The U.S. Military and the Environment

The U.S. Military and the Environment 

“The Department of Defense, the entity that is the US war machine, is the largest institutional contributor to global warming on planet Earth,” according to Prof. David Vine of American University.

The military’s environmental impact involves fuel use of vehicles, planes and ships, and the use of electricity on bases and in weapons manufacture. In wartime it involves destruction of infrastructure, including petroleum facilities and power plants, and post-war reconstruction.

In February 2022 the US military announced its climate strategy: a plan to electrify its vehicles and power its bases with “carbon-free” electricity. A better plan would include shutting some of its 800 installations in 80 countries and some of its 740 bases on home soil.

(Source: The Guardian 3/10/22).