State Dept. Budget Includes Nearly Half a Billion for Climate Change

The State Department’s $51.6 billion budget for 2013 covers a multitude of things, from the $8.2 billion for the “Overseas Contingency Program”–once called the War on Terror–to the $4.1 billion “in contributions to international organizations.” 

Then there’s the $469.5 million set aside to combat the impact of “Global Climate Change.”

The purpose for this money is described in the budget as: “To address the environmental, economic, and social ramifications of global climate change through programs that develop clean energy economies; combat deforestation; and help vulnerable countries build resilience to withstand extreme weather and rising sea levels.”