{"id":14064,"date":"2016-11-04T17:59:23","date_gmt":"2016-11-04T21:59:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/the-us-navy-are-the-oceans-reaching-a-boiling-point\/"},"modified":"2016-11-04T17:59:23","modified_gmt":"2016-11-04T21:59:23","slug":"the-us-navy-are-the-oceans-reaching-a-boiling-point","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/the-us-navy-are-the-oceans-reaching-a-boiling-point\/","title":{"rendered":"The US Navy: Are the Oceans Reaching a Boiling Point?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/11\/Mercy.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-14039 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/11\/Mercy-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"mercy\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/11\/Mercy-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/11\/Mercy-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/11\/Mercy.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Every day, the United States Navy addresses some of the country\u2019s most pressing security concerns, including global climate change. This phenomenon has created new challenges for how the Navy operates, but thankfully, there are also opportunities if the nation\u2019s sea service can adapt to the changing environment.<\/p>\n<p>In 2009, the Navy established an initiative known as Task Force Climate Change<a href=\"#_ftn1\" name=\"_ftnref1\">[1]<\/a> to study the implications of climate change on the Navy\u2019s operations and force structure. The task force identified several factors that could increase tensions among nation states and lead to a greater need for naval force:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The recession of the Arctic icepack. The retreat of sea ice that has begun to open up previously unnavigable waterways and allow access to large mineral and oil deposits. Unfortunately, these resources may also increase conflict among nations in the Arctic region, which in turn will require a greater naval presence.<a href=\"#_ftn2\" name=\"_ftnref2\">[2]<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Destruction of fisheries.\u00a0 Oceanographers have already measured a change in the acidity level of the world\u2019s oceans, which ultimately leads to reduced fish populations.<a href=\"#_ftn3\" name=\"_ftnref3\">[3]<\/a> As Task Force Climate Change noted, competition for scarce fishing grounds may contribute to increased maritime conflict.<\/li>\n<li>Increase in dangerous weather. As the intensity and frequency of major storms increases, so will the need to provide a humanitarian response\u2014a key role the Navy plays in delivering relief supplies, medical care, and fresh water.<a href=\"#_ftn4\" name=\"_ftnref4\">[4]<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Changes to infrastructure. As sea levels rise, the Navy must improve infrastructure situated on shorelines to avoid flooding, and search for alternative energy solutions to reduce its carbon footprint. <a href=\"#_ftn5\" name=\"_ftnref5\">[5]<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Changes to rainfall. As global weather patterns change and the frequency of droughts become more severe, the likelihood of conflict for access to reliable water supplies increases, further straining the demand for naval forces.<a href=\"#_ftn6\" name=\"_ftnref6\">[6]<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>How can the Navy address these challenges? Well for starters, the Navy can find ways to proactively reduce tensions with some of our nation\u2019s likely competitors by entering into agreements that increase cooperation and understanding on the high seas. The United States is not currently a signor of the Convention on the Law of the Sea (CLOS), and is in fact the only member of the United Nations Security Council that has not ratified the treaty.<a href=\"#_ftn7\" name=\"_ftnref7\">[7]<\/a> By taking this step, the Navy would join with other countries in adopting a standard that more clearly defines ownership of oil and mineral rights and establishes a code for peaceful conduct within the Arctic region.<\/p>\n<p>The Navy could convert more of its fleet to a sustainable fuel source, such as biodiesel blends, that have been spearheaded by initiatives such as the Great Green Fleet.<a href=\"#_ftn8\" name=\"_ftnref8\">[8]<\/a> By switching to biodiesel, not only does the Navy reduce its carbon footprint, but it also gains several operational advantages in terms of fuel supply security, shortening of its supply chain, and the ability to stay at sea longer before refueling.<\/p>\n<p>The Navy should also consider increasing the number of vessels that may be needed to operate in the Arctic or disaster-affected areas. The Navy currently possesses no icebreaker ship<a href=\"#_ftn9\" name=\"_ftnref9\">[9]<\/a> capability, and its hospital ships, which form the backbone of the Navy\u2019s medical relief efforts after a humanitarian disaster, currently stands at two.<a href=\"#_ftn10\" name=\"_ftnref10\">[10]<\/a><\/p>\n<p>The Navy should also increase its investment in renewable energy generation through the Navy\u2019s Renewable Energy Policy Office (REPO)<a href=\"#_ftn11\" name=\"_ftnref11\">[11]<\/a>. The Navy has committed to sourcing one gigawatt of its energy demand from renewable sources, but synergies could be realized by partnering with its sister services, the Army and Air Force when purchasing contracts for renewable energy. When taken together, the military represent 93% of the entire federal government\u2019s energy requirements. By combining this total service demand into aggregated contracts, the Navy could leverage the bargaining power that results from an economy of scale.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, the Navy should consider the adoption of battery storage for meeting the energy demands of the fleet. Lithium-ion batteries are reducing in size, and though they may not be suited for a shipboard environment, they may be very useful in reducing the peak energy demands of naval installations while at the same time increasing the energy security of the installation.<\/p>\n<p>The challenges associated with addressing climate change are already increasing security concerns on the world\u2019s oceans. If the Navy is to continue to fulfill its mission of defending American interests on the seas, its leadership must take action now to adapt to global climate change.<\/p>\n<p>754 words<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref1\" name=\"_ftn1\">[1]<\/a> U.S. Navy, \u201cClimate Change,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/greenfleet.dodlive.mil\/climate-change\">http:\/\/greenfleet.dodlive.mil\/climate-change<\/a>, accessed November 2016.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref2\" name=\"_ftn2\">[2]<\/a> U.S. Navy, \u201cArctic Roadmap 2014,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.navy.mil\/docs\/USN_arctic_roadmap.pdf\">http:\/\/www.navy.mil\/docs\/USN_arctic_roadmap.pdf<\/a>, accessed November 2016.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref3\" name=\"_ftn3\">[3]<\/a> EPA, \u201cClimate Change Indicators,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/climate-indicators\/climate-change-indicators-ocean-acidity\">https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/climate-indicators\/climate-change-indicators-ocean-acidity<\/a>, accessed November 2016.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref4\" name=\"_ftn4\">[4]<\/a> U.S. Navy, \u201cHumanitarian Work and Disaster Relief,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navy.com\/about\/mission\/humanitarian.html#where\">https:\/\/www.navy.com\/about\/mission\/humanitarian.html#where<\/a>, accessed November 2016.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref5\" name=\"_ftn5\">[5]<\/a> The Washington Examiner, \u201cTop Navy Leader Says Coastal Bases Are At Risk From Rising Sea Levels,\u201d http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/top-navy-leader-says-coastal-bases-are-at-risk-from-rising-sea-levels\/article\/2605392, accessed November 2016.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref6\" name=\"_ftn6\"><em><strong>[6]<\/strong><\/em><\/a><em>Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, \u201c<\/em>Civil Conflict Sensitivity to Growing-Season Drought,\u201d<a href=\"http:\/\/www.pnas.org\/content\/113\/44\/12391\">http:\/\/www.pnas.org\/content\/113\/44\/12391<\/a>, Nina von Uexkull, Mihai Croicu, Hanne Fjelde, and Halvard Buhaug, August 2016.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref7\" name=\"_ftn7\"><em><strong>[7]<\/strong><\/em><\/a>Marine Link, \u201cLaw of the Sea Challenges,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/www.marinelink.com\/news\/challenges-treaty-arctic346524\">http:\/\/www.marinelink.com\/news\/challenges-treaty-arctic346524<\/a>, accessed November 2016.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref8\" name=\"_ftn8\">[8]<\/a> U.S. Navy, \u201cThe Great Green Fleet,\u201d http:\/\/greenfleet.dodlive.mil\/energy\/great-green-fleet\/, accessed November 2016.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref9\" name=\"_ftn9\">[9]<\/a>Navy Times, \u201cUS Navy and Coast Guard Need More Icebreakers Now,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/story\/opinion\/2016\/06\/08\/us-navy-and-coast-guard-need-more-icebreakers-now\/85603456\/\">https:\/\/www.navytimes.com\/story\/opinion\/2016\/06\/08\/us-navy-and-coast-guard-need-more-icebreakers-now\/85603456\/<\/a>, accessed November 2016.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref10\" name=\"_ftn10\">[10]<\/a> U.S. Navy, \u201cHospital Ships,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.navy.com\/about\/equipment\/vessels\/hospital-ships.html\">https:\/\/www.navy.com\/about\/equipment\/vessels\/hospital-ships.html<\/a>, accessed November 2016.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#_ftnref11\" name=\"_ftn11\">[11]<\/a> U.S. Navy, \u201cRenewable Energy Program Office,\u201d <a href=\"http:\/\/greenfleet.dodlive.mil\/energy\/repo-3\/\">http:\/\/greenfleet.dodlive.mil\/energy\/repo-3\/<\/a>, accessed November 2016.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The United States Navy must adapt to overcome several challenges presented by global climate change.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2309,"featured_media":14065,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","categories":[],"class_list":["post-14064","hck-submission","type-hck-submission","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"connected_submission_link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/assignment\/climate-change-challenge-2016\/","yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The US Navy: Are the Oceans Reaching a Boiling Point? 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