Here's why I continue to serve, in the civilian sector, now.

As a veteran of the US armed forces, I am concerned about America’s reliance on fossil fuels. On the one hand, it makes us dependent on unstable and unfriendly regimes. On the other hand, burning fossil fuels deepens the threat posed by climate change. And have no doubt – this is a threat to American security.

History has shown that humans will fight over scarce resources, as we’ve recently seen in Darfur, Somalia and other regions of the world. Climate change may be the ultimate destabilizer, as it reduces farmland through drought and diminishes drinking water through melting glaciers. When those developments cause conflict, it’s the US military that responds. Put quite simply, if we refuse to fight climate change, we’re choosing to put more American military men and women in harm’s way.

The US military is called upon as the largest and most capable organization to respond to global humanitarian crises. As tens of millions are forced from their homes in search of food, or away from flooding, the US will be forced to deploy its armed forces around the world to distribute food, to prevent violence, and to stem the spread of terrorist cells in zones of weakened governments, and displaced and suffering people. The demand for our services, however, will increase substantially as climate change worsens, placing incredible strain on our troops.

In the United States, as storms like Katrina grow stronger and more prevalent, our men and women of the National Guard will be more often deployed away from their families to assist others around the country, leaving their home states powerless to fend off the forest fires occurring simultaneously.

I believe it is absolutely necessary to invest in clean energy to save our children and grandchildren the burden of future strife. Otherwise, we as a nation are simply hoping that things will work out on their own, that the science is wrong or that another nation will step up and respond. We can do better, and that’s the America I signed up to serve.