Why, Yes, We Must Cut Our Defense Budget For Globull Warming

by William Teach | January 13, 2011 9:00 am

From our buddies at Treehugger[1]

Okay, so I just finished writing about how it turns out China leapfrogged us last year to become the world leader in installed wind power[2]. I also derided the media (myself included) for harping on the “China’s going to eat our lunch” narrative until we’re blue in the face. But I’m going to do it all over again — because I was just reminded of this: China spends 1/6th the amount the United States does on its military, and spends twice what the US does[3] on funding clean energy. Now, which nation appears to have its budget priorities in order?

China doesn’t have to play the world’s policeman, er, sorry, not-PC, police person. China also doesn’t have to pay private companies as much for military hardware, nor its soldiers as much. But, hey, good thing wind turbines don’t tend to freeze[4] when its cold and provide no power. Anyhow, the obvious answer in Liberal World[5]?

Can America ever catch up? Yes, says Washington research fellow Miriam Pemberton. But it means taking a $100 billion-dollar bite out of the defense budget annually.

Of course! It’s so easy! Yes, we can actually lop of some of the cost of the military by doing away with waste and refusing to pay contractors for cost over runs. They bid on a contract, they should have to abide by the contract. But, really, using the threat of competition from Red China over “green energy” is a competition that only exists in the minds of the alarmists, some of which block the use of green energy.

But Pemberton, who researches demilitarization issues for the Institute for Policy Studies’ Foreign Policy in Focus project, says Congress is missing the big picture.

IPS? Hmmmmm. “America’s oldest leftwing think tank[6]” that “Has long supported Communist and anti-American causes around the world.”Well, there ya go.

Endowing those agencies with more cash to shrink carbon footprints, launch green jobs and advance clean technologies could mitigate the chaos of severe floods, droughts, heat waves and rising sea levels that climate scientists are predicting and witnessing. That could lessen the U.S. military’s concerns about having to tamp down unrest caused by climatic events worldwide.

There are times I almost wish we would implement all these idiotic proposals to attempt to stop Mother Nature, just to watch them fail miserably. The talking points spin would be epic, and would probably include something about waiting to long and Bush not signing the Kyoto Protocol.

The story keeps going on, and on, and on, but, makes me think: if green energy is so super duper fabulous, why would we need the government to spend money on it? You’d think the private sector would jump in with both feet to make money…..huh? It’s expensive and there is little return on investment? Ah.

Endnotes:
  1. Treehugger: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/01/us-cut-100-billion-defense-compete-china-clean-energy.php
  2. world leader in installed wind power: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/01/china-world-leader-wind-power.php
  3. spends twice what the US does: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/03/pew-environmental-group-study-clean-energy-investments-usa-china-world.php
  4. tend to freeze: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1345439/Customers-face-huge-wind-farms-dont-work-cold.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
  5. the obvious answer in Liberal World: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jan/12/military-climate-spending-us-china
  6. America’s oldest leftwing think tank: http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/groupProfile.asp?grpid=6991

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