Under Trump, climate change not a national security threat

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump removed climate change from the list of worldwide threats menacing the United States today, a shift that underscores the long-term ramifications of the "America first" world view he laid out in his new National Security Strategy.

The document depicts Russia and China as combative rivals in perpetual competition with the U.S. But it makes no mention of what scientists say are the dangers posed by a warming climate, including more extreme weather events that could spark humanitarian crises, mass migrations, and conflict.

It's a significant departure from the Obama administration, which had described climate change as an "urgent and growing threat to our national security." And it demonstrates how Trump, despite struggling to push his own agenda through a Republican-controlled Congress, has been able to unilaterally dismantle one of his predecessor's signature efforts.

As far back as 2003, during George W. Bush's presidency, a report commissioned by the Defense Department said abrupt climate change threatened "disruption and conflict," refugee crises, border tensions and more military conflicts.

Trump's national security report, required annually by Congress, emphasizes economic security is national security for the U.S. It makes clear the United States will unilaterally defend its sovereignty, even if that means risking existing agreements with other countries.

The new document doesn't eliminate references to the environment entirely. It "recognizes the importance of environmental stewardship" and says that "climate policies will continue to shape the global energy system."

"The United States will remain a global leader in reducing traditional pollution, as well as greenhouse gases, while expanding our economy," it reads.

But Trump, in a speech about the report, blamed past administrations for putting "American energy under lock and key" and said his approach "embraces a future of American energy dominance and self-sufficiency."