Carly Fiorina is wrong on national security and climate change

Today, Senate candidate Carly Fiorina released an irresponsible T.V. ad critical of Senator Barbara Boxer’s statement that climate change is a national security issue. Fiorina referred to climate change as “the weather.” See the ad on YouTube here.

We would like to remind candidate Fiorina that America’s top military leaders agree with Senator Boxer that climate change is a national security issue. A study released by a blue-ribbon panel of 11 of the most senior retired U.S. admirals and generals found that global climate change presents a serious national security threat that could affect Americans at home, impact U.S. military operations, and heighten global tensions.

Polls have found that three-fourths of our Iraq and Afghanistan veterans support clean energy climate change legislation and 79 percent believe that ending our dependence on foreign oil is important to national security.

We would also like to remind candidate Fiorina that a climate change law that puts a price on carbon will create several million new jobs, which is an important reason why Senator Boxer is leading the fight to pass a national climate bill.

We urge Ms. Fiorina to listen to our soldiers and generals. Rather than underestimating Californians’ intelligence about climate change, she should join our nation’s military leaders in supporting practical solutions that reduce our dependency on foreign oil.

Senator Boxer has listened to them. It’s time for Ms. Fiorina to start.