The event will begin with a screening of "The Burden," a 40-minute film that discusses how the military is confronting the national security threat presented by climate change by transitioning to renewable energy wherever it facilitates mission accomplishment, reduces risks to life and limb of our warfighters, or builds resilience to harms to bases and facilities. The film shows that when the military shifts away from fossil fuels, it can both save U.S. taxpayers money and increase military effectiveness and resilience.
The screening will be followed by a discussion with the filmmaker, Roger Sorkin, and four distinguished national security experts:
Honorable John Conger, Director of the Center for Climate and Security (moderator)
Admiral Paul Zukunft, U.S. Coast Guard, retired
Honorable Sharon Burke, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy
Lieutenant General John Castellaw, U.S. Marine Corps, retired
The four panelists were among 58 military and national security leaders who signed a March 2019 letter to the president warning of the threat that climate change poses to the U.S.
