The Pentagon announced last week that it is canceling over 90 research, including climate change research that U. S. Defense Department Secretary Pete Hegseth described as” nonsense” in a Sunday statement on social media.
On Sunday, Hegseth shared a message from CNN writer Haley Britzky, who quoted Pentagon director John Ullyot as saying,” Climate zealotry and another woke chimeras of the Left are no piece” of the vision of the Department of Defense.
In his post, Hegseth said Ullyot’s statement was correct, adding,” The]Department of Defense ] does not do climate change crap. We do education and warfighting”.
According to Reuters, a Pentagon bill after shared a picture of an essay on Hgeseth’s” climate change nonsense” statement alongside the caption,” Fact check real”.
In a Friday press release, the Department of Defense confirmed that it would be eliminating 91 studies and potentially saving over$ 30 million in just one year in an effort to ensure that the U. S. military “remains the most powerful and advanced fighting force in the world”.
” The Office of the Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering ( OUSD ( R&, E) ) is scrapping its social science research portfolio as part of a broader effort to ensure fiscal responsibility and prioritize mission-critical activities”, the Pentagon stated. ” This program involves focusing solutions on technology essential for maintaining a strong national security, aligning with the Administration’s devotion to efficient government and ensuring tax dollars are spent properly”.
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The Pentagon explained that while the Department of Defense “recognizes the value of academic research”, the department believes research funding should address “pressing needs to develop and field advanced military capabilities” in light of President Donald Trump’s executive orders and the policies implemented by Hegseth over the past couple of months.
The Pentagon added,” Several studies are affected by this shift, including those focused on global migration patterns, climate change impacts, and social trends”.
Some of the studies canceled by the Pentagon include” Social and Institutional Determinants of Vulnerability and Resilience to Climate Hazards in the African Sahel”,” Future Fish Wars: Chasing Ocean Ecosystem Wealth”,” Democracy Quest”,” The Climate-Food-Urbanization Nexus and the Precursors of Instability in Africa”, and” Food Fights: War Narratives and Identity Reproduction in Evolving Conflicts”.
Addressing the U. S. military’s decision to eliminate climate change studies and other social science studies, the Pentagon said,” Secretary of Defense Hegseth has emphasized the importance of equipping the American military with the tools and capabilities necessary to deter adversaries and maintain a strong defense. This initiative directly supports that commitment by prioritizing investments in areas like hypersonic weapons development, AI-powered systems for enhanced battlefield awareness, and strengthening the domestic military industrial base”.
