Later this week, the House will debate the 2008 Fiscal Year Department of Defense (DOD) authorization bill, H.R. 1585. Included within the measure is a provision developed by Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming, Ed Markey (D-MA), and Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD), and supported by 11 former Pentagon officials, to study how climate change affects the U.S. military. Specifically, DOD would have to assess what role climate change plays on its "facilities, capabilities, and missions."
Markey and Bartlett said they are advancing the provision to get a better understanding of how climate change-related flooding and sea-level rise could lead to the destruction of military and intelligence operations in low-lying areas, including U.S. Naval bases and shipyards. However, Republicans plan to try to strip out the climate change language during debate on the defense bill.