Mason Goad

Teaching Climate Change as a National Security Threat

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 17 Feb 2022 14:47:22 +0000

Teaching Climate Change as a National Security Threat Andrew J Schappert Thu, 02/17/2022 - 09:47

In This Story

(This story is adapted from the Fall/Winter Schar School Pulse Magazine in advance of the Risk of Climate Change to International Security talk in conjunction with an open house for prospective students. The event is Wednesday, February 23 at 5:30 p.m. ET.

It was something that no foreign adversary has been able to do: Not one but two domestic U.S. military bases were evacuated after coming under heavy fire.

The fire was all too literal: The summer 2021 California wildfires posed threats to Camp Pendleton and Beale Air Force Base, causing hundreds of service personnel and their families to abandon their posts and flee for their lives.

What is left unsaid is the vulnerability—temporary as it may have been—in the U.S. national security strategy.

The wildfires are thought to be the result of the culmination of climate and environmental challenges. In other words, climate change and its unavoidable outcomes is not just a quality-of-life problem, but a national security question.

Last October, the New York Times published a major story describing how Washington, the White House, and the U.S. military are confronting climate change as a global conflict. Little of this is news to the professors and policy experts at the Schar School. In the last few years, climate change has been addressed as an increasingly grave national security issue on multiple fronts, in the classroom and through informed exploration at several research centers.

‘A Gradual Process’

She observes that questions of war and peace, where nuclear weapons were long considered the only truly existential threat to states and societies, “are slowly ceding some space to this profound global challenge that does not fit neatly into geopolitical categories. ‘Climate and National Security’ is now an elective course, but we are likely to see more attention and more resources devoted to it in the near future.”

Adjunct professor Erin Sikorsky has been studying the relationship between climate and national security for years. As deputy director of the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Climate and Security, Sikorsky has mapped climate’s attack on the military.

“The climate hazards we're facing, as they become more frequent and more intense, will put our military infrastructure under risk, but also our civilian infrastructure,” Sikorsky said. “Our electric grid, our distribution of water systems, all of these things were not designed for the climate changes that we're seeing—and will see in the future.

“So, they're going to be increasingly stressed, and potentially fail. And that poses real risks for the U.S.”

Climate as a Transnational Crime

Climate change and its impact on national security starts at what causes the damage to the environment. Louise Shelley, director of the Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC) at the Schar School, identifies transnational crime on a massive scale as a significant culprit.

“The most important form of illicit trade contributing to climate change is illegal logging,” she said. “It’s estimated to be a $50 billion to over $150 billion business annually.”

Transnational criminal syndicates compromise climate security while also disrupting local and national economies, encouraging political and corporate corruption, and damaging entire cultures.

“Presently, 60 percent to 80 percent of the trees in the Amazon are being cut illegally, contributing to the destruction of a rainforest that is needed to absorb carbon from the air,” Shelley said. “The fate of the Amazon is repeated throughout the world as trees in rainforests and hardwood forests are cut illegally at a rapid rate to supply timber for consumer markets and provide land for food production.”

Climate hazards intersect with other strains on national security, said Sikorsky. “When you layer climate shocks on top of that, how does that pose risks in terms of creating further instability and insecurity within communities and creating pressures on government to deliver more to local communities, particularly when they’re already strained quite a bit?”

Those are the questions Sikorsky poses to her students as she prepares the next generation to address these challenges.

“The class itself is designed to bring a climate lens to international relations and national security issues,” she said. “A key way in which the students will be prepared to enter the workforce and understand these issues is if they can bring what I called ‘climate competence’ to whatever career they pursue. Because climate change is an issue that's going to crop up no matter what your career path is.

“Even if climate is not your main focus for your job, it will be something you need to understand and be able to bring to bear in your work. And if you can do that, I think you'll have a leg up in in this job market, frankly, because it is so important.”

Additional reporting by Buzz McClain.

Topics

Climate Change

National Security

Schar School News February 2022

PhD Candidate Jon Hoffman, 26, Earns Middle East Policy Council’s ‘40 Under 40’ Honors

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 02 Dec 2021 19:38:53 +0000

PhD Candidate Jon Hoffman, 26, Earns Middle East Policy Council’s ‘40 Under 40’ Honors Andrew J Schappert Thu, 12/02/2021 - 14:38

In This Story

Bassam S. Haddad

Peter Mandaville

Jon Hoffman: ‘I hope this award will serve to shine a light on the great work being produced by the broader Mason community.’

Jon Hoffman, a PhD candidate in political science at the Schar School of Policy and Government, has been included on the inaugural “40 Under 40” list by the Middle East Policy Council. The Council was founded in 1981 to contribute to American understanding of the political, economic, and cultural issues that affect U.S. interests in the Middle East. The nonprofit awarded Hoffman the honor for “making a significant impact on Middle East affairs and policy in Washington D.C.,” said Peter Mandaville, a professor at the Schar School who works with Hoffman.

Hoffman, a Charlottesville, Virginia, native who specializes in international relations and comparative politics, said “this award is more of a reflection of the amazing scholars at ��ӽ紫ý who have guided me through both my undergraduate and graduate studies.

“They are the ones who taught me how to think critically and analytically and impressed upon me what it means to truly produce knowledge. I hope this award will serve to shine a light on the great work being produced by the broader Mason community.”

Hoffman credits Mandaville and Schar School associate professor Bassam Haddad for fostering/nurturing his intellectual and personal development. They, in turn, are delighted with his success/accomplishments/achievements.

“Jon has a professional profile and publishing record that rivals many seasoned experts,” said Mandaville. “He has succeeded in making a distinctive mark on the field of Middle East affairs very early in his career, and I’m thrilled that the Middle East Policy Council has seen fit to recognize this.”

Haddad pointed out that despite Hoffman’s successes, he’s rather young: Hoffman is 26-years-old.

“Jon has been able to accomplish in a remarkably short period as a graduate student what many professionals in the think-tank world take years to do,” Haddad said. “He made an impact as a critical writer on matters of foreign policy in the Middle East, while putting a dent in the dominant and stale discourse on the region. We are proud of him.”

Topics

Awards

PhD

Schar School News December 2021

What Is Political Science? We Asked 5 Schar School Professors for Their Definition

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 04 Nov 2021 18:00:44 +0000

What Is Political Science? We Asked 5 Schar School Professors for Their Definition Andrew J Schappert Thu, 11/04/2021 - 14:00

In This Story

Jennifer N. Victor

Jeremy Mayer

Mariely Lopez-Santana

Robert J. McGrath

What exactly is political science? Is it science, politics, or both?

Many of the faculty members of the Schar School of Policy and Government at ��ӽ紫ý specialize in political science, study political science, and teach political science. The Schar School offers bachelor, masters, and doctoral degree programs in political science.

But if we were to explain this field of study to the layperson, how would we begin to define political science? To answer that question, and many more, we sat down with four of our political science professors to give us some insight into what it is they do: What they teach, research, and write about.

Jennifer N. Victor

What Is Political Science? Easy, It’s Science!

Former political science program director Jennifer N. Victor, an associate professor, has a straightforward definition: “Political science is the study of politics and government using the tools of social science.” In a sense, she explained, political science uses the same scientific method—question, theory, hypothesis, gather data, test, and conclude—that natural scientists use. However, political science studies people and the institutions, as opposed to natural science, which studies nature.

“The main subfields in political science include American politics, comparative politics, international relations, and political theory,” Victor said. “Each of these subfields has a rich literature of findings and ideas that have contributed to our broad understanding of what it takes for humans to build collective systems to live together.”

In other words, political science is really about what it takes for us to live together.

Jeremy Mayer

What Is Political Science? Predicting Phenomena.

Solving problems is a major piece of the political science question. As Associate Professor Jeremy Mayer puts it: “Political science attempts to describe, explain, and predict political phenomena.” And, to add to Victor’s point, there are many more subfields within political science, including political theory or philosophy, comparative politics, international relations, and others. Political science also includes the study of the mass of citizens as well as the elite who make decisions.

Associate Professor Mariely López-Santana, another political scientist, would also include the subfield of international relations—an area of political science concerned with relations across countries. “The field of comparative politics examines the internal politics and institutions of these countries,” she said.

Mariely López-Santana

Why Take Political Science in College?

What can signing up for a political science course in college do for you? “At the most basic level,” López-Santana explained, “political science courses will allow you to grasp and assess [with an informed eye] the political world that surrounds us. Beyond that, a degree in political science opens the door to many career opportunities, including a law degree, working in the profit and not-for-profits sectors, becoming a policy-maker, a politician, and/or an academic.”

López-Santana, director of Schar School’s master’s program in political science and the PhD in political science programs, explains her role in the political science field: “As a scholar of comparative politics, I want students to understand that realities are not absolute—there are many political contexts and these are as legitimate as ours. I seek to give students the tools to open their eyes to alternate realities, and explore and comprehend the world that surrounds us.”

Associate Professor Robert McGrath, director of undergraduate programs, explained his view as well for newer students to the field: “To me, politics is all about the inherent conflicts that arise when decisions are made that affect everyone. This includes decisions about who we elect to make decisions on our behalf—presidents, senators, representatives, governors, mayors, city councilors, and others—and the content of their policy decisions themselves.

“Since politics is so consequential, it’s important to understand the process of making these sorts of decisions.”

Indeed, having an understanding of political science can help understand—and guide— these policy decisions.

“That’s what political scientists do,” McGrath said. “We study how aspects of collective decision-making processes can help determine the outcomes.”

“For example,” he continued, “in the U.S., does the process of partisan gerrymandering—drawing boundaries of political districts in biased ways—help protect incumbent legislators and promote partisan polarization? Or, across countries, do political actors elected by proportional representation elections better represent the interests of their constituents than those elected in ‘winner take all’ elections?” Scholars working in the field of political science seek to answer these crucial questions objectively, referencing reliable empirical evidence, he said.

Robert McGrath

What Is Political Science? A Way to ‘Train the Mind’

“Studying political science helps train the mind in areas of quantitative reasoning and analytical thinking, which are eminently useful skills in many job markets,” McGrath said. “In addition, all citizens practice politics in their lives, either contributing to or consenting with collective decisions. So political science, like the conflict we study as political scientists, is in our human nature.”

While the methods of political science are shared by other sciences, it is really the subject of study which differs. “Where political science differs from other sciences is in our focus,” said Associate Professor Eric McGlinchey. “For instance, my running partner is a chemist. He studies how elements and molecules interact to produce new compounds. Political scientists study how individuals interact to produce new outcomes. We share the same method, the scientific method, but the focus of our investigations differs.”

Eric McGlinchey

What Is Political Science? A Sense of Humility

The ambiguity and uncertainty surrounding human nature makes political science complex.

“Problematically for political scientists,” McGlinchey explained, “people are less well-behaved than elements and molecules. Theories are useful in that they allow us to predict the future. But individuals are unpredictable. When two hydrogen atoms and an oxygen atom get together, the result is water. When the U.S. and Russian presidents get together, the outcome often surprises us.” Due to these uncertainties, McGlinchey added, political science demands a greater sense of humility.

“We use the scientific method to develop parsimonious theories,” McGlinchey concluded, “but we must accept that our theories are always incomplete and that human unpredictability, as well as newly uncovered or overlooked variables, will necessitate constant revision and refinement of our causal stories.”

In other words, the work of those within the field of political science is never quiet finished, but that is what makes political science enjoyable: There are always problems in need of solving, and questions in need of answering.

Interested in studying political science as an undergraduate? Start here. Learn more about the Schar School Master’s in Political Science and PhD in Political Science: https://schar.gmu.edu/prospective-students/programs.

Topics

political science

Schar School News November 2021

Moldovan Fulbright Political Scientist Ludmila Oleinic Joins the Schar School

Andrew J Schappert — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 13:06:13 +0000

Moldovan Fulbright Political Scientist Ludmila Oleinic Joins the Schar School Andrew J Schappert Fri, 10/01/2021 - 09:06

Fulbright Scholar Ludmila Oleinic: ‘I chose the Schar School of Policy and Government because it is the best in the region in academic excellence, research performance, and public responsibility.’

Ludmila Oleinic has lived in Russia, China, Romania, Belgium, France, Latvia, and India, among other countries. Add to that list the United States, as the native of Moldova comes to the Schar School of Policy and Government this fall as a Fulbright research assistant.

Oleinic, an associate professor of political science at the American University of Moldova, said she chose the Schar School for her scholarship to study first-hand “one of the first democracies in the world.” The U.S. “political system and political processes,” she said, “represent my prime interest from the scientific point of view, particularly the development and teaching of political science.

“I chose the Schar School of Policy and Government because it is the best in the region in academic excellence, research performance, and public responsibility,” she added.

Oleinic plans to make the most of her time with the Schar School, with specific goals in mind.

“My main objective is professional development—emulating the good practices of research and teaching political science, interacting with American colleagues, and participating at various activities throughout the academic year,” she said, in addition to “visiting and observing the activities of the main political institutions of the United States.”

Oleinic is the second Fulbright scholar to join the Schar School this fall. Philippine-native Jennifer Oreta is researching corruption and terrorism with the Schar School’s Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC).

To Oleinic, the Fulbright program means “the internationalization of education and exchange of good practices,” she said. “That is why in order to become a [Fulbright recipient] it is important to have experience as a scholar and to be a professional in your field of study. I achieved this during my more than 15 years of academic activity in the field of political science.

“And the last thing that I think is crucial: I like my job and my profession.”

Additional reporting by Buzz McClain.

Topics

Fulbright

political science

Schar School News October 2021

Panel: Women and Minorities in the Workforce and the Way Ahead

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 15:12:34 +0000

Panel: Women and Minorities in the Workforce and the Way Ahead Andrew J Schappert Wed, 09/22/2021 - 11:12

The Schar School of Policy and Government’s Gender and Policy (GAP) Center and LMI, a Tysons, Va.-based consultancy, will host “Today’s Workforce and the Way Ahead,” a panel discussion exploring the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women and minorities in the workforce. The panel will cover policy and personal well-being perspectives, as well as examine the future of a hybrid workforce.

The discussion begin Tuesday, September 28 at noon. Registration is not required. Those interested should simply follow this link on the date and time aforementioned.

The panelists include:

Emily Martin, vice president for education and workplace justice at the National Women’s Law Center. Prior to joining NWLC, Martin served as deputy director of the Women's Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union.
Maryam Ovissi, a trauma-informed yoga and wellbeing specialist and collective care educator at Beloved Yoga’s Yoga Therapy program. Ovissi serves on the board of the Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art and the Southgate Community Center and is on the advisory board of the Gender and Policy Center.
Ahkesha Murray, principal for change management, culture, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEI&A) at LMI. Murray oversees all aspects of LMI’s DEI&A strategy and programs and acts as the organization’s recognized change management and culture authority.

The panel will be moderated by Schar School associate professor and associate dean of student and academic affairs Bonnie Stabile. She also serves as the director of the Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) program and is founder and director of the Gender and Policy (GAP) Center at the Schar School.

The panel is sponsored by LMI’s Minorities & Ethnicities (ME) Affinity Group, LMI Women’s Forum Affinity Group, and LMI Research Institute’s Academic Programs in collaboration with the Gender and Policy Center at the Schar School.

Topics

Schar School News September 2021

Skincare Entrepreneur Hiwot Yohannes: ‘The Schar School Empowered Me on Many Levels’

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 18 Aug 2021 13:01:51 +0000

Skincare Entrepreneur Hiwot Yohannes: ‘The Schar School Empowered Me on Many Levels’ Andrew J Schappert Wed, 08/18/2021 - 09:01

Alumna and skincare entrepreneur Hiwot Yohannes

Pharmacist and entrepreneur Hiwot Yohannes: ‘The Schar School has empowered me on many levels that I'm just forever grateful for.’

There’s an ancient adage in business: “Find a niche and fill it.” Schar School of Policy and Government alumna Hiwot Yohannes has done just that. And her niche is global.

“It’s really an accepted norm in the [skincare] industry that products that are marketed to skin of color are inferior in quality,” said Yohannes, an Ethiopian-born pharmacist who moved to the United States seven years ago. “I have traveled around the world, and I have walked into many beauty stores, department stores, and pharmacies, but I could not for the life of me find products that I was comfortable and excited to use.”

She turned her dismay into an opportunity. After four years of research, she started the New York-based Askalite Formula skincare company, dedicated, she said, “to developing effective and clean skincare products specifically for skin of color.”

In order to take her company and concept global, she needed know-how. To achieve that, Yohannes enrolled in the Master's in International Commerce and Policy (ICP) program at the Schar School of Policy and Government at ��ӽ紫ý, graduating in 2019. She also earned a certificate in Mason’s Global Health and Security program.

She credits Mason’s off-campus involvement with startup businesses with as the impetus to getting her company off the ground. In fact, “my first address was the Mason Community Business Partnership, which I wouldn't have known about if I wasn't a Mason student, or if I didn't have an extensive network of people,” she said. “As an immigrant, there's this information gap. So, the program just set me up to be up and running and begin pursuing my dream.”

While Askalite is based in New York, the products are manufactured in France where Yohannes found clinical testing for safety more rigorous than in the U.S.

“I have made sure that everything that goes into, literally, every piece of every ingredient that we use is clean—what we call squeaky clean. It's beyond the standard,” she said.

Yohannes credits her Schar School education for enabling her to manage such a process, including sourcing ingredients from around the world and ensuring stringent testing of products made on the other side of the Atlantic.

Coming to the Schar School from Ethiopia, where Yohannes says occupations are generally predetermined, she felt she could branch out from a traditional pharmacy career.

“When I came to the U.S., I had a clean slate. I could take my life wherever I wanted it,” she said. “And I didn't want that to be in retail pharmacy. So, I used the skill sets from the pharma space to solve the glaring problem I noticed. So that's why I felt that the Schar School’s International Commerce and Policy program was so unique and great for what I envisioned my future to be.”

She learned what she needed to know after all.

“It was life changing,” Yohannes said of the Mason experience. “The ICP was an eye-opener. The program has given me the tools that I need to navigate the country as well as the business platforms that are available.”

Now that Askalite has launched, Yohannes believes she’s well prepared for the next step in her success.

“I'm confident in being able to drive the business all the way [to the top], without a consultant or anybody because of the courses and the faculty,” Yohannes said. “The Schar School has empowered me on many levels that I'm just forever grateful for.”

Yohannes: ‘[T]he [ICP] program just set me up to be up and running and begin pursuing my dream.”

Topics

Alumni

Business

International Commerce and Policy

Hiwot Yohannes

Schar School News August 2021

National Institute of Justice Adopts New ‘Risk & Needs Assessment’ Guidelines Co-Authored by Faye Taxman

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 12 Aug 2021 17:15:32 +0000

National Institute of Justice Adopts New ‘Risk & Needs Assessment’ Guidelines Co-Authored by Faye Taxman Andrew J Schappert Thu, 08/12/2021 - 13:15

ACE! director Faye Taxman

New guidelines that address the “core function in the criminal justice system” were published this summer by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs and the National Institute of Justice.

The guidelines were created by a team of corrections scholars, including the Schar School of Policy and Government’s Faye Taxman, a University Professor and director of the Center for Advancing Correctional Excellence (ACE!). Kristofer Bret Bucklen of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections and Grant Duwe of the Minnesota Departments of Corrections, along with Taxman, drafted the “Guidelines for Post-Sentencing Risk Assessment,” a study that examines the “risk and needs assessment” (RNA) instruments used by those in corrections settings for post-sentencing decision-making.

“Risk and needs assessments serve a core function in the criminal justice system,” said Jennifer Scherer, the acting director of the National Institute of Justice in Washington, D.C. “The principles that are the focus of this paper—fairness, efficiency, effectiveness, and communication—reflect a critical need to develop and implement innovative risk assessments to improve the prediction of risk.

“Guided by these principles, the checklist developed by this expert team will assist criminal justice practitioners in producing data-driven risk and needs assessments.”

The new guidelines are important as the results of RNA examinations affect rehabilitation, probation, sentencing, pretrial detention, presentencing decisions, and supportive and therapeutic treatment for those in incarceration scenarios.

“Once someone has been convicted and sentenced for a crime, corrections agencies use risk and need assessment tools to identify how likely that person is to commit another crime or violate the rules of prison, jail, or community supervision,” said a review of the researchers work published separately by the National Institute of Justice. “Correctional authorities use RNA instruments to guide decisions about programming, support, and restrictions that are intended to enhance public safety and make better use of scarce resources.”

For her part, Taxman did her Rutgers University PhD dissertation on RNA, has been consistently studying RNA, and specializes in the design and implementation of RNA, as well as analyzing data to generate evidence or to examine the effectiveness of new systems and methods to reduce recidivism.

See Taxman’s RNR Simulation Tool at www.gmuace.org/tools to see how to apply RNA to target individuals to appropriate programs and services.

Topics

Research

Criminal Justice

ACE!

Schar School News August 2021

Fulbright Researcher Jennifer Oreta Joins Schar School’s TraCCC

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 11 Aug 2021 20:46:24 +0000

Fulbright Researcher Jennifer Oreta Joins Schar School’s TraCCC Andrew J Schappert Wed, 08/11/2021 - 16:46

In This Story

Louise I. Shelley

Jennifer Oreta: ‘I want to look into the efforts and the reforms done in the security sector…’

Jennifer Oreta had heard of the Schar School of Policy and Government’s Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC) even on the other side of the world in her native country of the Philippines. When Oreta applied to and was awarded a Fulbright scholarship for research, the Schar School was her first choice.

“I was looking for a university where there is a program on terrorism and anti-terrorism,” Oreta said. “And the track record of TraCCC is very solid when it comes to anti-corruption and anti-terrorism.”

Terrorism, Oreta notes, is a major problem in her home country.

“Terrorism is a major challenge when it comes to security, therefore it is really necessary for countries that are allied and working together be more synchronized and harmonious in their anti-terrorism operations,” Oreta explained. “I want to look into the efforts and the reforms done in the security sector—meaning the military, the police, the intelligence bodies of the countries that are allied together: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and the U.S. The U.S. is a major partner when it comes to issues of anti-terrorism.”

Oreta aims to use her research with TraCCC, led by founding director Louise Shelley, to help guide policy in the Southeast Asia region. She also hopes to submit her findings to regional partners.

“I want to make policy recommendations to the Philippine government on how we can further improve our cooperation with other Southeast Asian countries,” she said.

Additional reporting by Buzz McClain.

Topics

Terrorism

Research

Schar School News August 2021

Fulbright

Transnational Crime and Corruption Center

New Book Features Exclusive Interview with Jailed Leader of Mexico’s ‘War on Drugs’

Anonymous — Wed, 04 Aug 2021 16:33:23 +0000

New Book Features Exclusive Interview with Jailed Leader of Mexico’s ‘War on Drugs’ Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 08/04/2021 - 12:33

In This Story

Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera

Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera: ‘This book is important because it is the perspective of the Mexican government on how they saw security in Mexico before the declaration of the ‘War on Drugs.’

Little did Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera know in November of 2017 that the high-ranking Mexican government official she was interviewing with for a book on that country’s

“drug war” would three years later be arrested in the U.S. for taking millions of dollars in bribes from the villainous Sinaloa drug cartel.

The dramatic downfall of Mexico’s former secretary of public security is now a new book, Las Cinco Vidas de Genaro García Luna (El Colegio de México), written by Correa-Cabrera, a Schar School assistant professor, and Rice University’s Tony Payan. (The book is available in Spanish only.)

The book traces García Luna’s path leading to his downfall and to the security issues in Mexico today. This work also provides credible insight into just how high the reach of organized crime—the drug cartels—is able to go to the very top of Mexico’s federal authorities.

“He was the strongman of security in Mexico,” Correa-Cabrera said, regarding García Luna. “He was the protagonist in the first stage of the state-sanctioned ‘War on Drugs.’ He was the Secretary of Public Safety and the right-hand man of the Mexican president at the time, Felipe Calderón, and was very close to the DEA and to all the United States’ agencies,” including the CIA and the Department of Justice.

“And he was arrested, at the end of 2019,” she said, “charged in connection to drug trafficking, money laundering, and it was a big scandal because he was the strongman of security.” García Luna is in a New York prison awaiting trial for taking tens of millions in bribes to protect cartels.

Genaro García Luna awaits trial in a New York prison.

Correa-Cabrera interviewed García Luna in 2017, two years before his arrest, over three days at the Center for the United States and Mexico of the Baker Institute at Rice University in Houston, during which time he gave his perspectives on security issues in Mexico—a bitter irony—considering how his tenure came to an end.

“He thought he was untouchable,” she said, reflecting on just how powerful García Luna was at the time of the interview.

“This book is important because it is the perspective of the Mexican government on how they saw security in Mexico before the declaration of the ‘War on Drugs,’” she said.

“What is the drug war? What does that mean? Because of the ‘War on Drugs’ the violence has not been reduced. The situation in Mexico is worse than it was when they declared a war on drugs. The cartels have grown very powerful, very murderous.”

Topics

Books

Research

Schar School News August 2021

At the Schar School: Teaching Climate Change as a National Security Issue

Andrew J Schappert — Fri, 30 Jul 2021 15:20:49 +0000

At the Schar School: Teaching Climate Change as a National Security Issue Andrew J Schappert Fri, 07/30/2021 - 11:20

In This Story

Ellen Laipson

Ellen Laipson: ‘[I]t's been a gradual process of adaptation to embrace the notion that climate needs to be integrated into the field of security studies.’

It was something that no foreign adversary has been able to do: In recent weeks, not one but two domestic U.S. military bases were evacuated after coming under heavy fire. The fire was all too literal: The summer California wildfires posed threats to Camp Pendleton and Beale Air Force Base, causing hundreds of service personnel and their families to abandon their posts and flee for their lives.

What is left unsaid is the vulnerability—temporary as it may have been—in the U.S. national security strategy.

The issue isn’t news: In a 2015 speech to the Coast Guard Academy, President Barack Obama declared that climate change "constitutes a serious threat to global security [and] an immediate risk to our national security. Even as we meet threats like terrorism, we cannot, and we must not, ignore a peril that can affect generations."

Similarly, this isn’t news to the professors and policy experts at the Schar School of Policy and Government at ��ӽ紫ý University either. In the last few years, climate change has been addressed as an increasingly grave national security issue on multiple fronts, in the classroom and through informed exploration at several research centers.

Erin Sikorsky: ‘[T]he first pathway is direct risks to military and civilian infrastructure, and military readiness…’

“Within the academic community that focuses on international security, it's been a gradual process of adaptation to embrace the notion that climate needs to be integrated into the field of security studies,” said Ellen Laipson, director of the Schar School’s Master’s in International Security program. She observes that questions of war and peace, where nuclear weapons were long considered the only truly existential threat to states and societies, “are slowly ceding some space to this profound global challenge that does not fit neatly into geopolitical categories. ‘Climate and National Security’ is now an elective course, but we are likely to see more attention and more resources devoted to it in the near future.”

“Domestically, the first pathway is direct risks to military and civilian infrastructure, and military readiness, as you see in California right now, with the fires and the drought,” Sikorsky said. “And we’ve had that on the Gulf Coast. There’s been billions of dollars in damage to military bases there due to hurricanes over the past few years.”

“The climate hazards we're facing, as they become more frequent and more intense, will put our military infrastructure under risk, but also our civilian infrastructure,” Sikorsky added. “Our electric grid, our distribution of water systems, all of these things were not designed for the climate changes that we're seeing—and will see in the future.

Louise Shelley

“So, they're going to be increasingly stressed, and potentially fail, as we've seen in Texas in the winter storm earlier this year. And that poses real risks for the U.S.”

Climate change and its impact on national security starts at what causes the damage to the environment. Louise Shelley, director of the Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center at the Schar School, identifies transnational crime on a massive scale as a significant culprit.

“The most important form of illicit trade contributing to climate change is illegal logging,” she said. “It’s estimated to be a $50 billion to over $150 billion business annually.”

Transnational criminal syndicates compromise climate security while also disrupting local and national economies, encouraging political and corporate corruption, and damaging entire cultures.

Climate hazards intersect with other strains on national security, said Sikorsky, “whether it's around COVID in the past year, whether it's around political polarization, and the disinformation environment, whether it's around economic streams and inequality and communities. When you layer climate shocks on top of that, how does that pose risks in terms of creating further instability and insecurity within communities and creating pressures on government to deliver more to local communities, particularly when they’re already strained quite a bit?”

Those are the questions Sikorsky poses to her students as she prepares the next generation to address these challenges.

“The class itself is designed to bring a climate lens to international relations and national security issues,” Sikorsky said. “A key way in which the students will be prepared to enter the workforce and understand these issues is if they can bring what I called ‘climate competence’ to whatever career they pursue. Because climate change is an issue that's going to crop up no matter what your career path is.

Additional reporting by Buzz McClain.

Topics

Climate Change

International Security

Schar School News July 2021

Mason Momentum