From a Western perspective, we rarely consider environmental problems as threats to our national security. We have been convinced to think that national security threats are coming from international sources and require military responses that in reality, can actually increase the risk of environmental degradation. I am currently enrolled in an undergraduate class titled “Environmental Security” at St. Lawrence University, and I was inspired to write a brief cautionary note regarding how environmental degradation and climate change can, will, and should become a national security issue on the United States’ agenda.
If we define security broadly, I think we can agree that basic needs must be met in order to consider our individual livelihoods secure, but what slips past our radar is the notion that many of our basic needs can be drastically affected by climate change. Food and water scarcity are two issues commonly addressed by theorists of global warming, and many of my readings have shown that rising global temperatures will indeed affect global food production and availability of fresh, potable water. Should we consider access to affordable, healthy foods and clean drinking water security threats? My answer is yes, because until we recognize the hidden fragility of these resources, we continue to take them for granted. If a food shortage results in massive scarcity, prices will rise and the average American may not be able to have access to food supplies, which could be considered a direct threat to their well-being and thus a concern for the American agenda. I am not arguing that this will happen, I am simply advocating for an ideological shift in our definitions of security to include our entire environment.
Environmental author Thomas Homer-Dixon has a provocative book titled “Environment, Scarcity, and Violence,” that gives a fantastic introduction to the topic of environmental security. With Harvard being a very progressive and environmentally concerned community, it is only fitting to bring these ideas home and share the knowledge that environmental issues should be an integral part of the United States security agenda.
Ben Landry
Old Shirley Road
Ben Landry is a graduate of the Bromfield School Class of 2010
