The Defense Department will install solar panels on the Pentagon, part of the Biden administration’s plan to promote clean energy and “reestablish the federal government as a sustainability leader.”

The Pentagon is one of 31 government sites that are receiving $104 million in Energy Department grants that are expected to double the amount of carbon-free electricity at federal facilities and create 27 megawatts of clean-energy capacity while leveraging more than $361 million in private investment, the Energy Department said.

The solar panels are among several improvements set for the Pentagon, which also will install a heat pump system and solar thermal panels to reduce reliance on natural gas and fuel oil combustion systems

          • HikingVet@lemmy.ca
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            9 months ago

            Dude, this conversation is a great example of letting perfect being the enemy of good. Organization takes a step in the right direction, and wack jobs come out of the woodwork because it wasn’t a complete change that would have taken decades to finish

            • TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world
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              9 months ago

              Dude, this conversation is a great example of letting perfect being the enemy of good. Organization takes a step in the right direction, and wack jobs come out of the woodwork because it wasn’t a complete change that would have taken decades to finish

              We’ve been ‘accepting’ the good in earnest now for around 50-60 years under the modern global political hegemony. How is that going? Has the world been improving? We get bold decisive action when it relates to things that make life worse for all peoples, and we get incrementalism when it comes to actions which would improve peoples lives. This is the true cost of incrementalism. Its why the world is fucked. No. Halfway solutions aren’t good enough. In fact they are actually worse than no solution at all because the take the space and opportunity where a significant action can be made.

              • HikingVet@lemmy.ca
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                9 months ago

                I hear what you are saying but it sounds like “Hey, we have a hole in this boat but instead of trying to stop most of the water from getting in, we’re just gonna let it sink, swim to shore and build a new boat.”

                • SheeEttin
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                  9 months ago

                  We have a hole in the boat and we’re taking some of the hull nearby to build a little trough so a fraction of the incoming water gets channeled out.

                  Fixing the hole isn’t accomplished by more manufacturing to offset a tiny fraction of environmental damage. It’s accomplished by reducing ongoing damage and repairing what’s already been done.

                  • HikingVet@lemmy.ca
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                    9 months ago

                    Troughs aren’t used on boats to reduce the water level. That’s what you have pumps for.

                    Manufacturing the material for the hole is gonna have to happen, and when you are alongside at the repair facility you can check for other weak points.

                    To use the pentagon as an example, the solar panels are a patch for a hole. Water is still getting in, but the pumps aren’t being strained as much. Once you have dealt with that you can focus on the refit.

                • TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world
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                  9 months ago

                  Have you ever had a hole in your boat?

                  Guess what. If you don’t fully solve having a hole in your boat, you still have a hole in your boat.

                  You need to completely fix the fucking hole or you are well and truly fucked.

                  Taking the time to do a halfway repair instead of fully fixing the issue is how you end up at the bottom of the sea.

                  • HikingVet@lemmy.ca
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                    9 months ago

                    I choose that, because I know what it takes to stop water coming in a boat, and sometimes all you can do is limit the ingress to a manageable level until you can sail into harbour to get proper maintenance.

                    You’re saying if you can’t patch the hole properly at sea, let it sink.

    • Nudding@lemmy.world
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      9 months ago

      Because the US army is the number 1 polluter of all time. We’ve been through this.

        • Nudding@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          Yeah they sure can! But they’re not… They’re continuing to increase their carbon footprint while making people like you feel good about a few solar panels lol.

          • HikingVet@lemmy.ca
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            9 months ago

            Yeah, because installing solar panels, getting more efficient HVAC aren’t steps…

            This isn’t all or nothing.

            • Nudding@lemmy.world
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              9 months ago

              They are microscopic steps in comparison to the leaps and bounds the US military makes in terms of CO2. You asked how it’s greenwashing, multiple people have explained it to you, either you understand it or you don’t.

                • Nudding@lemmy.world
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                  9 months ago

                  Because they’re higher than yours? We’re literally heading full steam ahead into a climate apocalypse and you’re excited about some solar panels on a roof?