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Pursuing the

Russia and might be supporting research on

many projects are carried out without consid-

weapons of mass destruction.9 7

ering how--or even whether--they benefit U.S.

abstract goal of

If leakage into the Arctic does happen on

security. As environmental projects, they are

"environmental

a large scale, as some experts fear, the effects

beneficial to Russia. However, as enhance-

security" risks

on the human environment in the United

ments to U.S. national security, their value is

States will certainly be felt. The extent of the

decidedly less. At the same time, potentially

militarizing envi-

risk would need to be determined by serious

serious threats to the environment of the

ronmental issues

investigation and analysis, something that

United States are left unevaluated. The latter

has not yet been done, despite the flurry of

threats may or may not cross a reasonable

and trampling on

American activity elsewhere in Russia. For

threshold. But, until they are assessed against

civil liberties.

now, the head of Russia's nuclear inspec-

such a threshold, the question remains open.

torate has warned that the radioactive waste

Hard science is needed for hard decisions, and

buildup threatens "nuclear catastrophe on a

the security of the United States requires both.

global scale."9 8 Henry Kendall, a Nobel laure-

ate in physics at MIT, describes it as "the

Conclusion:

largest and most careless nuclear practice

that the human race has ever suffered."9 9 At

Whither Security?

the moment, however, it seems that the focus

is on pet projects, with little regard for how

Linking environmental degradation with

they might affect U.S. security, while more

national security sets a dangerous precedent

genuine potential threats to the United

in national security policy. In practice, the

States have been ignored. In a further exam

-

linkage has not gained considerable ground,

ple, Alexei Yablokov has pointed out that

if one compares the funding and attention it

Russian plans to build a series of floating

receives with that still dedicated to advancing

nuclear power plants stationed on towable

traditional military security goals. However,

barges have been wholly ignored by U.S. pol-

it is precisely because the concept of environ-

icymakers, despite the fact that the first

ment security has grown even as it has

plant, due to be installed at Pevek in eastern

remained in the background, and therefore

Siberia, will be almost as close to the United

less subject to public scrutiny, that it is so

States as will be the planned Cuban Juragua

worrying. Rhetoric may extend beyond prac-

nuclear plant, construction of which the

tical reality for the moment, but that situa-

United States is strongly contesting on the

tion need not last. Pursuing the abstract goal

basis that the reactor type is unsafe and is a

of "environmental security" risks militariz-

hazard to Florida and other eastern states.100

ing environmental issues and trampling on

civil liberties. It also pushes the United States

The Consequences of U.S. Environmental

into more and more scenarios of overseas

Involvement in Russia

intervention and conflict, frequently of its

own making.

Taken together, the lack of clarity about

Given that the concept is unlikelly to dis-

how the Russian environment affects U.S.

appear in the near future, what can be done

interests and the misdirected efforts to ame-

at least to contain its worst excesses? Three

liorate environmental conditions in Russia

initial actions should be undertaken:

cannot but encourage suspicions among

Russian military and political elites about U.S.

· Define

motives. If those suspicions generate serious

Environmental Security: More

resentment in the Russian populace,

attention should be paid to what

Washington's goal of cooperation may degen-

elected officials and bureaucrats

erate into tension and allegations of espi-

mean when they talk about environ-

onage. But the worst problem seems to be that

mental "threats" to national security.

no threshold has been set. At the moment,

What kind of environmental issues

19