Military and Climate: Kai reflects on his military experience during the Cold War and discusses how climate change is viewed as a serious threat to military operations, while also highlighting the importance of support for ongoing climate journalism.
Kai, the host of Marketplace's Climate Solutions podcast, shares insights from his military service during the Cold War, highlighting how the military views climate change as a significant threat. He recalls his intense boot camp experience and a survival training anecdote about catching a snake, showing both the harsh realities of military life and the serious considerations around climate issues today. This episode intends to raise awareness about how climate change impacts global security and military operations, emphasizing the need for support to continue crucial reporting. As they kick off their fall fundraiser, they encourage listeners to contribute for further investigative work on this pressing issue.
Evolving Threats: Survival training shapes character and values, highlighting the military's evolving threat recognition, particularly the need to address climate change as a national security concern while acknowledging its own contribution to the crisis.
Survival training can reveal personal strengths and weaknesses. Reflecting on his tough military training, the speaker highlights learned values like discipline and perseverance. His experiences shaped his understanding of threats, both old—like the Cold War—and new, such as climate change. While the military historically focused on clear adversaries, climate change poses a complex challenge that affects everyone, regardless of nationality. Interestingly, the military, despite being a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, is now recognizing climate change as a national security threat. This shift emphasizes the urgency for the Pentagon to adapt its strategies in response to the evolving nature of global threats, particularly as they intersect with environmental issues.
Warfighter Research: Warfighter Performance Lab studies how extreme temperatures affect soldier performance using innovative technology, aiming to improve readiness and resilience under challenging conditions.
Research at the Warfighter Performance Lab focuses on understanding how extreme temperatures affect soldiers' performance. By using innovative technology, like an ingestible temperature sensor and special garments, scientists study how troops cope with heat and cold during harsh conditions. They aim to improve military readiness by finding ways to manage heat stress and hypothermia. This research helps develop strategies for training and recovery, ensuring that soldiers can perform effectively in challenging environments. Understanding these factors is crucial as today's battlefield conditions continue to evolve, becoming more demanding in terms of temperature extremes and access to resources like water. By collecting data during their tests and analyzing soldier performance, the researchers hope to enhance the overall effectiveness and well-being of military personnel in the field.
Stress and Adaptation: Extreme temperature training highlights how stress can impact performance. Undergoing cold exposure improved shooting accuracy, showing that managing stress enhances focus in harsh conditions. With climate change affecting military environments, soldiers must adapt to varying extremes to maintain effectiveness in diverse operations.
Experiencing extreme temperatures can reveal how well individuals cope with stress and discomfort. In a training scenario, someone endured cold for ten minutes and took a shooting test afterwards. Their ability to handle stress in cold improved shooting accuracy, highlighting how challenging conditions can impact performance. With climate change affecting military operations, soldiers need to adapt to varying extremes, from the Arctic to the desert. The ability to function effectively despite these conditions is crucial, and results suggest that managing stress may enhance focus and performance in critical situations. Recognizing that humans are not built for extreme heat or cold is essential for preparing for future military challenges. Training like this may prepare troops to operate under severe climate conditions that are becoming more common globally.
Climate & Security: Climate change is a major national security threat, amplifying existing conflicts and competition for resources, particularly in unstable regions. It is increasingly recognized by military leaders as a 'threat multiplier,' influencing global stability and requiring urgent action and strategic responses.
Climate change is increasingly recognized as a significant threat to national security, affecting global stability and causing conflicts over resources like water and food. As areas like the Arctic open up for competition among superpowers, countries must confront the insecurities created by shifting climates, which amplify existing geopolitical tensions. Over time, experts, including generals and admirals, have understood that climate change acts as a 'threat multiplier,' meaning it worsens other security issues. This evolving perspective highlights the urgency of addressing climate change not only as an environmental problem but also as a critical aspect of national defense and international relations.
Military Adaptation: Military operations now include adapting to climate change, focusing on resilient bases and exploring renewable energy, ensuring mission success amid rising temperatures.
Climate change significantly impacts military operations, influencing the way bases and equipment need to adapt. For instance, military bases like Tindall Air Force Base are investing billions to become climate resilient. Additionally, the military is exploring alternative energy sources, like better batteries and renewable energy, to enhance operational efficiency. Understanding climate effects is crucial for mission success, as rising temperatures can hinder aircraft performance. Hence, addressing climate change isn't just an option; it is integrated into military strategy to ensure readiness and effectiveness in unpredictable conditions.
Military and Climate: Climate change is reshaping military strategies, impacting readiness, and increasing regional instability, urging necessary adaptations for national defense.
Climate change is significantly impacting military training and operations, particularly as certain areas become less stable. Rising sea levels threaten key national security sites, and shifting climates could lead to increased conflict and competition for resources. This warming environment affects soldiers' mood and readiness, complicating alliances and defense strategies. The cumulative impacts of climate-related changes are substantial, making it essential for the military to adapt in order to ensure national defense and security in a rapidly changing world. Moreover, the struggles faced in harsh conditions indicate a direct relationship between climate issues and military effectiveness, urging a reevaluation of readiness in light of these environmental challenges. As attention shifts to vulnerable regions like the Arctic, discussions on how best to prepare for these changes are crucial.
Kai on the military and climate change
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Recent Episodes from Make Me Smart
Live from Denver: The Economics of Being Single
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Here’s everything we talked about today:
- “Anthony Fauci: A Mosquito in My Backyard Made Me the Sickest I’ve Ever Been” from The New York Times
- “US spends a record $17.9 billion on military aid to Israel since last Oct. 7” from The Associated Press
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Help us catch up to our Fall Fundraiser goal today: https://support.marketplace.org/smart-sn
The political attacks on economic data
The jobs report released today blew past economists’ forecasts, estimating that employers added about 250,000 jobs to the U.S. economy in September. Republican Sen. Marco Rubio is falsely claiming the jobs report is “fake.” We’ll get into how big economic data is being politicized. And, what happens when October surprises aren’t so surprising anymore? Plus, we’ll weigh in on “white labeling” and flying taxis during a round of Half Full / Half Empty!
Here’s everything we talked about today:
- “October surprises are piling up, but a toss-up race seems impervious to shocks” from CNN Politics
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- Tweet from Sen. Marco Rubio about today’s jobs report
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- “Why do retailers white label certain products?” from Marketplace
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Whaddya wanna know about the Fed’s move to cut interest rates?
After the Federal Reserve’s recent move to cut interest rates, you had questions. Lots of them! Today, we’re answering your questions about why the Fed doesn’t hold more meetings, why it tends to adjust interest rates in quarter-percentage-point increments, and why it’s target inflation rate is 2%. Plus, Kai Ryssdal unpacks the wonky relationship between the federal funds rate and the Treasury bond market.
Here’s everything we talked about today:
- “Introduction to the FOMC” from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
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Join us tomorrow for Economics on Tap. The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.
The connection between fast fashion and drug trafficking
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Here’s everything we talked about today:
- “How fentanyl traffickers are exploiting a U.S. trade law” from Reuters
- “Takeaways from the VP debate between JD Vance and Tim Walz” from AP News
- “People fill old newspaper boxes with movies, call it ‘Free Blockbuster’” from The Washington Post
We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.
Why immigration numbers are a headache for economists
All sorts of statistics related to immigration are being thrown around in debates, speeches and campaign ads ahead of this year’s election. Immigration estimates are painstakingly calculated by various government agencies. But lately, economists have been wrangling with wide gaps between some of these numbers. On the show today, Jed Kolko, former under secretary for economic affairs at the U.S. Department of Commerce, explains how government agencies actually crunch immigration numbers, why two agencies’ estimates aren’t matching up right now and why accurate immigration data is crucial to how we understand the economy and setting economic policy.
Then, we’ll get into why the ongoing dockworkers’ strike is about more than just higher wages. And, we’ll get smarter about a common cooking herb.
Here’s everything we talked about today:
- “Can new data solve an immigration puzzle?” from Slow Boring
- “What we know about unauthorized immigrants living in the U.S.” from Pew Research Center
- “Unprecedented U.S. immigration surge boosts job growth, output” from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
- “Key findings about U.S. immigrants” from Pew Research Center
- “New immigration estimates help make sense of the pace of employment” from Brookings
- “Opinion | The real reason 47,000 dock workers are on strike: Automation” from The Washington Post
- “Robots, automation a big factor in U.S. port strike” from Quartz
- “Tim Walz and JD Vance’s 2024 VP debate is tonight. Here’s what to know.” from CBS News
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The heavy price of living in disaster-prone areas
Recovery efforts are continuing in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which made landfall in Florida last Thursday and caused widespread devastation across several southeastern states. We talk about the cost of moving to areas prone to natural disasters. Plus, why Americans now, more than ever, are reliant on state and federal support to supplement their incomes. Then, Kai has a Jon Stewart moment. And, the backstory of an iconic photo from the 1970s of a group of friends enjoying an extravagant breakfast at the National Mall has us smiling!
Here’s everything we talked about today:
- “Where Americans Have Been Moving Into Disaster-Prone Areas” from The New York Times
- “Welcome Home, Hostages, and Pay Up” from The Wall Street Journal
- “Americans Are More Reliant Than Ever on Government Aid” from The Wall Street Journal
- “How this first-time voter is helping other students get registered” from The Washington Post
- “The real story behind the iconic 1974 breakfast photo at the National Mall” [gift link] from The Washington Post
We love to hear from you. Email your comments and questions to makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.
How some politicians are trying to sell their image
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Here’s everything we talked about today:
- “G.O.P. Candidates, Looking to Soften Their Image, Turn to Their Wives” from The New York Times
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Should jobs require a college degree?
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Here’s everything we talked about today:
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Join us tomorrow for “Economics on Tap.” The YouTube livestream starts at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time, 6:30 p.m. Eastern.
The little short-term spending bill that could
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Here’s everything we talked about today:
- “Kushner’s Fund Has Reaped Millions in Fees, but So Far Returned No Profits” from The New York Times
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- “The final countdown” from Punchbowl News
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- Tweet from Jacqui Heinrich about President Biden’s hot mic moment on “The View”
Got any questions about inflation or interest rates? Send ’em to makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.