American Council for the UNU – Millennium Project


Emerging Environmental Issues and Events that
May Affect Military Requirements 2010-2025
On behalf of the Millennium Project of the American Council for the United Nations University, we have the honor to invite you to participate in an international study of emerging environmental issues and events that may affect military forces over the period 2010 to 2025.

You may remember that the Millennium Project conducted an assessment of emerging definitions, threats, and issues of environmental security about three years ago. The results can be found at http://www.millennium-project.org/millennium/env-sec1.html and available in the forth coming 2001 State of the Future.

Enclosed is the first round of a three-round Delphi questionnaire. Your views are requested about the likelihood and importance of emerging environmental issues and when they might affect military policy or procedures due to security concerns, or statutory, regulatory, or treaty requirements. No attributions will be made.

Round two will be conducted during a workshop in early August 2001 in the Washington area.If you are interesting in attending, please send me know.The results of the enclosed Round 1 will be the basis for the workshop.The results of the workshop will be further developed in a Round 3 questionnaire.All those who respond to the enclosed questionnaire will receive a copy of the results in the 2002 State of the Future and be listed as participants.

Please contact us with any questions and return your responses to arrive at the Millennium Project by 1 August 2001. We look forward to including your views. 

Sincerely yours, 

Jerome C. Glenn, Director, Millennium Project

Theodore Gordon, Senior Fellow, Millennium Project

Round 1 - Instructions

This questionnaire can be filled out online at http://mpcollab.org

A series of possible emerging environmental issues and events are listed in the questionnaire. You are asked to rate those items about which you have knowledge or special interest. You do not have to rate all of the items. You are asked to provide your judgments about the items in thee ways:

1. How likely is it that the event or emerging issue will actually occur and affect military requirements?

 

2. If the emerging environmental issue or event were to make a change in military requirements in your country, how important would that be? For the purpose of this questionnaire, importance means significance of impact on military bases, operations, and/or systems.

 

3. Assume that the issue or event occurs. If it does affect military requirements (be it statutory, regulatory, or by treaty), by what year might the requirement be actually adopted in your country? If you believe it will never have an impact, then enter “NEVER” in the year column of the questionnaire.

 
 

Please use the following scale to rate importance and likelihood:

 
 

Likelihood:

5 = almost certain
4 = very likely
3 = possible
2 = not very likely
1 = will never happen
 

Importance:

5 = fundamental change in military doctrine
4 = significant impact
3 = some impact
2 = very little impact
1 = trivial

At the end of the questionnaire, please include other emerging environmental issues or events that you think are very likely and would have significant impact on the military between 2010 and 2025.

If you would like to comment on any of the given items, please do so at the end and include the item’s number.

Please respond by 1 August 2001 and include your name, institutional affiliation and title, along with your post mail (where results should be mailed) and e-mail addresses and fax number. All responses are confidential, and no attributions will be made.

Send your response by e?mail to acunu@igc.org with a copy to jglenn@igc.org and Tedjgordon@worldnet.att.com or fax to +1?202?686?5179 or airmail to: The Millennium Project, American Council for the United Nations University, 4421 Garrison St. NW, Washington, DC 20016, USA.

 
Round 1 - Questionnaire
 

Emerging Issue or Event

Likeli-hood
Impor-tance
Year
1.Environmental concerns lead to the closure of a military installation.
 
 
 
2.Zero emissions, environmentally friendly bases become the standard for deployed UN peacekeeping forces.
 
 
 
3.A standing multinational force is created to respond to natural environmental disasters.
 
 
 
4.A post-conflict battlefield remediation treaty is implemented.
 
 
 
5.New climate change data causes hysterical protests threatening political stability around the world.
 
 
 
6.A new and/or re-emerging disease threat or outbreak triggers a regional or global conflict.
 
 
 
7.A prominent national dispute/debate develops over the subject of giving up sovereignty over environmental issues for the global good.
 
 
 
8.New sources and management of energy alters global political power relations.
 
 
 
9.Sub-ocean deposits of methane hydrates either boom (provide clean carbon) or blow-out (devastatingly auto-release to the atmosphere).
 
 
 
10. Increasing emphasis on the sustainable use of natural resources causes a complete revision of military construction, base operations, and training management policies.
 
 
 
11. Military forces are deployed in draught prevention (not mitigation or relief) measures.
 
 
 
12. The first eco-sabotage event takes place against a military installation.
 
 
 
13. A rogue nation develops doctrine to target environmental quality as an objective of warfare.
 
 
 
14. The military receives dramatic gain in energy efficiency (50%) due to climate change and energy conservation requirements.
 
 
 
15. The military is given a new role in environmental conflict prevention and/or resolution.
 
 
 
16. Artificial genetic pollution is recognized as a global environmental safety or occupational health threat.
 
 
 
17. The first space-based beamed energy system is deployed for use by military forces.
 
 
 
18. Free market environmentalism drives the development of green and energy efficient military systems.
 
 
 
19. A global push for environmental friendly non-lethal weapons emerges.
 
 
 
20. Telemetrics enables any environmental interest group to detect and measure almost any environmental pollutant from a standoff position.
 
 
 
21. Intergenerational equity emerges as a required factor in environmental decisionmaking.
 
 
 
 22. The last internal combustion engine is produced for the military usage.
 
 
 
23. World economies bid wildly for energy after petroleum production peaks in the face of rising demand. Greed, opportunism and desperation vie for control.
 
 
 
24. Sub-ocean deposit of methane hydrate either boom (provide clean carbon) or blow-out (devastating auto-release to the atmosphere).
 
 
 
25. The world’s 20 largest military forces adopt ISO 14000.
 
 
 
26. A standing international tribunal is established to prosecute international environmental criminals.
 
 
 
27. UN develops environmental health standards for peacekeeping troops.
 
 
 
28. Perchlorates are banned from global use.
 
 
 
29. Military force is applied to curtail the smuggling of internationally banned substances (POPs, CFCs, etc.).
 
 
 
30. Domestic (homeland defense) operations of military forces generate environmental mitigation requirements.
 
 
 
31. Increasing public scrutiny and power causes military forces to change their environmental decision-making processes.
 
 
 
32. Recognition that nuclear power plants require worldwide coordinated long-term monitoring and protection.
 
 
 
33. Urban conflicts supplant open country battles as the terrain of choice for initiators.
 
 
 
34. The civilian environmental protection agency develops regulations to control potential nano-pollution from the nano-bio-infotech industries.
 
 
 
35. Environmentally-driven migration triggers an international conflict.
 
 
 
36. Transboundary conflicts cause challenges between sovereignty and environmental security in a supranational forum.
 
 
 
37. The Army achieves a lead(Pb)-free military infrastructure.
 
 
 
38. Water extraction from the air is developed as a desalination/water purification alternative technology for military forces.
 
 
 
39. A major military conflict breaks out over water resources/quality.
 
 
 
40. Invasive species problems become pandemic and uncontrolled owing to unbridled trade & human movement; the economic losses pass the $10 billion mark.
 
 
 
41 Adapted organism weapons are developed to attach mono-culture agriculture.
 
 
 
42 Large-scale ocean farms are created.
 
 
 
43. Biotechnology is used to build new kinds of weapons of mass destruction and these weapons are deployed at least once.
 
 
 
44. A major military conflict breaks out over energy resources.
 
 
 
 
 

What other environmental issues or events are likely to face military forces over the period 2010 to 2025?
 

 
 
 
 
 

Comments: Please include the number of the items about which you are commenting.
 

 
 
 
 
 

Thank you very much for your participation.Please send your response by e?mail to acunu@igc.org with a copy to jglenn@igc.org and Tedjgordon@worldnet.att.comorfax to +1?202?686?5179 or airmail to: The Millennium Project, American Council for the United Nations University, 4421 Garrison St. NW, Washington, DC 20016, USA.



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