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[light music]

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Hello, I'm Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks.

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Today, the Department of Defense faces a growing climate crisis

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that impacts U.S. national security.

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Abroad, from the Arctic to the South China Sea, climate change is

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generating new missions and affecting our operational environment.

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At home, from climate driven wildfires in California

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to more aggressive and frequent hurricanes off the east coast,

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extreme weather is damaging our installations and eroding mission readiness.

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Increased incidents of extreme weather and natural disasters,

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and saw firsthand the devastating effects of climate change

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on our training facilities.

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I also spoke with commanders at neighboring bases

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about the challenges that climate change poses to their installations

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and their ability to carry out critical missions.

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And Naval Station Mayport and Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay

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have had millions of dollars in damage to

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their installations because of Hurricane Matthew and Hurricane Irma.

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To focus and prioritize our efforts,

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the secretary established a climate working group.

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It will ensure we incorporate the security implications of

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And I am personally working to ensure we have a range

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of options to expand our investments in the sustainability

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and resilience of our military installations,

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as well as the efficiency of our operational assets.

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Meeting the climate threat to our readiness will require

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decisive and collective action,

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and I firmly believe we can meet this challenge head on.

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We must, and we are.