Climate Change & National Security: Sherri Goodman, Fmr Undersecretary of Defense, Author of “Threat Multiplier: Climate, Military Leadership & Global Security”

“I coined the phrase ‘threat multiplier,’ which has come to really stand for the connection between climate change and national security….Threat multiplier conveys that climate acts on every other threat we face, whether it's strategic competition with Russia and China, or terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, biological threats, and other threats around the world…because it's destabilizing our natural systems, and the whole goal of security is stability.” Sherri Goodman on Electric Ladies Podcast

Just as climate change is causing extreme weather at home, it’s also causing floods, heat waves, droughts, typhoons etc. across the globe, and threatening water and food supplies and destabilizing societies in many ways. It’s also stressing servicemembers in theatre, putting more demands on the military’s time, and threatening military installations. To name a few.

Listen to Sherri Goodman to find out how, who is the author of the new book, “Threat Multiplier: Climate, Military Leadership and the Fight for Global Security.” She has been working in the highest levels of the defense industry for 30 years, including serving as the first Undersecretary of Defense for Environmental Security. She also shares insightful career advice.

You’ll hear about:

• What exactly a “threat multiplier” is and why she says climate change is one.
• How exactly climate change stresses national security, including in ways you probably have not thought about.
• The impact of climate change on geopolitics – from destabilizing societies to weaponizing resources
• How the U.S. Defense Department is also a model for how to decarbonize and drive innovation that improves the military and saves lives – military lives and across society  
• Plus, insightful career advice, such as…

“It helps to diversify what you do in your career. And also, I find sometimes women undersell themselves. They think they have to have all sorts of competencies in order to be qualified for that next level of career advancement….You have to be willing to sort of put yourself out there a little bit, and you know, don't be afraid for people to tell you no…Also, I'd say that the network really matters. So, even if you do take time off….from your professional life at a certain stage, and then you think you want to get back in, don't let your network, your relationship network atrophy, because that always is vitally important.”

Sherri Goodman on Electric Ladies Podcast

Read Joan’s Forbes articles here.

You'll also like these episodes: (some may be recorded under our previous name, Green Connections Radio)

• Judith Pryor, Vice Chair and First Vice President of the Export Import Bank of the U.S., which facilitates business deals in furtherance of U.S. national economic and political security.
• Natalie Jaresko, former finance minister of Ukraine, on war, energy and global security – and ESG
• Vanessa Chan, Ph.D., Chief Commercialization Officer of the Department of Energy and Director of the Office of Technology Transitions, on the Inflation Reduction Act and the transition to clean energy.
• Secretary Katherine Hammack, former Assistant Secretary of the Army for Energy, Environment and Installations, on the Army’s Net Zero program
• Secretary Deborah Lee James, 23^rd Secretary of the Air Force, under President Obama and author of “Aim High”
• Susan McPherson, CEO of McPherson Strategies, on corporate strategies in a time of geopolitical crisis.

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