On Thursday, September 5, the Honorable John Kerry, 68th U.S. Secretary of State, will be the keynote speaker at the Forum at Newport 2024, a half-day conference on the geostrategic and national security challenges and opportunities posed by climate change. The public event is hosted by the Pell Center and the U.S. Naval War College and will take place from 1:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the O’Hare Academic Building.
National security leaders have long recognized that the environment plays a critical role in complex scenarios. Reduced rainfall, for example, can lead to droughts, which can trigger hunger and even famine. When the right mix of triggers is present, these forces can lead to political violence, civil war, and international conflict. At this remarkable half-day conference, a dynamic group of public leaders, scientists, and experts will discuss the direct connection between changes in the Earth’s climate and the challenges and opportunities for U.S. national security.
In addition to Kerry, participants in the event include US Senator Jack Reed (RI), US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (RI), Carlos Del Toro, US Secretary of the Navy, Dr. Thomas Barnett, author of “America’s New Map: Restoring Our Global Leadership in an Era of Climate Change and Demographic Collapse”, and Sherri Goodman, author of “Threat Multiplier: Climate, Military Leadership, and the Fight for Global Security”.
“Climate change threatens the ecological balance of the planet on which much of human existence depends, the ability of millions to have enough to eat and drink, and the stability of entire regions,” said Dr. Jim Ludes, vice president for strategic initiatives and executive director of the Pell Center. “Climate-driven competition for resources will make conflict within and between nations more likely, it will change the geography of energy and conflict, and it will threaten lives, property, economies, and even ways of life around the world. At their core, these are national security issues.”
The Forum at Newport 2024 is the second event in a new series aimed at strengthening collaboration and academic debate between the two universities based on Aquidneck Island.
