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"We encourage the Department of Defense to take a more aggressive posture regarding climate change," explains Andrew Weber, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Programs and a current Senior Fellow with the Council. Nuclear waste is a problem at nuclear plants throughout the country, and when it comes to San Onofre, Weber says, "e metal containers aren't forever, and it is a bad location to store that much spent fuel." On a much more positive note, the San Diego region is improving early warning systems on bases by monitoring wastewater for environmental risks and infectious diseases, along which lines Weber also notes San Diego is home to the Navy Environmental Preventive Medicine Unit 5, which was instrumental in identifying the 2009 H1N1 virus spread from Mexico. On a larger scale, the effects of climate change play into the gray zone of war, where the conflict is not always between identifiable armies. Both Weber and Conger agree that we may still be playing the same international opponents, but the chess board is rapidly changing. For more information on the Council for Strategic Risks, e Center for Climate & Security, and e Center on Strategic Weapons, Nuclear Issues, and Biological reats, visit councilonstrategicrisks.org. Andrew Weber ranchandcoast.com @ranchandcoast RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE JUNE 2022 45