By: Leah Honig
The Executive Branch of the U.S. government has taken action to limit rising global temperatures. The goal of the new executive order is to prevent the average global temperature from rising by 1.5°C.
The order implements a universal tax break of 7% for businesses. These funds will then be redirected into research and development for sustainable technologies and environmental solutions. A new committee will be formed within the Department of Commerce to handle these funds and $20 billion will be allocated to the Department of Defense for research and development on this topic. All executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government are authorized to cooperate with the Department of Defense and its work.
Although the objective is worthwhile—to minimize American impact on climate change—the execution has been poor. The Department of Defense should not be the sole department dealing with an environmental crisis, especially one that has the potential for such longevity as preventing temperature increases does.
The purpose of the Department of Defense is to oversee the security of the United States by building a strong military that will deter war. Employees in this agency do not have the qualifications to handle environmental crises and should not be burdened with this in the first place. Taking attention away from the Department of Defense’s focus on military strength has the potential to weaken what is arguably America’s greatest asset and open the door for foreign invasion and security threats.
Several federal agencies and departments could be trusted with this opportunity instead. To name a few: the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), The Office of Environmental Management, or, most notably, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
There is no question that measures need to be taken to limit climate change. While a tax break on businesses has merit, it is not an issue that the Department of Defense should be concerned with.