Climate Change and Global Security
CEO of the American Security Project Stephen A. Cheney and atmospheric science expert Dr. Elisabeth Moyer join the Council to discuss the effects of climate change on geopolitical alliances.
About This Event
In 2006, Syria suffered its worst drought in 900 years which experts cited as a contributing factor to the social unrest and riots preceding the current civil war. Global “hot spots”—where tensions are high due to overpopulation, resource scarcity, weak governance, underdevelopment, and other causes—are especially susceptible to the destabilizing effects changes in climate can prompt. Manmade or not, governments, militaries, and corporations are taking climate change into account when developing operational strategies—and predicting future needs. What countries are most at risk for climate-induced destabilization and what will that mean for geopolitical alliances?
About the Speakers
Brigadier General Stephen A. Cheney
CEO, American Security Project
Brigadier General Stephen A. Cheney, USMC (Ret) is the Chief Executive Officer of the American Security Project and a member of the Department of State’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board. He served over 30 years as a Marine where he was stationed for several years in Japan and traveled extensively throughout the Middle East and Asia.
Elisabeth Moyer
Associate Professor, Department of Geophysical Science, University of Chicago
Dr. Elisabeth Moyer is an associate professor of atmospheric science at the University of Chicago in the department of the geophysical sciences and a co-director of the university’s center for robust decision-making on climate and energy policy. Moyer’s work includes the science behind and the human dimensions of climate change.
Karen Weigert
Nonresident Senior Fellow, Global Cities
Karen Weigert is the director of the Baumhart Center for Social Enterprise and Responsibility at Loyola University. In 2011 she was appointed chief sustainability officer for the city of Chicago, working to guide the city's sustainability strategy and implementation, and bringing innovative and practical solutions throughout the work of the city.