U.S. President Barack Obama warned the nation that even just a rise in sea levels of one foot will cost the country as much as $200 billion, he mentioned in his speech about climate change.
He delivered the speech to the recent graduates of the United States Coast Guard Academy, warning the future coast guards and all that came, about the serious risk that climate change presents to national security, and that the issue is in need of immediate action.
"You are part of the first generation of officers to begin your service in a world where the effects of climate change are so clearly upon us... Make no mistake; it will impact how our military defends our country. And so we need to act-and we need to act now," Obama said, according to Business Insider.
The rising sea levels will affect the economy, infrastructure and the safety and health of the American people, the president added.
The matter is such a serious issue for the U.S. government that the Pentagon has been tasked with assessing the vulnerability of more than 7,000 bases, installation and other facilities to climate change, NDTV reported.
The White House is making this issue top priority, and is encouraging all sectors to act against it now.
