Arctic Ice Loss Threatens National Security: A Path Forward

Abstract

Global warming is causing a dramatic reduction in Arctic sea and land ice and thawing permafrost. Because of the Arctic's role in influencing climate, loss of Arctic ice is affecting weather patterns globally and in the Northern Hemisphere in particular. Events such as droughts and coastal flooding, exacerbated by global warming, result in food and water shortages and mass human migrations that can destabilize governments and threaten U.S. national security interests. The loss of sea ice is also changing the geo-political situation in the Arctic. An emerging class of technologies associated with the restoration of Arctic ice can slow global warming and mitigate the threats posed to our national security and foreign policy by the changing geo-political situation in the region and globally. This article posits that an emerging class of technologies associated with the restoration of Arctic ice can slow global warming and mitigate the threats posed to our national security and foreign policy by the changing geo-political situation in the region and globally. It recommends that the United States fund efforts to study Arctic ice restoration technologies and take the lead in developing and coordinating an international response to mitigate Arctic sea ice loss and the impending global warming crisis.