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### ~ A EPA Testimony on the Clean Power Plan

~ l 1 "C- ~ Washington, DC Testimony July 29 t} ', 2014

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for the opportunity to discuss how climate change poses a direct threat to our national security and why the Clean Power Plan is a critical policy that will not only make us safer as a nation and also ensure global stability. My name is Adam Tiffen, and I am a U.S. Army Veteran. I served three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan as an Infantry officer. It was during my first deployment to Iraq in 2005, when as a rifle platoon leader, I was responsible for providing security for fuel convoys throughout A1 Anbar province. It was then that I first came to realize how dependent the U.S. military, and by extension, the United States has become on fossil fuels. Without energy we could not fight. Combat outposts, tanks, Humvees, aircraft, and radios were all dependent on one thing- energy. Due to the enormous demands placed on our supply chain, we could not alter our routes. We could not alter our schedule. Insurgents could literally set their watches by our convoys. This was the weak link in our supply chain, and it took enormous economic and personal sacrifice by our combat troops to secure the delivery of this energy to the warfighter. It is not an exaggeration to say that to secure the vital lifeblood of our forces, fuel, service members often, and in many cases unnecessarily, lost their lives. Beyond my direct areas of responsibility, I saw first-hand the impacts of war on innocent civilian populations, and the violence and chaos that occurs when some of the most impoverished places in the world are destabilized by conflict. The strong prey upon the weak. Civil society breaks down, replaced by extremism. Nations break into tribes, and tribes turn upon each other. The most vulnerable bear the brunt of the conflict. In Baghdad, suicide bombs killed indiscriminately turning market places into slaughter pens. In Kabul, high in the Hindu Kush Mountains, children freeze to death during the winters in refugee camps. As costly as Iraq and Afghanistan proved to be in both blood and treasure, they are a microcosm of what could be a new normal worldwide as a result of climate. Climate change exacerbates every struggle and challenge to global security and prosperity. From increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as droughts, floods, and storms, to resource scarcities, the impacts of climate change are already accelerating the risk of violence and conflict from Africa to the Middle East to the Pacific Rim. And while the impacts will be felt worldwide, it is the poorest, most vulnerable populations that will disproportionately suffer the most from the effects of climate change. Resource scarcitywill lead to the destabilization of already weak governments, increasing refugee populations and

spreading armed con#lict. Moreover, severe weather events have left these populations vulnerable to recruitment by extremist organizations that are poised to take advantage of the resulting economic and societal chaos. Nature abhors a vacuum, and where civil society breaks down as a result of tmrest caused by increased poverty and scarcity, fundamentalism and authoritarianism that poses a clear threat to our national security will assume control. Recent and ongoing crises in places like Syria, Nigeria, and Pakistan illustrate how a confluence of factors, exacerbated by climate impacts, has been a catalyst for conflict. If we as a nation have learned anything over the last decade, surely it is that events in far-flung places have a direct impact on otu• security at home. Therefore, climate change isn't just a risk abroad; it poses a direct threat to our national security here at home. '1'he impacts of climate change are also expanding areas of responsibility for our military. Recently, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel stated that the melting of polar ice caps, a result of global climate change, is enhancing "dangerous potential for conflict in the Arctic." In an era of significant fiscal constraint, our military will be required to respond to these global challenges by spending precious resources and placing our men and women in harm's way. At a speech to the graduating cadets at West Point, President Obama called climate change "a creeping national security crisis that will help shape your time in Lmiform, as we're called on to respond to refugee flows, natural disasters, and conflicts over water and food."Climate change is not only increasing the risk of conflict, but also the frequency of climaterelated disasters that will require humanitarian assistance from the U.S. Whenever natural disasters occur around the world, nations look to the United States to react. In 2013, after Typhoon Haiyan devastated the Philippines, the U.S. Navy deployed marines and soldiers to conduct rescue missions and offer assistant within the first 36 hours. These humanitarian ventures are important because they uphold America's image around the world, but they Lmdeniably detract from primary missions. Climate change means more of these natural disasters, but as Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus noted, our military already receives a request for aid or disaster relief every two weeks. This burden will only increase if climate change continues unchecked. And the impacts aren't just felt abroad, but also right here at home. Rising sea levels and extreme weather events threaten critical infrastructure and reduce the operational capability of our military's installations. Rising number of weather alerts are reducing training days and impacting mission readiness. The National Guard is preparing for additional responsibilities responding toincreasing frequency of natural disasters. During Hurricane Sandy, nearly 14,000 military

personnel were mobilized to provide assistance to impacted areas. The science is settled, and the resulting impacts of instability will not happen at some far-flLing time in the future but rather are happening now. As a result, our military will be inereasingly stretched to respond to the ever more difficult challenges of protecting America's interests abroad. While I am confident that we can meet these challenges, this will not come without a cost. As Americans, we owe it to otur troops to do everything we can to keep them out of harm's way. By combatting the threat of climate change, we can prevent future conllicts and ultimately send fewer of our brave men and women in uniform into dangerous situations. This is why the EPA's proposed rule to regulate carbon emissions is so important. By lowering the carbon intensity of our electricity sector, we are able to mitigate these risks. In the process, we are unlocking enormous opportunity for economic growth developing a robust clean, renewable energy economy. While admittedly, the standard is not the full-throated response we typically see from the United States when confronted with a global threat of this magnitude, it is a signiflcant first step in showcasing America's leadership to address this critical issue. Building, strengthening, and leading the international community to respond in the face of great challenges has been the bedrock of American grand strategy since 1945. This is an issue that cannot be solved within our borders; although there is little doubt that America currently has — or ever had — the capacity to act alone, there is no other nation prepared or positioned to assume the responsibility of being a catalyst for global action. Our greatest generation defended Europe from horrific tyranny during World War Il. And in the wake of the destruction, when other nations were ravaged and struggling to recover, America's leadership rebuilt a world that upheld democracy and freedom—all while staring down the Communist threat.

With an understanding that America's strength and security is inextricably intertwined with the fate of free nations, the men and women of that generation were actively exporting the ideals that make this country great. They sacrificed so much because they believed that the opportunities and liberties we experience should be available everywhere. The impacts of climate change would undermine every effort to build lasting, democratic institutions and create economic opportunity for all individuals. It is inherently un-American to turn our back and commit the world to that fate. We are at a critical inflection point in our history where we have so much to lose by inaction and so much to gain through action. We cannot presume that the world will act without leadershipfrom the iJnited States, and we cannot expect other nations to act if we do not take the lead here

at home.

The time is now for the United States to lead by taking detinitive and real steps to curb the effects of global climate change. The United States must show the nations of the world that we take climate change seriously, and we must set the example by which others can follow. Witholrt taking serious, conerete steps at home, we cannot be a leader abroad. By setting an example, the United States will have the leverage it needs to influence our friends and allies to take such measured steps of their own. The world is watching, and they are waiting to see if this is just a blip or if the American people are truly committed to taking this issue seriously. As a veteran, I take this issue very seriously, and I hope that the American people and government leadership are ready to act. The time is now for the LJnited States to lead by taking definitive and real steps to curb the effects of global climate change. I thank you for your time and your consideration