Very helpful and encouraging, though hardly surprising, news today. Per a Vote Vets press release, a new Lake Research Group poll finds that 73% of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans support the passage of clean energy and climate legislation:

A compelling new poll of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans finds that 73 percent of them support Clean Energy Climate Change legislation in Congress, 79 percent believe ending our dependence on foreign oil is important to national security, and 67 percent support the argument that such legislation will help their own economic prospects. The poll was conducted by Lake Research Group for VoteVets.org In February, and is made up of 45 percent self-identified Republicans, 25 percent Independents, and 20 percent Democrats.  The full memo detailing the results is below.  PDF's of the memo and poll can be found here....

Veterans do not believe that the answer is just more drilling.  When asked the question, "Do you favor or oppose a comprehensive clean energy and climate bill that invests in clean, renewable energy sources in America and limits carbon pollution in the atmosphere?" Seventy-three percent of veterans supported the bill, while only 22 percent opposed.

VoteVets.org also announced today that it is running new television and internet ads, nationally, and in Alaska, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and North Dakota supporting energy reform policies as a matter of security.  The ads are co-sponsored with Operation Free. The ad can be viewed at BillionDollarsADay.com

These results aren't surprising. I've written before that the military is well aware of the national security threats posed by climate change - the Navy is concerned with the effect warmer waters are already having on SONAR and the Pentagon classified climate change as a "destabilizing force" in its latest quadrennial strategic defense review. Our troops in the Middle East are in an excellent (albeit unfortunate) spot to see these effects first hand - particularly those risking their lives on supply convoys to ferry fossil fuels to the front lines.

There's more...

Very helpful and encouraging, though hardly surprising, news today. Per a Vote Vets press release, a new Lake Research Group poll finds that 73% of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans support the passage of clean energy and climate legislation:

A compelling new poll of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans finds that 73 percent of them support Clean Energy Climate Change legislation in Congress, 79 percent believe ending our dependence on foreign oil is important to national security, and 67 percent support the argument that such legislation will help their own economic prospects. The poll was conducted by Lake Research Group for VoteVets.org In February, and is made up of 45 percent self-identified Republicans, 25 percent Independents, and 20 percent Democrats.  The full memo detailing the results is below.  PDF's of the memo and poll can be found here....

Veterans do not believe that the answer is just more drilling.  When asked the question, "Do you favor or oppose a comprehensive clean energy and climate bill that invests in clean, renewable energy sources in America and limits carbon pollution in the atmosphere?" Seventy-three percent of veterans supported the bill, while only 22 percent opposed.

VoteVets.org also announced today that it is running new television and internet ads, nationally, and in Alaska, Florida, Indiana, Ohio and North Dakota supporting energy reform policies as a matter of security.  The ads are co-sponsored with Operation Free. The ad can be viewed at BillionDollarsADay.com

These results aren't surprising. I've written before that the military is well aware of the national security threats posed by climate change - the Navy is concerned with the effect warmer waters are already having on SONAR and the Pentagon classified climate change as a "destabilizing force" in its latest quadrennial strategic defense review. Our troops in the Middle East are in an excellent (albeit unfortunate) spot to see these effects first hand - particularly those risking their lives on supply convoys to ferry fossil fuels to the front lines.

There's more...

Jerome wrote this morning that “the emerging Kerry-Lieberman-Graham bill on energy solutions seems to have the biggest potential to shift the terrain in the coming months.” I’m inclined to agree. Clean energy is as much about that eteranlly important electoral issue, national security, as it is climate change or the environment. (And also jobs... and health...) Check out this new ad from Vote Vets:

It shouldn’t be too hard to paint Members who vote against the Kerry-Graham energy bill as weak on national security. Vote Vets is hardly the first national security organization to focus on the need for clean energy.

Vet PAC, the Truman National Security Project, the American Values Network, Veterans for Common Sense, and others are all taking part in Operation Free, a touring bus company of vets who stump for clean energy. Additionally, scores of veterans have recorded videos for the Repower Wall project from Al Gore’s Alliance for Climate Protection, including General Brent Scowcroft (National Security Advisor to two Republican presidents), General Wesley Clark, Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy (the nation’s first female three star), Brig. Gen. Steve Cheney, and Brig. John Adams.

There’s no two ways around it: climate change is a security issue. The arguments about foreign oil are obvious, but are not the only ones. The Pentagon’s latest Quadrennial Defense Review labels global warming a “destabilizing force,” and has launched a website called “DoD Goes Green.” The Navy is concerned about the effect already warmer-waters  wars having on sonar and not happy with the prospect of stretching itself too thin to guard a new shipping channel if Arctic sea ice melts. Marines in Afghanistan spend $400 per gallon of gas – and use 800,000 gallons a day.

So let’s make sure it’s a bill worthy of our military, without massive coal and oil giveaways.

Jerome wrote this morning that “the emerging Kerry-Lieberman-Graham bill on energy solutions seems to have the biggest potential to shift the terrain in the coming months.” I’m inclined to agree. Clean energy is as much about that eteranlly important electoral issue, national security, as it is climate change or the environment. (And also jobs... and health...) Check out this new ad from Vote Vets:

It shouldn’t be too hard to paint Members who vote against the Kerry-Graham energy bill as weak on national security. Vote Vets is hardly the first national security organization to focus on the need for clean energy.

Vet PAC, the Truman National Security Project, the American Values Network, Veterans for Common Sense, and others are all taking part in Operation Free, a touring bus company of vets who stump for clean energy. Additionally, scores of veterans have recorded videos for the Repower Wall project from Al Gore’s Alliance for Climate Protection, including General Brent Scowcroft (National Security Advisor to two Republican presidents), General Wesley Clark, Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy (the nation’s first female three star), Brig. Gen. Steve Cheney, and Brig. John Adams.

There’s no two ways around it: climate change is a security issue. The arguments about foreign oil are obvious, but are not the only ones. The Pentagon’s latest Quadrennial Defense Review labels global warming a “destabilizing force,” and has launched a website called “DoD Goes Green.” The Navy is concerned about the effect already warmer-waters  wars having on sonar and not happy with the prospect of stretching itself too thin to guard a new shipping channel if Arctic sea ice melts. Marines in Afghanistan spend $400 per gallon of gas – and use 800,000 gallons a day.

So let’s make sure it’s a bill worthy of our military, without massive coal and oil giveaways.

Jerome wrote this morning that “the emerging Kerry-Lieberman-Graham bill on energy solutions seems to have the biggest potential to shift the terrain in the coming months.” I’m inclined to agree. Clean energy is as much about that eteranlly important electoral issue, national security, as it is climate change or the environment. (And also jobs... and health...) Check out this new ad from Vote Vets:

It shouldn’t be too hard to paint Members who vote against the Kerry-Graham energy bill as weak on national security. Vote Vets is hardly the first national security organization to focus on the need for clean energy.

Vet PAC, the Truman National Security Project, the American Values Network, Veterans for Common Sense, and others are all taking part in Operation Free, a touring bus company of vets who stump for clean energy. Additionally, scores of veterans have recorded videos for the Repower Wall project from Al Gore’s Alliance for Climate Protection, including General Brent Scowcroft (National Security Advisor to two Republican presidents), General Wesley Clark, Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy (the nation’s first female three star), Brig. Gen. Steve Cheney, and Brig. John Adams.

There’s no two ways around it: climate change is a security issue. The arguments about foreign oil are obvious, but are not the only ones. The Pentagon’s latest Quadrennial Defense Review labels global warming a “destabilizing force,” and has launched a website called “DoD Goes Green.” The Navy is concerned about the effect already warmer-waters  wars having on sonar and not happy with the prospect of stretching itself too thin to guard a new shipping channel if Arctic sea ice melts. Marines in Afghanistan spend $400 per gallon of gas – and use 800,000 gallons a day.

So let’s make sure it’s a bill worthy of our military, without massive coal and oil giveaways.