The Marine Corps has spent millions on removing mangrove trees from a base in Hawaii and cooperated with a left-wing environmental group, according to a pamphlet intended to inform officials on how to deal with invasive species.
The pamphlet, appearing to have been created in 2011 and titled “Commander’s Guide To Invasive Species,” was just one of several visual materials and presentations from contractors and Department of Defense (DOD) officials offered to showcase the department’s efforts to adapt to changing environmental conditions at an Earth Day celebration event held at the Pentagon Monday.
Installation leaders at Marine Corps Base Hawaii have devoted “millions” to clearing out invasive mangrove species that “interfere with military readiness” and partnered with environmental groups, such as the local Sierra Club chapter, to shovel out the aggressive plants, according to the pamphlet.
The Sierra Club has successfully lobbied the administration to block or delay leases for oil and gas drilling on federal lands. In protests, members warn that fossil fuel usage promotes global temperature increases, with devastating and potentially deadly environmental impacts, while the projects damage local ecosystems. (RELATED: ‘Highly Problematic’: The Pentagon Is Pouring Cold Water On Biden’s Big Plans For Offshore Wind: REPORT)
The Sierra Club also promotes the Biden administration’s push to de-carbonize the energy economy and rely on wind and solar for generating electrical power. Its major backers include former Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg and the organization’s political action arm spends thousands annually to support Democratic campaigns and oppose Republicans, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
Most recently, the Sierra Club expressed disappointment President Joe Biden approved ConocoPhillips’ “disastrous” Willow Project, an oil and gas operation in Alaska, and is encouraging supporters to message the president advocating for a faster transition to renewable energies.
Invasive species cost the U.S. $138 billion annually in damage and management expenses, according to the pamphlet, which cited 2010 research from the Nature Conservancy.
Managing invasive flora and fauna is the tip of the iceberg of purported progress in energy resilience, environmental stewardship and managing “climatic impacts,” DOD officials said at the event. Other materials included a “Commander’s guide to Climate Adaptation for DoD National Resource Managers” and a handout on “electrifying the battlespace.”
“Our Department of Defense primary mission is to maintain a robust military force capable of deterring conflict… to effectively carry out this mission, our military departments must have access to essential resources, resources like energy, land, air and water,” the Pentagon’s assistant secretary of defense for environmental and energy issues, Brendan Owens, said.
Photo by Micaela Burrow/Daily Caller News Foundation
In March, Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisitions and Sustainment Bill LePlante signed a memo directing the force to maximize use of electric technologies, Owens said.
Owens also touted the department’s “climate assessment tool” intended to help commanders understand how their facilities and operations could be vulnerable to climate-related issues, such as hurricanes and rising sea levels. The tool “improves our ability to make climate informed decision by estimating climate vulnerabilities for all major domestic and international installations,” he said.
DOD plans to make its climate assessment tool available to six partner nations, Owens said, without disclosing those nations.
The Sierra Club Hawaii chapter and the Marine Corps did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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