Climate Change and the US Armed Forces

Climate Change and the U.S. Armed Forces
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Climate Change and the U.S. Armed Forces
The author depicts that the U.S. military needs to move towards adopting an energy system that emits less carbon into the environment and improves its energy efficiency. The author further explains that a move by the Department of Defense (DOD) to shift to a lower-carbon energy system would considerably reduce carbon emissions to the environment. The U.S. military consumes the most fossil fuel in its operations to defend global security interests (Carmen et al., 2010). The U.S. military, therefore, largely influences global warming, and the consequences of climate change affect its operations. For instance, flooding and wildfires caused by climate change may affect military installations and disrupt their training and operations. Additionally, DOD should improve energy efficiency by fully utilizing the energy they consume. Shifting to alternative energy sources and improving energy efficiency would reduce carbon emissions and improve the effectiveness of the military’s operations.
The author proposes that the United States and DOD should consider other sources of energy that emit less carbon. The environmental protection agency reported that energy consumption contributes to 86.1% of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. (Carmen et al., 2010). Changing to a lower-carbon energy system would reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help mitigate the long-term effects of global warming. The United States should make informed decisions about nuclear reactors and develop policies to guide their installation on DOD bases. The author also suggests that the U.S. should engage in international discussions concerning geoengineering to intentionally manipulate the climate to reverse the effects of g...