McClatchy Newspaper Chain Greenwashes U.S. Military

McClatchy's indulgent puff piece on the US military's efforts to green its fleets of ships, aircraft, and vehicles makes Al Gore look like a second-rate activist. Three words: Giant Red Flag.

The McClatchy-spun tale disregards one too many inconvenient truths for it to be swallowed whole. (Too late for the New York Times blog "The Lede" which called the piece "a fascinating feature.")

The most egregious reporting involves the U.S. Air Force.

McClatchy showcases the 40 acres of solar panels that the Air Force is soon to unveil at a base in Nevada. Fine. But it then goes on to tout the Air Force's effort to power its jet engines with a blend of synthetic and petroleum-based fuels.

What it fails to mention is that these synthetic fuels may largely be derived from dirty coal. The Air Force has already certified coal-based synthetic fuels for the B-52 bomber, and it could end up as a primary jet fuel for its entire fleet. The Air Force uses 2.6 billion gallons of jet fuel a year. That's a whole lot of coal.

And it's of the worst kind.

Compared with oil, liquefying coal and turning it into jet fuel releases nearly double the amount of carbon emissions. South Africa is the only nation that has developed a coal-to-liquids industry, and that was out of sheer desperation. It was built in the 1950s during Apartheid to meet the country's energy demands in the face of sanctions. Its major liquefied coal plant has been cited by some as the world's largest point source of carbon emissions.

But it may have some competition soon. In another point lost on McClatchy, the US Air Force has a proposal on the table to build the nation's first coal-to-liquids plant at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana. It has the support of Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer. That's the same governor, who, in a brand new television spot says, "Solve it [climate change] and we help free America from its addiction to foreign oil."

There you have one of America's most popular governors spewing double speak without an ounce of fallout. Is America being duped?

Climate Progress recently wrote an excellent memo to the US Air Force to stop misleading the public on liquid coal, and cc'd Reuters for irresponsibly granting the Air Force an entire article to air its deceptions unchallenged. This memo must make the rounds.

While it's true that factions of the U.S. military (mainly, retired ones) have begun to push for "greener" energy choices to wean America off foreign oil, there is cause for concern.

The military is the largest single consumer of energy in the entire world. The choices it makes have far-flung implications on the future of the planet. And there's reason to believe they're heading down the worst path possible.

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