As the unrest in the Middle East and spiking energy prices at home have vaulted to the top of public consciousness, President Obama spoke today about the importance of energy security for the nation. Failure to have energy security, as well as the continuing challenge of climate change, are real threats to America's economy and environment. The intertwined threat of these challenges will require both diversifying America's energy sources while reducing energy usage, and creating innovative approaches to handling this challenge.  Yet instead of engaging in a serious debate, conservatives are reverting to hackneyed, unserious slogans such as "drill, baby, drill," showing they have no real plans to address the clear and present threats posed by overreliance on oil.

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The conservative movement has a habit of denying the obvious on national security issues.  Nowhere is this more clear than with the real and current threats posed by climate change and energy dependency.  With the exception of Mark Kirk from Illinois who has flip-flopped on the issue, every conservative Senate candidate, from Tea Party newcomers to long-serving senators denies the existence of these national security challenges.  Among those who guard our security, the view couldn't be more different.  Just last week the Pentagon hosted its first-ever Energy Security Forum to explore the different options for dealing with climate change and energy security.  For the military, this is pragmatism, not partisanship.   It's fair to ask how these candidates plan to deal with the accelerated conflicts, vulnerable supply lines and heightened global tensions that the military believes will come without change to our energy future.

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The news is full of catastrophes brought on by our energy and climate troubles: a continued heat wave across America, news from NASA that 2010 is on course to be the hottest  recorded year, continued destruction in the Gulf of Mexico, record flooding deaths in China and water now at the center of India and Pakistan's nuclear standoff.   National security experts agree that these and other climate and energy issues are not theoretical or abstract, but real national security threats we face today.  Yet the future of the Senate's energy and climate legislation remains in question.  America's national security institutions, from the CIA to the Pentagon to the National Intelligence Council have all put in place mechanisms to monitor, respond and adapt to the changing climate.  Experts agree that it is time for meaningful, comprehensive clean energy and climate action that reduces our dependence on oil, cuts pollution and creates millions of American jobs.  Yet, conservatives have offered no ideas, only obstruction.  On questions of our security and economic future, Americans can't take "no" for an answer.

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Tonight, President Obama is addressing the nation from the Oval Office regarding the BP oil spill and America's response.  While the focus of the speech is rightfully going to be BP and the immediate response to the crisis in the Gulf, the tragedy also has brought attention to the true cost of America's dependence on fossil fuels and the need for a national energy strategy.  A sustainable approach to energy that invests in securing clean energy and combating climate change makes America a more secure and powerful nation.  American business leaders recognize this and in growing numbers support a comprehensive energy strategy from the government to spark innovation in energy technology that will be a boost to our economy - as well as our security and global influence.  As Bill Gates said this past weekend, "the government has to prime the pump here."  Conservatives who choose political posturing over constructive action are putting themselves at odds with business, military and science leaders - not the way to get out of the mess we're in.    

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Against the backdrop of the BP oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, the United States Senate is ramping up for debate on energy and climate change legislation.  As legislators consider different approaches to forging a new energy policy, they should keep in mind the words of former Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator John Warner (R-VA) who said that "Climate change, national security and energy dependence are interrelated global challenges."  In addition to the environmental disaster spreading across the gulf, there are a multitude of national security concerns that arise from America's fossil fuel dependency and the effects of climate change.  Countless bipartisan and nonpartisan military and national security leaders have warned about such circumstances for years.  But despite this, opponents of a clean energy future for the United States continue to delay, distract, and undermine attempts to address this issue.  In particular, extreme conservative politicians willfully ignore the real challenges posed to American security by climate change, preferring instead to politicize and trivialize the national security impacts of such a future.  It is time for the cheap political posturing on this serious national security issue to end, as one retired general clearly put it: "Military leaders know this isn't about polar bears and ice caps, it's about international stability and national security."

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