Former President Donald Trump greets members of the National Guard on Feb. 29 in Eagle Pass, Texas. | Eric Gay/APFormer President Donald Trump has spent recent weeks claiming the Biden administration’s climate policies will weaken the country’s ability to wage war.
For more than a year, Trump has taken aim at President Joe Biden’s plans to boost the number of electric-powered vehicles on the road. In his visits to swing states and in interviews on Fox News and other Trump-friendly media outlets, the former president has railed against electric vehicles and the consumer tax credits provided under the Inflation Reduction Act, which he has vowed to eliminate.
At a National Rifle Association meeting in Dallas last month, Trump claimed the military’s exploration of more sustainable jet fuels was to reduce the carbon footprint of U.S. military targets. “Climate change will only make this mission more challenging, and the Army must proactively reduce the risks that climate change imposes,” the document states. “The Army can increase capability and installations’ resiliency; prepare for new hazards and new environments; modernize processes, standards, and infrastructure; and decrease operational energy demand — all of which in turn will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
One example is the development of a hybrid tank, which has significant battlefield advantages, Conger said. The new generation of Bradley tanks would consume 20 percent less fuel by using a hybrid engine to power computer systems without running down the tank’s supply of diesel, he said. Reducing the logistics needed to constantly supply diesel to tanks on the front lines is an important strategy that would not diminish the operations of the vehicle, he said.
“It doesn’t mean they’re going to do it at all costs or regardless of reality or regardless of technology,” he said. “It means they’re going to do some research and development on this right now and see if it’s feasible.”