Environment

In the early 1950s, farmers in a Colorado town reported “unexplained sickness among livestock” and damaged crops. In time, researchers linked these problems to an Army chemical arsenal near Denver that had manufactured war materials years earlier. Rachel Carson documented
this incident, among many others, in Silent Spring, the “bible” for the American environmental movement. Military operations and environmental concerns thus were linked before an industry emerged to address the challenges and opportunities presented by the interaction between humanity
and the earth around us.

This report examines the Environment Industry, a thriving industry with growing influence in this country as a vital source of support for national security. The effects of the environment on human safety and prosperity are undeniable, and as sea levels and temperatures rise, the United States is best served by being aware of the environment and planning to meet and anticipate threats from environmental conditions. The industry represents a unique advantage in the strategic deployment of resources because environmental concerns can have potentially devastating effects on the nation’s security, and these threats can be anticipated, prevented, mitigated, and adapted to using resources available from this industry.

The seminar surveyed the business, security, and regulatory aspects of the Environment Industry through a broad series of discussions with environmental experts and onsite visits to examine environmental principles and practices in the field. Over 50 lecturers shared their perspectives on aspects of the field, from legal to defense, economic, business, and other applications.

Two complementary field studies – one domestic, one international – followed, designed to test classroom observations and assumptions. Miami wages a constant battle to merge a growing coastal metropolis with the Everglades, a natural resource that, when used properly, can balance the threat of water damage to human populations but is itself threatened by encroaching development. The Netherlands, where the lowest point is nearly 20 feet below sea level, is of necessity a leader in environmental management, since its very existence depends on how and how well it manages to coexist with surrounding seas. Armed with expert insights and first-hand observations, the seminar assessed the state of the industry in terms of its economic competitiveness and its support for the nation’s strategic security interests.

Read the report →