, where he led the U.S. effort to build a coalition in the UN Security Council during and after the first Gulf War. He has held additional positions in Tanzania, Geneva, and Washington, including as Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Oceans, Environmental and Scientific Affairs and as Special Assistant to Secretaries of State William P. Rogers and Henry A. Kissinger. He is a member of PSA’s Advisory Board
Admiral James Loy (Retired)
Admiral Loy (ret.) served as Commandant of the United States Coast Guard (1998-2002), Under Secretary of Security of the Transportation Security Administration (2002-2003), and Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security (2003-2005). Admiral Loy served as the Coast Guard Chief of Staff from 1996 to 1998, during which time he redesigned the headquarters management structure and overhauled the Coast Guard planning and budgeting process to focus more sharply on performance and results. From 1994 to 1996, he was Commander of the Coast Guard’s Atlantic Area, supervising U.S. forces during the mass Haitian and Cuban migrations of 1994, and leading Coast Guard forces participating in Operation Restore Democracy. He is currently a Senior Counselor at the Cohen Group.
