Threat Multiplier: Climate, Military Leadership, and the Fight for Global Security

by Sherri Goodman

Threat Multiplier takes us onto the battlefield and inside the Pentagon to show how the US military is confronting the biggest security risk in global climate change. More than thirty years ago, when Sherri Goodman became the Pentagon’s first Chief Environmental Officer, no one would have imagined this role for our armed forces.



Indeed, for much of the twentieth century, the Department of Defense (DOD) was better known for containing the Soviet nuclear threat than protecting the environment. And yet, today, the military has moved from an environmental laggard to a clean energy and climate leader, recognizing that a warming world exacerbates every threat—from hurricanes and forest fires, to competition for increasingly scarce food and water, to terrorism and power plays by Russia and China. The Pentagon now considers climate in war games, disaster relief planning, international diplomacy, and even the design of its own bases.

 

What was the key to this dramatic change in military thinking? What keeps today’s generals and admirals up at night? How can we safeguard our national defense and our planet? No one is better poised to answer these questions than Sherri Goodman, who was at the vanguard of environmental leadership among our armed forces and civilian representatives. In Threat Multiplier, she tells the inside story of the military’s fight for global security, a tale that is as hopeful as it is harrowing.



 

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Politics, War

264 pages, Hardcover

Published August 27, 2024

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me, this is a tough one to review objectively, during the summer of 2025.

I had pre-ordered the book (for a host of reasons, including, but not limited to, the topic and the author), started it when I received it, got frustrated that it was far more autobiographical than I had expected, and, for a while, placed it back on the ever-changing to-read shelf.

I should have stuck with it.

The book is chock full of excellent examples and anecdotes and insights into how climate change intersects with national (and global) security and makes a compelling case that - while all governments have much to do and clearly aren't doing enough quickly enough to address the climate crisis - the military plays a unique and critical role for so many reasons: yes, it's a massive/leading fossil fuel/carbon user/generator; at the same time, it has a unique (and, frankly, serious and important) perspective on future risk that could and should make it a leader in both adaptation to and mitigation of climate change ... and, and this is so important, it's also uniquely well situated to appreciate how, with regard to climate change, we - the global we - people and countries around the world - all need to collaborate if we want to leave something/anything like our quality of life and opportunities to our children and their children.

Still, for me, I found the author's personal experiences more distraction than illumination, but I expect that, for some readers, a memoir is more interesting than dispassionate history and, look, it is what it is, the author is, as they say, the real deal, and, for decades, she has been in the center of many relevant initiatives, engaged with innumerable important players, and, as a result, she offers a longitudinal view of DoD's climate journey that few, if any, could rival. But ... but ... but ... alas, as a reader, that aspect just didn't resonate with me.

Finally picking it up again, and finishing it, almost a year later - but in a (fundamentally depressingly) different world (or, more specifically, presidential administration) - made the reading experience a constant vacillation between the tragic, comical, head-scratching, and soul-sucking, ... with constant detours into depression and despondency. So much progress and opportunity and momentum squandered ... by unserious, irresponsible, short-sighted, and self-centered "leadership." So, yeah, it's obviously not the author's fault that the US military's approach - but more so progress and trendline - has been derailed, but ... but ... it felt like reading about the history of the glorious rise and popularity of the Betamax or the iPod, but with higher (OK, existential) stakes. Groan.

Ultimately, I'm glad I bought it and (finally) read it, and I'm confident I'll return to it (and cite and reference it) in the future. Sure, I wish it were less autobiographical, but ... today ... I'm much sadder that the book so quickly feels so quaint, almost like a snapshot of a happy family before the divorce or car crash that initiated the tragic unraveling that follows. Alas.

[Eric Johnson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really think I expected a bit more about this book when I bought this. First off it's expensive, 26 bucks for a short book. Second of all while Sherrie's career is laudable, she did do some important things in the book, but I expected more of a dissertation than an autobiography. I mean maybe it should have been more clear about what the point of this book is. I expected some facts and figures to show that we're making progress, and how the changing climate in the world is affecting military operations. But realistically Mother Nature always has something to say about how weather affects military operations and whatnot, not an autobiography. Her career is impressive and I'm not trying to say she didn't do well. She did but this isn't a book for me.

[Sophie Conroy · Rating 3 out of 5]

climate change through a military lens - a perspective I don't normally consider. gave me a greater appreciation for how disasters impact global security (I appreciated the chapters organized by region) as well as the role of the military in disaster preparedness/response and emissions reductions.

[Ladeene Freimuth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book, "Threat Multiplier: Climate, Military and the Fight for Global Security," to practitioners, academics, and any person interested in the survival of our population and planet and ways in which you can help. The Honorable Sherri Goodman weaves her personal history and how she helped develop the field of climate security with recommendations for how the military and all of society must shift from viewing climate change as a “threat multiplier” to that of an “opportunity multiplier.” Spanning defense, development, diplomacy, and disaster risk reduction perspectives, this book highlights the tools, partnerships, and innovative technologies needed to better “climate proof” our future and ensure that climate remains an integral component of the Nation’s and the world’s security. -- Ladeene Freimuth, President and Founder, The Freimuth Group, and former Staff Member in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate

[Anne Kronenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sherri Goodman’s fascinating account of her work with the military on climate change is a must read for non-military people interested in addressing climate change as an overall societal imperative. Ms. Goodman shares her experiences working with the senior-most officers of the three services and the Department of Defense to illustrate the gradual acceptance that climate change is integral to our security as a nation and, thus, integral to our military’s mission. An interesting and fun read!

[Isabella Caltabiano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goodman's Threat Multiplier is a captivating account on the birth and growth of climate security. It is a concise read that weaves together personal recounts of what went on 'in the room where it happened' with the stark facts and realities of the climate crisis.

[Kate H · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent broad overview

[Robert Goodman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The US military’s transformation into a global climate leader, thanks in no small part to one Sherri Goodman, is nothing short of remarkable. A must read.

[Chad Manske · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sherri Goodman’s “Threat Multiplier: Climate, Military Leadership, and the Fight for Global Security” is both an insider memoir of policy change and a brisk primer on the emerging field of climate security. Drawing on three decades at the nexus of defense, environment, and strategy, Goodman shows how a bureaucracy once fixated on the Soviet nuclear threat became a reluctant, then proactive, actor on climate risk. The book’s core contribution is conceptual clarity around climate as a ‘threat’ multiplier: not a standalone casus belli, but a force that sharpens every existing vulnerability, from fragile states to great‑power competition. Chapters on the Arctic, “disaster alley” in Asia, and climate‑stressed regions in the global South translate abstract risk into operational problems—sea‑level rise threatening bases, extreme weather straining logistics, and resource scarcity feeding instability that combatant commanders must plan around. For readers steeped in traditional defense analysis, these case studies effectively reframe climate effects as familiar issues of readiness, basing, and contingency planning rather than as an environmental sideline. Goodman writes most persuasively when reconstructing how senior officers, war‑gamers, and planners slowly integrated climate into doctrine, exercises, and base design. She traces the Pentagon’s evolution from environmental laggard to partial clean‑energy leader, highlighting how energy efficiency and distributed power are framed as combat multipliers—“less fuel, more fight”—rather than green virtue. This institutional history will be particularly useful for practitioners trying to move large bureaucracies on nontraditional security issues. The book is more advocacy‑oriented than strictly analytical, and specialists may want deeper engagement with counterarguments about mission creep or tradeoffs with core warfighting requirements. Some sections gesture toward Russia and China’s use of climate‑driven instability without fully interrogating competitive dynamics and escalation risks. Yet as a synthesis and narrative of how climate became a mainstream national security concern, “Threat Multiplier” succeeds admirably. It will serve policymakers, planners, and students as an accessible, policy‑relevant overview—and as a reminder that ignoring climate risk is, increasingly, a choice about accepting higher operational and strategic costs.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

First let me acknowledge I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaaway. I was interested in how the Military and Climate change would interact. I think I was anticipating a more in depth discussion. I would equate htis book to a 100 level college class. It provided a basic broad overview of the topic. The military has begun to address how climate changes impact it, both in war time settings as well as day to day life on base. Although it seems that it would be common sense, that is often not to common and change in the military is hard fought. I would have liked to see a more detailed story about how that got done. Additionally the author wrote this as if anyone reading it would accept climate change without question. I'm not gonna get into a political debate here, I read to avoid them but one comment in the book brought me to questioning things. She mmentioned rising sea levels, and at one point mentioned that sea levels are rising at a little over an inch a year for over 20 years. Having lived coast side in NY I'm not sure about that statement. How would the sea have risen 20+ inches and not been observable either in southern Manhatten or the shores of FIre Island? I guess this book did what any good intro level college course textbook does, it raised questions that I will have to read and research further.

[Lynn Strickland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sheri Goodman is thinker outside the box, a leader in her field, and an author that has written Threat Multiplier. This book is written in a format that lets the most novice reader like me understand the topic being presented. Threat Multiplier makes the climate crisis understandable in its many facets. The author points out that the greatest threats to global security is here and now. The US military is confronting this national defense challenge. The phrase "threat multiplier" was invented by the author a long time ago. The military and government officials about the links between climate change and security. Transformation is what is needed to understand this threat and to have an understanding of where this crisis is coming next.

[Michael Gray · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately I got basically zero value from this book. I was hoping for at least one section with novel insights related to how national security / defense is thinking about climate risk and adaptation, but it was sort of buried in a ton of stories. The author has an impressive career, and I tried to learn about how deals get done in Washington as a way to get through the memoir-y stuff, but there wasn't any great insight there either.

I'm going to just assume I am not the audience for this book since anyone with basic understanding of climate risk, mitigation, adaptation, energy independence, resilience etc won't learn anything new. Maybe it was for policymakers or skeptics?

[David Devine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The blurb for this book is misleading. If you are looking for what the military is doing to reduce energy consumption, emissions and the strategic impact, skip to chapter 9. The depth of analysis will be disappointing if that is your interest.

The rest of the book lays out a detailed problem statement about the ways in which changing climate will cause problems that will need to be managed by the military. This is very much a bureaucratic insiders look told in the format of an autobiography / memoir.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sherri Goodman's latest book details her role in convincing the military of the importance of including climate change in discussions of military readiness. She coined the term "threat multiplier" describing how climate change amplifies security threats that in turn create significant challenges in maintaining global stability. This book transports the reader into the rooms where major decisions now incorporate the impacts of climate change as part of the military's mission. A compelling read.

[Miska · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes before starting this book as it was recommended by someone I regard with high esteem. Unfortunately, it's rather something between an autobiography and a relatively boring presentation of various personnel and procedures of the Congress, DOD, Pentagon and other military institutions. The book is not short of showing the reader's personal involvement in almost all phases of the transition of the US military which is, needless to say, the mightiest in the whole wide world...

[Marjan Ehsassi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone interested in the intersection of global security, national defense and climate written by the leading expert on the subject. A compelling, riveting and deeply personal account.

[Ilinca D · Rating 2 out of 5]

Illuminating! Very helpful for my thesis which critiques this :)

[Remo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The military cares about/plans for climate change because it complicates their missions. Apparently they’ve been talking about this for a long time, and the author quotes lots of generals and admirals, and touts her own role. But since they answer to their political masters it will be “interesting “ to see what happens over the next four years.
Someone told me they read an AI generated synopsis of this book that was good. I wish I’d read that instead.

[Dakshesh Thacker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I discovered this book serendipitiously during a work call earlier this year as a recommendation on rethinking the climate narrative in the United States in a Trump economy. I bought the book almost immediately and read it, breaking my planned pipeline of to-reads.
In 7.5 years of working in development and policy, I have learnt a lot about many micro problems in different sectors- education, climate, water, gender, etc. Sherri Goodman's book is perhaps one of the first that has triggered my thinking to view the world with a broader macro lens of interconnected problems and competing stakeholder incentives. While attempting to cover the journey of the US Department of Defense and the Armed Forces' climate journey, Sherri Goodman brushes on US soft and hard power across the world, the need for innovation, the need for narrative convergence and a complex world of stakeholder engagements especially in foreign policy and cooperation on climate action. This book has all the elements to form the crux of a highly popular policy school class on climate and security.
Policy reflections aside, this book could not be more relevant today with the entire climate and sustainability industry under attack. The insights and examples Goodman offers are strong examples of how to deal with stakeholders having conflicting biases and finding common grounds to meet two targets with a single policy intervention.
The book is fast and modular, with Goodman grounding each chapter in strong personal anecdotes of senior military staff and veterans, painting vivid pictures based on their lived experiences rather than quoting acidic data points, which would have made it more academic and inaccessible.
Two things remained a niggling pain through the book. As an Indian, I felt the book did not cover much about India-US relations and the many areas of cooperation on defence and science, which would have efforts on climate action, especially during the Biden government. Second, was the reference to war in the Middle East rather than the Israeli-led genocide in Gaza in a few of the chapters.
Despite this I would recommend this book to all policy professionals and, more importantly, climate and energy professionals who are looking for a fresh spark to jog their thinking. Moreover, this is a real-life recollection of a woman succeeding in an industry dominated by men since times immemorial. As the son of a mother who worked in a similar environment, I can understand how challenging it can get. Reading Sherri Goodman's book might serve as an inspiration for women in climate and security.
I took a while to read the book, and I am sure I will keep revisiting it in the future to draw from the rich experiences of the author. Some of the questions that the book makes me explore further are:
1- Do the Indian Army, Air Force, Navy, and other forces have similar climate programs?
2-What was the peak of American soft and hard power influence over the world?
3- How many major innovations in the world stemmed from research for innovation in defence?

Seeing how thought provoking this book is, I would in fact give it a solid 4.5/5