Trump's Military as the De Facto Environmental Leader

摘要

The US military is a globally recognizable force politically, ethically and, to some extent, economically. It is not generally realized, however, that such an influential military force also holds a moral imperative to protect and restore our degraded environment, underpinned by the same social contract that upholds the military's reign over armed force. This short commentary argues that the US military could play an effective environmental leadership role, even if undertaken instrumentally, and should some of the military's extensive undertakings to improve its sustainable energy use and other programmes for energy-related technology development be properly nurtured, the US military could become the de facto environmental leader within the US Government as the Trump administration derails most other areas of domestic and international environmental policy. To help the US military reach its potential as a piece of the environmental regulation toolkit, policy changes are warranted to expand internal incentives, extend the benefits of funding arrangements and promote the open dissemination of technological innovations.