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As Planet Warms, National Security Concerns Heat Up

  Here’s a side of climate change that you might have missed: national security. It’s a complex issue, but it makes sense on a basic level. Any threat to the stability of a society renders it vulnerable to attack. Severe weather incidents such as drought and floods threaten stability. And climate change, most scientists agree, has increased the likelihood of such severe weather incidents.

With the Navy preparing for an open Arctic, the Marine Corps responding to historic typhoons and the Army converting to net-zero energy bases, the U.S. military has already begun adapting to the new reality, says nonpartisan think-tank American Security Project. Yet politicians have refused to address the issue.

Sponsor Message

To help bust lawmakers out of their inertia, ASP has taken a group of high-level strategists on tour, and they're stopping in Las Vegas Wednesday night. A slate of retired generals and policy analysts will tour facilities such as Hoover Dam and Nellis Air Force Base, meet with local thought leaders and speak at a public forum.

The panel discussion is scheduled Wednesday, June 11, 5:30-8 pm. at the Spanish Trails Country Club, 5050 Spanish Trail Lane, Las Vegas. Register in advance here.
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Desert Companion welcomed Heidi Kyser as staff writer in January 2014. In 2018, she was promoted to senior writer and producer, working for both DC and KNPR's State of Nevada. She produced KNPR’s first podcast, the Edward R. Murrow Regional Award-winning Native Nevada, in 2020. The following year, she returned her focus full-time to Desert Companion, becoming Deputy Editor, which meant she was next in line to take over when longtime editor Andrew Kiraly left in July 2022. In 2024, Interim CEO Favian Perez promoted Heidi to managing editor, charged with integrating the Desert Companion and State of Nevada newsroom operations.