Washington governor warns of global climate challenge to national security

SAN FRANCISCO, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Governor Jay Inslee of the U.S. state of Washington Wednesday warned of the impacts of challenges from climate change such as extreme weather conditions.

Addressing a panel discussion on climate change held at the University of Washington, Inslee said the effects of climate change are posing a clear and present danger to the country.

He told an audience of hundreds of people that the direct and indirect impacts of climate change will drastically affect the world over the next two decades.

"We're already seeing impacts from climate change and will see increased threats in the future," he said.

As a result of the climate challenge, such as water shortages, droughts, excessive heat and displacement of people, the world will become more dangerous "because of disruption on national, regional and global scales," Inslee said in a statement issued by his office.

He echoed the assessment contained in a memorandum prepared by the U.S. National Intelligence Council in 2016, which said long-term changes in climate will produce more extreme weather events and put greater stress on critical Earth systems like oceans, freshwater and biodiversity.

"Our national security officials are already thinking hard about these issues, and our inaction runs the risk of creating larger and even more complex problems down the road," he added.

He noted that many countries in the world do not have functioning systems that ensure the normal operation of agriculture, fishing, policing, infrastructure, and hospitals, all of which could be threatened by climate change.

The panel discussion was attended by several former U.S. top military leaders and former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman at the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington.