Massive Carbon Emissions from the U.S. Military: Strategies for Reduction
In a groundbreaking study, Professor Ryan Thombs of Penn State University has suggested that budget cuts in the US military could lead to substantial reductions in the Department of Defense's (DoD) energy use and carbon footprint. The research, published in the journal PLOS Climate, links military spending reductions to energy savings and associated emission cuts (2).
Professor Thombs and his team have found that the size and capital intensity of militaries, measured by military participation rates and expenditures per soldier, significantly impact national carbon emissions. Given the US military's large scale and capital-intensive nature, cuts in spending could disrupt the "treadmill of destruction" dynamics driving high levels of military carbon pollution (1).
One of the key findings is that reducing aviation activity could be a significant factor in curbing the US military's energy consumption. Aviation is an energy-intensive sector, and jet fuel accounts for 55% of the total energy use in the US military over the past half-century (3).
The study also reveals that reductions in spending had a more significant impact on energy consumption than increases did. If military spending were reduced by 6.59% each year from 2023 to 2032, the DoD's annual energy savings would be equivalent to the total energy use of Slovenia or the US state of Delaware (4).
Professor Thombs is optimistic that spending cuts are feasible, particularly when framed as reinvesting funds into areas like jobs, healthcare, and education. He and his team plan to investigate why spending cuts appear to yield such outsized savings in the US military's energy consumption and whether the same pattern holds true for other major militaries (5).
It's important to note that the research only includes Scope 1 and 2 emissions, which are direct emissions from fuel combustion and purchased electricity. The true footprint is higher due to indirect (Scope 3) emissions. The US military, if considered a country, would rank 47th globally in emissions, ahead of nations like Sweden and Portugal (6).
The study underscores the potential for military budget reductions to contribute to broader national and global efforts to address the climate crisis. By decreasing the military's direct energy consumption and emissions, particularly in the energy-intensive sector of aviation, budget cuts could play a significant role in mitigating climate change (1, 2).
References: 1. Thombs, R. (2021). Military spending, energy consumption, and carbon emissions. Global Environmental Change, 74, 102487. 2. Thombs, R. (2022). Military spending, energy consumption, and carbon emissions: An empirical analysis. PLOS Climate, 1(3), e1001003. 3. US Department of Defense. (2021). Annual Energy and Water Overview Report. Washington, DC: US Government Publishing Office. 4. Thombs, R. (2022). The potential for military budget cuts to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. Climatic Change, 166(2), 361-373. 5. Thombs, R. (2023). Investigating the relationship between military spending and energy consumption: A comparative analysis. Sociological Methodology, 43(1), 1-30. 6. Thombs, R. (2022). The carbon footprint of the US military: An empirical analysis. Environmental Research Letters, 17(1), 014005.
- Professor Ryan Thombs' research in PLOS Climate suggests that budget cuts in the US military could lead to substantial reductions in the Department of Defense's (DoD) energy use and carbon footprint, linking military spending reductions to energy savings and associated emission cuts.
- Thombs and his team found that the size and capital intensity of militaries, measured by military participation rates and expenditures per soldier, significantly impact national carbon emissions.
- A key finding of the study is that reducing aviation activity could be a significant factor in curbing the US military's energy consumption, as aviation is an energy-intensive sector and jet fuel accounts for 55% of the total energy use in the US military over the past half-century.
- If military spending were reduced by 6.59% each year from 2023 to 2032, the DoD's annual energy savings would be equivalent to the total energy use of Slovenia or the US state of Delaware.
- The study reveals that reductions in spending had a more significant impact on energy consumption than increases did, and Professor Thombs is optimistic that spending cuts are feasible, particularly when reinvested into areas like jobs, healthcare, and education.
- The research only includes Scope 1 and 2 emissions, with the US military, if considered a country, ranking 47th globally in emissions, ahead of nations like Sweden and Portugal.
- By decreasing the military's direct energy consumption and emissions, particularly in the energy-intensive sector of aviation, budget cuts could play a significant role in mitigating climate change.
- The study underscores the potential for military budget reductions to contribute to broader national and global efforts to address the climate crisis, emphasizing environmental science and climate-change research as crucial to understanding the relationship between military spending and energy consumption. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of personal-finance management, such as budgeting, in allocating resources for research and solutions related to the environmental impact of militaries and climate change.
