Special to the
Opelika Observer

The Auburn/Opelika Citizens’ Climate Education group will present a free screening of the film “The Burden,” a documentary about the enormous risks the military faces because of U.S. dependence on fossil fuels and the steps defense leaders are taking to transition to clean energy.
The screening will take place 7 p.m. Oct. 24 at the Grace & Hubert Harris Meeting Center, in Auburn. A panel discussion will follow.
This 40-minute documentary presents dangers America’s fossil fuel addiction poses to the economy, environment, armed forces and national security, while showing how the military is leading the way on clean energy technology.
Military convoys transporting fuel in war zones are prime targets resulting in many of our casualties in conflict areas. Generating power from renewable sources like solar would eliminate much of that risk.
Additionally, the U.S. military is increasingly responding to catastrophes and conflicts that have been exacerbated by climate change. Defense Department reports have referred to climate change as a “threat multiplier,” a situation that will escalate unless we reduce the heat-trapping emissions from fossil fuels that drive climate change.
The burden of our dependence on oil is costly in both lives and money. That’s why the military is leading the way on the clean energy transition.