Center for a New American Security

On Friday, the House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES), but not without considerable effort. Though debates about F-22s and the economic merits of a cap-and-trade system will continue as both bills head to the Senate, it’s worth a moment to take a look at what the legislation could do to improve the natural security of the United States.

Provisions in the House version of the NDAA tackle the problem of greenhouse gas emissions head on. For starters, it authorizes the creation of a Director of Operational Energy, who would report directly to the Secretary of Defense and would review how the Department of Defense might better incorporate carbon-free, renewable fuels into its daily operations and broader strategic posture. The recommendations from the Director of Operational Energy, due no later than February 1, 2010, would address how combatant commanders, the heads of military branches, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff could use algae- and other biomass-based fuels for aviation, maritime, and ground transportation and to more widely power forward operating bases.

This week, Afghan and U.S. officials co-hosted the grand opening of Band-e-Amir, Afghanistan’s first national park.  The Afghan government’s efforts were funded by both USAID and the Wildlife Conservation Society and open the door for other conservation efforts around the nation.  Much of the native flora and fauna in the region are already gone, but steps like these help secure the country’s natural environment – and preserve the biodiversity necessary for agriculture and other livelihoods – as development efforts continue.

Photo: One of the six cascading lakes in Band-e-Amir, Afghanistan.  Courtesy of flickr user Carl Montgomery.

In Tuesday’s edition of The Independent, Patrick Cockburn shares his observations on the outlook for Iraq in the coming year, taking a rather dismal view of the country’s future.  Of particular interest is his reporting that Iraq, which at one point was forecast to be something of a breadbasket in the region, “has become one of the world’s largest food importers.”

The reason for this: a lack of water. 

At our annual conference on June 11, Dr. Peter Gleick, from the Pacific Institute, provided historical examples of instances where water has been tied to or created conflicts, and discussed its potential for doing so in the future.  While America’s involvement in Iraq and the current level of conflict there obviously are not due to concerns over water, managing the drought will be an important aspect of any population-centric strategy employed by U.S. forces – even a year ago the Army was speaking of the need to engage with the State Department and USAID to provide more efficient agricultural technologies to the Iraqi people. 

Last week, we featured a Washington Post article on the critical task of revitalizing Afghanistan’s agricultural economy.  Well, the battle continues, and McClatchy reports that the Missouri National Guard’s Agri-Business Development Team is at the forefront.  But the challenge is not just overcoming the limitations of soil chemistry and watershed dynamics, important as they are.  Indeed, the program also advises Afghanistan’s farmers on what crops are saleable and develops strategies for storing and refrigerating those goods on their way to the marketplace.  Stay posted to the Natural Security Blog as we keep you posted on how land use shapes the U.S. mission in Afghanistan.

According to a recent World Bank report, Russia is not properly prepared to deal with the impacts of climate change, which are likely to affect it more than other European and Central Asian nations, reports Bloomberg News. In the United States, the House of Representatives is prepared to vote on the Waxman-Markey climate change bill this week, according to the New York Times. Reuters reports that President Obama is urging the House to pass the bill, calling it a piece of “historic legislation.” Meanwhile, ongoing violence in the Niger Delta has led Eni to declare a force majeure on exports coming from its Brass terminal.

Today’s headlines feature several articles exploring the impacts of climate change around the world. The Independent takes a rather dismal view of Iraq’s future, noting that droughts (and the damming of the Euphrates) have reduced the country’s water supply, seriously damaging local agriculture and worsening food security. In South America, The Santiago Times reports that NASA has revealed that the Patagonian glaciers are losing mass at a rather startling rate. Similarly, scientists in Nepal have begun a field study in the Himalayas to examine glacial lakes, which are believed to be growing at an alarming rate due to glacial retreat. At the policy level, The New York Times reports that China’s recent investments in carbon capture technology may play an important role at Copenhagen in December.

Photo: An Iraqi boy gathers water from a well in Najaf, south of Baghdad. Courtesy of flickr user usr.c.   

When our Veep Sharon Burke landed on the term “natural security” when developing this CNAS program late last year, our staff dug around to see how the term has been used in the past. The other cases we found of its use were quite different from the definition we use, and those writings were not directed squarely at the national security community.

Fast forward a few months, and I stumble upon an article, “Natural Security: To Avoid War, We Need New Policies for Managing the Earth’s Resources,” by Hal Harvey, footnoted in a piece on water from the early 1990s. This 1988 gem, from a magazine or journal called Nuclear Times, proved evasive, not to be found in any regular research databases or through basic Googling. Lucky for us, Mr. Harvey’s office was kind enough to scan a hard copy they had on file and email it over to us.

As our own Sharon Burke wrote earlier this month in her Natural Security concept paper:

President Obama has stated repeatedly that peace in Afghanistan will be contingent on economic, civic, and political development as much as military successes. A 2009 UNEP report found, however, that most of Afghanistan’s natural resources are severely degraded and that any recovery would depend on restoration of these resources. Achieving U.S. goals in the region may well depend on our ability to tie natural resources into national security.

Today’s Washington Post features a great article by Rajiv Chandrasekaran beginning on page A1 that provides depth to the role of land use issues in both promoting and slowing security-building efforts in Afghanistan. The reporter also sheds some light on the kinds of bureaucratic wrangling that we might expect more of as the administration shifts additional responsibilities for national security to civilian agencies and increases focus on civilian functions.

“Could the next war be powered by potatoes?”

So wonders Tina Casey in CleanTechnica, commenting on the U.S. military’s efforts to innovate and integrate alternative energy technology into its major systems. The military is making laudable strides to meet alternative energy benchmarks, with proposals underway through DOD’s Small Business Innovation Research grant program to develop bio-batteries and fuel cells that could use a variety of fuel sources, “from sugar to potatoes, vodka or beer.” And while diversifying its sources for energy is essential for the U.S. military to achieve a sustainable and more efficient energy future, DOD should also be aware of the potential consequences of transitioning to alternatives fuels based on food sources.

One of the hardest tasks for a think tank is deciding what not to publish. The CNAS Natural Security Program is a project apart, however, and that’s why we thought this blog would be a good idea.

Generally speaking, research projects, which tend to be multi-month and even multi-year, of necessity have a focal point. A great deal of interesting but not directly germane information can end up on the cutting room floor.