War is
An Environmental Issue
There's no denying it.
There is one concern that is crucial to all humans living on the Earth — that issue is the health of our planet. What will healthcare, jobs, education, and freedom matter if the Earth crumbles under the weight of a species that does not consider its health and wellbeing?
While there are hundreds of environmental organizations across the globe that have memberships in the millions – people who represent those who truly care for the health of the Earth — the subject of war and all it entails is rarely acknowledged. Powerful and influential environmental groups like Greenpeace, Sierra Club and the Environmental Defense Fund, for example, never address war, the preparations for war and their effects on the environment. We find this especially troubling.
Believe it or not, the U.S. Military is the world’s largest polluter.
Whether in actual combat or training, research and development, all military branches consume vast quantities of fossil fuels. The use of billions of gallons of gas and oil required to run tanks, trucks, jeeps, ships and planes is unimaginable. Spills and intentional dumping are a serious concern that spoil our air, earth, and waterways.
Thanks to the business of war, the damage to our planet is mind-numbing and increasing by the minute.
We can protest pipelines all we want, bring reusable bags to the grocery store, drive fuel efficient vehicles and take our lunch to work in glass containers, but as long as the U.S. war machine is given a free pass to continue wreaking havoc on the planet, any gains we make as individuals will do little to improve the overall outlook for the future of life on Earth.
It is our goal to shine a light on the constant damage the U.S. war machine inflicts on planet Earth.
It is our goal to bring this issue to the forefront of the environmental justice movement.
It is our goal to stop the U.S. war machine and save our planet.
Below you’ll find links to back up our claims above. From mainstream media news sources, to independent investigations and government studies, the truth is out there.
NEWS & ESSAYS
In ‘War on Terrorism,’ Pentagon Has Emitted Over a Billion Metric Tons of Greenhouse Gases – ShadowProof
War is War on Mother Earth – Counterpunch via Popular Resistance
126 Bases Have Water Contamination Linked to Cancer and Birth Defects – American Military News
The U.S. Military is the World’s Largest Polluter by Whitney Webb, MintPress News
Navy: Reports of wildlife affected by jet fuel spill at Oceana – Wavy
The US Department of Defense is One of the World’s Biggest Polluters – Newsweek
Bikini Atoll Nuclear Test: 60 Years Later and Islands Still Unliveable – The Guardian
The Environmental Damage of War in Iraq – The Guardian
War on the World – Slate
War Threatens Our Environment – World Beyond War
Unnecessary Suffering: The Legacy of Depleted Uranium by Carol Dudek
Environmental Organizations Continue to Ignore War by Bonnie Caracciolo
War and the Environment – WorldWatch.org
US Military Oil Consumption – Resilience
RESEARCH
Protecting Our Environment During Armed Conflict – United Nations
Addressing Environmental Consequences of War – Environmental Law Institute
Teratogenicity of Depleted Uranium Aerosols – National Center for Biotechnology Information
Warfare and Wildlife Declines in Africa’s Protected Areas – Nature
MEDIA
Scarred Lands and Wounded Lives – a compelling documentary exploring the under-reported environmental impacts of war.