“I won’t speak entirely causally but let’s say the world has become a more dangerous place,” he added.
The Cuban missile crisis, which took place in October 1962, was seen as the moment when the U.S. and the Soviet Union came “closest to nuclear conflict,” according to the U.S. State Department’s website.
It was a critical point in history where leaders from both sides engaged in a tense military and political dispute, which concerned missile deployment.
Fast forward to the present and geopolitics continues to leave its mark on the world, with global financial markets showing signs of nervousness this week.
On Tuesday, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters that a ballistic missile, fired by North Korea, had passed over Japan – a move which was met with criticism from the United Nations and leaders worldwide.
Following the news, President Donald Trump released a statement saying that “all options are on the table“.
Moniz – who served under the former U.S. president during 2013 up until January 2017 – told CNBC that he had become troubled by how the discussion surrounding nuclear weapons had intensified as of late.
“What disturbs me is seeing nuclear weapons elevated in national security strategy, as opposed to being given less of a prominent role.”
Broadening out the discussion on the current U.S. administration’s policies, the former Energy secretary took a look at the administration’s present stance on climate change.
On June 1, 2017 – less than two years since the Paris Climate Agreement had been signed by countries all over the world – Trump announced that the U.S. would be withdrawing itself from the treaty, commenting on how staying in the pact could have an impact on the U.S. economy.
From Moniz’s point of view, the withdrawal means that there won’t be a continuation of American leadership in this area. However, the former official remains positive.
Moniz explained how businesses and leading figures on a local and regional level still believe the issue of climate change should be addressed, with some companies looking for a more environmentally-friendly future.
“I have to say (however) that I have some hope, because that announcement triggered an enormous outpouring of support in the U.S. from mayors, governors, business leaders, of course internationally, others being prepared to step forward.”
Moniz later added that this support to combat climate change from a more regional leadership level was “extraordinarily encouraging”, adding that he didn’t believe the U.S. was going backwards when it came to tackling climate change, but rather going towards a low-carbon economy.
Moniz said though, that if the U.S. federal government refused to lead on climate issues, then this could act as an impediment on the country.
“I feel that, in this case we will get to the same place (on climate issues). The road getting there will be a little bit rockier because of (the) U.S. position.”