US Military Stockpiles Critical Minerals, Jeopardizing Climate Goals

The United States Pentagon is reportedly earmarking billions of dollars to stockpile critical minerals, diverting them from essential climate technologies to military hardware. This strategic move, driven by an escalating global arms race, includes securing resources for precision-guided weaponry and AI-driven warfare platforms. The Pentagon's National Defense Stockpile program is accumulating minerals like lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements, which are crucial for solar panels, wind turbines, and electric vehicles.

The diversion of these vital materials is directly impeding efforts to address the climate crisis. Experts note that the quantity of cobalt alone being stockpiled could be used to produce significant battery capacity, more than doubling the US's current energy storage or powering approximately 100,000 electric buses. This stockpiling effort, detailed in a report from the Transition Security Project, emphasizes a shift away from climate considerations within the Department of Defense.

This reallocation of resources underscores a broader trend of increased military spending globally, influenced by geopolitical tensions. The report criticizes this misplaced prioritization, arguing it undermines global peace and sustainability while hindering the transition to clean energy. The Pentagon's significant environmental impact, as the largest institutional emitter of greenhouse gases in the US government, further compounds the issue.