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Newsweek
03-07-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
World's Biggest Polluter Is in the US, Study Finds
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The U.S. military has been identified as the largest single institutional emitter of greenhouse gases worldwide, according to a new study. Newsweek reached out to the Department of Defense (DOD) via email for comment. Why It Matters The study cited the scale of energy consumption required for maintaining military bases, global transport of personnel, equipment, weapons and frequent training drills as central contributors to the broader carbon footprint. The findings underscore the global climate implications of the U.S. military's operational scale. What To Know The study, led by Ryan Thombs of Penn State University and published in PLOS Climate on July 2, drew on publicly available data from the DOD spanning 1975 to 2022, linking reductions in military spending to significant decreases in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Researchers found that a decrease in expenditures has a larger effect on slashing energy consumption than a rise in expenditures does on heightening energy usage. Additional analyses show that this is due to cuts in DOD energy consumption from facilities, vehicles and equipment, and jet fuel in particular. "We started this study not entirely sure what we were going to find," Thombs told Newsweek on Thursday. "There are published studies on the impacts of increasing militarization on environmental outcomes, but studying the effects of cutting military spending was an open question. "I think the finding that cutting expenditures had a larger impact than increasing expenditures was a little bit surprising but made sense, and it is also the thing that really stood out in our analyses." The seal of the U.S. Department of Defense is pictured at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., on November 28, 2016. The seal of the U.S. Department of Defense is pictured at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., on November 28, 2016. SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images The study also shows that spending cuts to the U.S. military could have significant ramifications for energy consumption. "We show that large, sustained cuts to expenditures could produce annual energy savings similar to what the nation of Slovenia or the U.S. state of Delaware consumes annually by 2032," Thombs said. Andrew Jorgenson, sociology professor at the University of British Columbia and the study's co-author, told Newsweek on Thursday that the study advances the interdisciplinary science on the societal causes of climate change. While much prior research focuses on such factors as economic growth, corporations, population dynamics and technology, he said these new findings highlight the U.S. military's role "in causing anthropogenic climate change, given the enormous volume of fossil fuels it consumes." "Our findings ... underscores the necessity for considering the role of the U.S. military," Jorgenson said. "It also suggests a pathway for meaningful decarbonization and climate mitigation, albeit a very difficult one given the Trump administration's emphasis on increasing U.S. military spending and its attacks on climate science and climate policy, and the growing pressure for other nations throughout the world to increase their military spending as well." Pentagon's Carbon Footprint Surpasses Most Countries The U.S. military's carbon output as of 2022 exceeded that of nearly 140 national governments, according to The Conversation. An Army Climate Strategy report from 2019 identified the DOD as the top institutional petroleum consumer globally. In 2020, the U.S. Army's electricity usage alone generated 4.1 million tons of greenhouse gases—1 million tons greater than Switzerland's entire heat and electricity emissions in 2017. In February 2022, the Army released a strategy pledging net-zero emissions by 2050 and a goal to electrify its military vehicle fleet and shift bases to carbon-free electricity. Climate change has become much less of a priority during the current Trump administration. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in a statement on March 10, downplayed the role of climate change within the DOD, The Independent reported. "We do training and warfighting," Hegseth said, rejecting climate initiatives as outside the military's responsibility. His stance diverged from both Pentagon climate policy in previous administrations and the department's own research. Hegseth's comments drew criticism, especially as the military's annual emissions were reported to total approximately 51 million metric tons, largely from buildings and vehicles. What People Are Saying Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, on March 14: "The Pentagon ... announced that we are eliminating woke climate change programs and initiatives inconsistent with our core warfighting mission." What Happens Next Authors of the PLOS Climate study project that continued reductions in military spending through 2032 could result in dramatic annual energy savings.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Study: Expanding Renewable Energy Does Not Lower Fossil Fuel Production
A new study has found that increasing renewable energy may not necessarily reduce fossil fuel production in the United States. Published in the Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, the study found no correlation between the production of fossil fuels and renewable energy, suggesting that producing more renewable energy does not automatically mean that fossil fuel production will decline. Ryan Thombs, the author of the study, analyzed data spanning 1997 to 2020 from the 33 American states that produce fossil fuels. Thombs, however, found that more than 96% of the variation in fossil fuel production trends across the states depended on factors such as available deposits in each state. According to Thombs, additional policies may be required if the United States is to lower its reliance on fossil fuels, with the ongoing myth that ramping up renewable energy investments naturally leads to less fossil fuel production debunked. "Policies could include ones that directly limit fossil fuel production through carbon taxes, setting production caps on fossil fuels and keeping fossil fuel reserves in the ground," he said. "Future research could consider other geographical contexts to see if the findings from this study are generalizable elsewhere and should also consider the effectiveness of specific policies that have been implemented." According to the United Nations, fossil fuels account for almost 90% of carbon dioxide emissions and more than 75% of greenhouse gas emissions. Transitioning away from fossil fuels to renewable energy fossil fuels is frequently touted as the best way to mitigate climate change. Thombs might have a valid policies in Europe have accelerated the transition to renewable energy, with fossil fuels gradually phasing out fossil fuel power generation. In 2022, Europe suffered its biggest energy crisis, with the weaponization of natural gas supplies by Russia aggravating its energy security, leading to a massive spike in gas prices. Consequently, the European Commission launched the REPowerEU Plan in a bid to produce more clean energy, diversify energy supplies and phase out Russian fossil fuel imports. The implementation of the REPowerEU Plan has been a success, allowing the continent to drastically phase down Russian fossil fuel imports and diversify supplies. Europe has cut Russian gas from 45% of total imports before the invasion to just 15% currently. Meanwhile, Europe has ramped up LNG imports from the United States to ~100 billion cubic feet per month, up less than 50 billion cubic feet per month before the invasion. But here's the kicker: Fossil fuels are losing their place in Europe's energy mix. Last year, renewables accounted for 48% of the EU power generation mix, with nuclear coming in second at 24%. Meanwhile, Oil and Gas contributed a combined 28%--their lowest share ever. Nuclear remains Europe's single leading power source; however, wind power now leads over natural gas while Europe's solar generation surpassed coal for the first time ever in 2024. Not surprisingly, Europe is now enjoying cleaner air, with greenhouse gas emissions dropping 13% Y/Y in 2024. This trend actually predates Russia's war in Ukraine, with wind and solar gradually pushing coal to the margins, including forcing natural gas into a structural decline, since the enactment of the European Green Deal in 2019. However, Russia's war has only added momentum to Europe's green energy transition. The European Union has also implemented several measures to significantly cut the permit-granting process for clean energy projects. Some of these include designating specific regions as "Renewable Energy Acceleration Areas" thus allowing for simplified and faster permitting procedures for solar and wind power projects and facilitating power purchase agreements. across the bloc. That said, Europe is highly unlikely to ditch natural gas and fossil fuels any time soon. European natural gas futures have been rallying again, climbing towards the highest level in over six weeks, driven by supply concerns. Previously, Europe's gas prices declined on optimism around a potential Ukraine peace deal. Unfortunately, little progress has been made on that front, with a two-hour call between Trump and Putin failing to deliver anything. Russia has repeatedly refused an immediate cease-fire despite both sides agreeing to resume talks, cutting the likelihood of Russian gas returning to Europe. Further, gas flows from Norway are projected to tighten further due to maintenance work at the Kollsnes gas plant. Meanwhile, whereas LNG cargoes are increasingly being diverted from Asia due to weakening demand, new uncontracted buyers such as Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines are emerging, boosting overall global LNG demand. By Alex Kimani for More Top Reads From this article on
