US Military's Bootprint On the Climate Crisis |
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When there was no mention of military emissions at COP26, a coalition mobilized to force the Pentagon to disclose and reduce its enormous carbon bootprint.
by Cindy Piester
Well ahead of COP26, Veterans For Peace Climate Crisis and Militarism Project and like-minded others prepared to educate UN delegates, as well as environmentalists in the street, about the impacts of militarism on climate.
“There have been 25 COPs before this one, and every year leaders come to these climate negotiations with an array of new pledges, commitments and promises, and as each COP comes and goes, emissions continue to rise,” Ugandan delegate Vanessa Nakate said. “I hope you can appreciate that we may be skeptical when the largest delegation here … does not belong to a country but instead belongs to the fossil fuel industry.”
There were 500+ delegates tied to the fossil fuel industry in attendance, or twice the number of indigenous delegates. UK reported that more than 30,000 leaked files show that corporations and nations pressured the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to exclude language calling to “phase out fossil fuels.” That effort appears to have been successful.
The US military’s hidden role
In 2014, Edward Snowden released documents showing that in 2009, the National Security Agency secretly spied on delegates at COP15 to undermine negotiations. The US also negotiated for the Kyoto accords to exclude requirements to report military emissions.
The US Department of Defense is the largest institutional user of fossil fuels in the world and, consequently, the world’s largest institutional producer of greenhouse gas emissions. US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan emitted 1.2 billion tons of greenhouse gases from 2001-2017.
“If the military were to disclose its full carbon bootprint, and do so on a regular basis, that number would be deeply embarrassing and create a tremendous amount of political pressure on the US military to reduce those emissions going forward,” former army officer and Afghanistan War veteran Eric Edstrom told Democracy Now! “We cannot make smart choices intellectually and strategically, until those numbers come out.”
US emission reduction efforts are inadequate. Climate Action Tracker says if other nations were to follow the US’ lead, the temperature would rise a catastrophic 2-3 degrees Celsius.
Veterans heed the call
Veterans For Peace (VFP) created the Climate Crisis and Militarism National Project (CCMP) to address the military and climate nexus. VFP veterans first met with the staff of Climate Envoy, John Kerry, to discuss the need for the Department of Defense to report and reduce emissions. Next, they met with Representative Barbara Lee asking her to introduce a resolution aimed at monitoring and reducing the US military’s carbon bootprint. Lee introduced House Resolution 767 to that effect in concert with COP 26, quickly garnering 26 sponsors. Sen. Elizabeth Warren's staff reports that she is considering introducing a Senate version of Rep. Lee’s resolution.
Yet, from the podiums of COP26 itself, there was no mention of military emissions, which let militaries off the hook, ignoring their contributions to the problem. With only a decade or less left before critical climate tipping points are breached — leaving humanity without any possibility of acting to mitigate the worst scenarios — there is no time to lose.
Despite declaring COP26 a failure, Greta Thunberg put the dire situation in context when she tweeted: “A reminder: the people in power don’t need conferences, treaties or agreements to start taking real climate action. They can start today. When enough people come together, then change will come and we can achieve almost anything. So instead of looking for hope — start creating it.”
Cindy Piester participates in the alternative media, documents US war crimes, and stands with VFP, WILPF, the Unitarians, Code Pink and justice lovers everywhere.
by Cindy Piester
Well ahead of COP26, Veterans For Peace Climate Crisis and Militarism Project and like-minded others prepared to educate UN delegates, as well as environmentalists in the street, about the impacts of militarism on climate.
“There have been 25 COPs before this one, and every year leaders come to these climate negotiations with an array of new pledges, commitments and promises, and as each COP comes and goes, emissions continue to rise,” Ugandan delegate Vanessa Nakate said. “I hope you can appreciate that we may be skeptical when the largest delegation here … does not belong to a country but instead belongs to the fossil fuel industry.”
There were 500+ delegates tied to the fossil fuel industry in attendance, or twice the number of indigenous delegates. UK reported that more than 30,000 leaked files show that corporations and nations pressured the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to exclude language calling to “phase out fossil fuels.” That effort appears to have been successful.
The US military’s hidden role
In 2014, Edward Snowden released documents showing that in 2009, the National Security Agency secretly spied on delegates at COP15 to undermine negotiations. The US also negotiated for the Kyoto accords to exclude requirements to report military emissions.
The US Department of Defense is the largest institutional user of fossil fuels in the world and, consequently, the world’s largest institutional producer of greenhouse gas emissions. US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan emitted 1.2 billion tons of greenhouse gases from 2001-2017.
“If the military were to disclose its full carbon bootprint, and do so on a regular basis, that number would be deeply embarrassing and create a tremendous amount of political pressure on the US military to reduce those emissions going forward,” former army officer and Afghanistan War veteran Eric Edstrom told Democracy Now! “We cannot make smart choices intellectually and strategically, until those numbers come out.”
US emission reduction efforts are inadequate. Climate Action Tracker says if other nations were to follow the US’ lead, the temperature would rise a catastrophic 2-3 degrees Celsius.
Veterans heed the call
Veterans For Peace (VFP) created the Climate Crisis and Militarism National Project (CCMP) to address the military and climate nexus. VFP veterans first met with the staff of Climate Envoy, John Kerry, to discuss the need for the Department of Defense to report and reduce emissions. Next, they met with Representative Barbara Lee asking her to introduce a resolution aimed at monitoring and reducing the US military’s carbon bootprint. Lee introduced House Resolution 767 to that effect in concert with COP 26, quickly garnering 26 sponsors. Sen. Elizabeth Warren's staff reports that she is considering introducing a Senate version of Rep. Lee’s resolution.
Yet, from the podiums of COP26 itself, there was no mention of military emissions, which let militaries off the hook, ignoring their contributions to the problem. With only a decade or less left before critical climate tipping points are breached — leaving humanity without any possibility of acting to mitigate the worst scenarios — there is no time to lose.
Despite declaring COP26 a failure, Greta Thunberg put the dire situation in context when she tweeted: “A reminder: the people in power don’t need conferences, treaties or agreements to start taking real climate action. They can start today. When enough people come together, then change will come and we can achieve almost anything. So instead of looking for hope — start creating it.”
Cindy Piester participates in the alternative media, documents US war crimes, and stands with VFP, WILPF, the Unitarians, Code Pink and justice lovers everywhere.
Challenges to Peace & Climate Efforts
With COP27 just ahead, the IPCC reported that greenhouse gas emissions must peak by 2025 if humanity is to achieve the 1.5°C target. Russia’s war on Ukraine sidelined climate mitigation efforts. Veterans For Peace (VFP) condemns Russia’s war on Ukraine, as it did the wars against Iraq and Afghanistan. Under such dire circumstances, humanity deserves a more considered response with immediate calls for diplomacy, and negotiations to avoid the worst of both global warming and global warring. Peace efforts and European development of energy independence benefit the planet more than massive military appropriations and drilling on US public lands.
VFP’s Climate Crisis and Militarism Project (VFP CCMP) is seeking to meet with Climate Envoy Kerry to discuss the need for climate mitigation despite the new arms race engendered by the war on Ukraine. CCMP continues to call for support of Barbara Lee’s H Res 767 and call for DoD emissions to be included in US reports to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
That COP27 is set to meet in el-Sisi’s Egypt, known for gross human rights violations against dissenters, sends a further chilling challenge to climate activists around the world.
VFP’s Climate Crisis and Militarism Project (VFP CCMP) is seeking to meet with Climate Envoy Kerry to discuss the need for climate mitigation despite the new arms race engendered by the war on Ukraine. CCMP continues to call for support of Barbara Lee’s H Res 767 and call for DoD emissions to be included in US reports to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
That COP27 is set to meet in el-Sisi’s Egypt, known for gross human rights violations against dissenters, sends a further chilling challenge to climate activists around the world.
