The Energy and National Security Benefits of Climate Action

The document outlines how climate action benefits U.S. national security through three primary channels: reducing reliance on foreign oil, transitioning to a distributed energy system to lower infrastructure vulnerability, and preventing climate-driven global instability. It specifically highlights that reducing petroleum consumption by 6 million barrels per day by 2030 could match current OPEC imports, and warns that climate change acts as a "threat multiplier" that could increase the burden on the U.S. military through humanitarian missions and threats to strategic bases like Diego Garcia.

• Reducing U.S. petroleum consumption by 6 million barrels per day by 2030 compared to 2005 levels—equivalent to current OPEC imports—is possible through investments in cleaner vehicles, low-carbon fuels, efficient transportation, and efficiency improvements in industry and home heating.
• The American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) is estimated to reduce the use of oil and petroleum products by approximately 1.2 million barrels per day by 2030, potentially saving the U.S. about $250 billion in oil imports.
• Current U.S. energy infrastructure is vulnerable to sabotage, severe weather, and accidents; for example, nuclear containment buildings are not designed for commercial jet impacts, and liquefied natural gas tankers pose explosion risks.
• Climate change functions as a 'threat multiplier' that can trigger mass migrations, violent conflicts, and the failure of states, particularly in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, due to water and food shortages.
• Climate change directly threatens U.S. military operations and assets, including the risk of sandstorms in the Persian Gulf, Africa, and the Middle East, and the potential loss of the Diego Garcia hub due to sea level rise.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2009). The Energy and National Security Benefits of Climate Action. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/national-security-and-climate.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. The Energy and National Security Benefits of Climate Action. 2009. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/national-security-and-climate.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=The Energy and National Security Benefits of Climate Action |date=October 2009 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/national-security-and-climate.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2009energy, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{The Energy and National Security Benefits of Climate Action}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2009}, month = oct, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/2019-09/national-security-and-climate.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }