A "Green Wars" Challenge to EOSAEL

Abstract

On 10 October, 1989, Secretary of Defense Richard B. Cheney, in response to growing environmental concerns, spelled out environmental management policy that substantially broadened the role of the Defense Department to include saving the environment. Earlier this year, Chief of Engineers LTG Henry J. Hatch noted that U.S. security objectives have changed, resulting in a broader perception of national security. Among other threats to national security, he mentioned environmental degradation as a major factor of global significance. Georgia's Senator Sam Nunn, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, reasoning that warmer Soviet-American relations may leave the Department of Defense with a reduced mission, has suggested that defense money and manpower be directed into saving the environment. He has proposed that the Secretary of Defense establish a program to be known as the Strategic Environmental Research Program (SERP) to address these environmental matters of concern through focused research and development. The message is clear: environmental destruction is a threat to national security. Because of this recognition of nonmilitary aspects of national security, also referred to as "Green Wars", the role of the Army is broadening, and this will dictate a broadening of the Electro-Optical Systems Atmospheric Effects Library's (EOSAEL's) efforts as well. The challenges in protecting and restoring the environment are far greater than is generally recognized, and EOSAEL is in a position to emerge as a major resource to address these transnational issues. The full extent of the Army's involvement in environmental issues such as global change, pollution, and acid rain is still evolving. However, EOSAEL represents a valuable data base and a model for assisting the nation in dealing with such issues, and should be broadened to meet the challenge. In the final analysis, EOSAEL may prove to be a major potential weapon in the environmental war.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1992
Accession Number
ADA255255

Entities

People

  • Richard B. Gomez

Organizations

  • Army Geospatial Center

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Sensors
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Atmospheric Sciences
  • Climate Change
  • Computers
  • Data Storage Systems
  • Department Of Defense
  • Detectors
  • Engineers
  • Environment
  • Environmental Management
  • Geosynchronous Satellites
  • Hyperspectral Imagery
  • Manpower
  • National Security
  • Optical Detectors
  • United States

Readers

  • Atmospheric Remote Sensing.
  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Strategic Security Studies