106 Lawmakers Urge Trump: Restore Climate in National Security Strategy

"The bipartisan letter says that as global temperatures become more volatile and sea levels rise, military installations and communities are increasingly at risk."

"A bipartisan group of more than 100 members of Congress is urging President Donald Trump to recognize climate change as a national security threat.

U.S. Reps. Jim Langevin (D-R.I.) and Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) wrote a letter to the president signed by 106 members of Congress on Thursday in response to the administration's failure to mention the risks of climate change in its National Security Strategy, released last month. Eleven Republicans signed the letter, including members of the House Armed Services, Foreign Affairs and Intelligence committees.

"We have heard from scientists, military leaders and civilian personnel who believe that climate change is indeed a direct threat to America's national security and to the stability of the world at large," the lawmakers wrote. "As global temperatures become more volatile, sea levels rise, and landscapes change, our military installations and our communities are increasingly at risk of devastation. It is imperative that the United States addresses this growing geopolitical threat.""

Phil McKenna reports for InsideClimate News January 16, 2018.