Analysis of Pathways to Reach Net Zero Naval Operations by 2050

The US Navy faces daunting and historic challenges today and for many years to come. It is unable to protect even US-flagged shipping in the Red Sea from attacks by a well-armed faction of rebels in one of the poorest countries in the Middle East. In the Pacific, the USN faces a Chinese Navy that is growing rapidly, powered by Chinese shipbuilding capacity that outmasses the US 200:1. Meanwhile, national strategy imposes the new and, frankly, orthogonal, requirement that the Department of Defense, the world’s largest single emitter, should be at net zero carbon emissions by 2050. These circumstances make the following 2022 thesis by ten students at the Naval War College essential, if teeth-grinding, reading. From it, the climate-change-conscious reader may hope to: - Gain valuable insights into strategies and technologies for achieving net zero emissions in the Navy by 2050, aligning with global efforts to combat climate change. - Understand the potential impact of alternative fuels, hydrogen, batteries, and renewable energy on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the Navy, addressing the urgent need for sustainability and clean energy solutions. - Connect with current public concerns about climate change and the transition to a more sustainable future by exploring the Navy’s efforts to reduce emissions, contribute to national and international climate action, and lead the way in decarbonizing operations. The navalist reader, most concerned with the Navy getting places on time, spending its money on war-fighting, and emerging victorious from conflict, may find the experience more frustrating-but still essential, as the logic demanding reduction in emissions is ineluctable. This annotated edition illustrates the capabilities of the AI Lab for Book-Lovers to add context and ease-of-use to manuscripts. It includes several types of abstracts, building from simplest to more complex: TLDR (one word), ELI5, TLDR (vanilla), Scientific Style, and Action Items; essays to increase viewpoint diversity, such as Grounds for Dissent, Red Team Critique, and MAGA Perspective; and Notable Passages and Nutshell Summaries for each page.