Low-Carbon Warfare
These days, threats don’t just come from other states.[mfn]Erin Sikorsky, ‘The World’s Militaries Aren’t Ready for Climate Change’, Foreign Policy, 22 September 2022, https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/09/22/militaries-climate-change-security-threats-strategy-floods-fires/. The quotes in this piece (and it’s all quotes) are drawn from various genres of writing on war and the environment: conflict scholarship, news analysis, thinktank reckons, military press releases, industry blogs, activist publications, arms manufacturers’ corporate sustainability reports, and more.[/mfn]
With nature itself acting as an adversarial agent threatening international and domestic tranquility, new national security concepts and capabilities will be demanded.[mfn]Ronald D. Perkel, ‘Climate Changing Minds: Reintroducing Climate Change into National Security’ (master’s thesis, National Defense University, 2021), 50, https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/trecms/pdf/AD1154003.pdf.[/mfn]
The existential threat has grown faster than I had imagined.[mfn]Peter Handel, ‘We Must Reckon with the Most Dangerous System of Extinction Humans Ever Created’, Truthout, 30 December 2023, https://truthout.org/articles/we-must-reckon-with-the-most-dangerous-system-of-extinction-humans-ever-created/.[/mfn]
Climate change is already disrupting the military.[mfn]Patrick Tucker, ‘Climate Change Is Already Disrupting the Military. It Will Get Worse, Officials Say’, Defense One, 10 August 2021, https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2021/08/climate-change-already-disrupting-military-it-will-get-worse-officials-say/184416/.[/mfn]
Embracing low-carbon warfare may be the only way to respond.[mfn]Duncan Depledge, ‘Low-Carbon Warfare: Climate Change, Net Zero and Military Operations’, International Affairs 99, no. 2 (March 2023): 675, https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiad001.[/mfn]
In future years, it is highly likely that military technologies will be developed that help to reduce the carbon ‘bootprint’ of armies.[mfn]Leo Hickman, ‘Laser-Powered Drones and Hybrid Tanks Could Cut Military’s Carbon “Bootprint”’, The Guardian, 21 April 2011, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2011/apr/21/military-carbon-saving-laser-hybrid.[/mfn]
‘Green’ militaries will swap out a fossil fuel–powered fighter jet with a death plane that flies on vegetable juice or dead animal fat, and pat themselves on the back for being carbon neutral.[mfn]Hannah Sharland, ‘Militaries and Arms Companies Can Reduce Emissions, but You Can’t Greenwash an Industry of Mass Murder and Destruction’, The Canary, 21 July 2023, https://www.thecanary.co/editorial/2023/07/20/militaries-and-arms-companies-can-reduce-emissions-but-you-cant-greenwash-an-industry-of-mass-murder-and-destruction/.[/mfn]
Can that which kills, maims, and destroys also be ecofriendly? The answer is ‘yes’.[mfn]Leora Broydo, ‘Green Killing Machines’, Mother Jones, March/April 1998, https://www.motherjones.com/politics/1998/03/green-killing-machines/.[/mfn]
This might not sit well with those environmentalists who are instinctively repulsed by the ‘military-industrial complex’, but history teaches us that many technological advances have been born under the shadow of war.[mfn]Hickman, ‘Laser-Powered Drones’.[/mfn]
Let’s dive into some of the most exciting developments.[mfn]‘‘Advancements in Energy Storage for Portable Military Equipment’, Energy5, 18 December 2023, https://energy5.com/advancements-in-energy-storage-for-portable-military-equipment (accessed on 26 January 2024; site inactive on 16 April 2024).[/mfn]
A solar-powered Army drone has been flying for 40 days straight.[mfn]Rob Verger, ‘A Solar-Powered Army Drone Has Been Flying for 40 Days Straight’, Popular Science, 25 July 2022, https://www.popsci.com/technology/army-zephyr-drone-sets-records/.[/mfn]
We are entering a new era of submarine construction.[mfn]‘The Submarine Revolution: Lithium-Ion Battery System for a Better Performance’, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, 15 October 2019, https://www.thyssenkrupp-marinesystems.com/en/teaser/the-submarine-revolution–lithium-ion-battery-system-for-a-better-performance.[/mfn] The emerging Li-ion battery technology can be a ‘game changer in the underwater domain’.[mfn]Lee Willett, ‘Li-Ion Batteries Are Underwater “Game Changer”, Says U212 NFS Progamme Manager’, Naval News, 1 June 2023, https://www.navalnews.com/event-news/cne-2023/2023/06/li-ion-batteries-are-underwater-game-changer-says-u212-nfs-progamme-manager/.[/mfn] The battery tech in your smartphone finally goes to sea.[mfn]Kyle Mizokami, ‘Introducing Japan’s Lithium Ion Battery-Powered Submarine’, Popular Mechanics, 14 November 2019, https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/navy-ships/a29798485/japan-lithium-ion-submarine/.[/mfn]
Innovative transportation technologies are being considered as a way to reduce reliance on single-occupancy vehicles on military bases.[mfn]‘Applying Innovative Transportation Technologies on Military Installations’, National Defense Transportation Association, 1 April 2020, https://www.ndtahq.com/applying-innovative-transportation-technologies-on-military-installations/.[/mfn]
LEDs have already been installed on more than 170 Navy ships.[mfn]‘SECNAV Directs Navy to Expand Use of LEDs’, United States Navy, 13 April 2015, https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/Press-Releases/display-pressreleases/Article/2262340/secnav-directs-navy-to-expand-use-of-leds/.[/mfn] Recessed LED fixtures, reading and berth lights with integrated on/off touch dimmable control, table lights for living quarters, cabins, mess rooms.[mfn]Navy Ships LED Light Fixtures: Innovative and Future Proof, AtiLed, Fabas Luce SpA, 2019, 2, https://naval.atiled.it/catalogo/FABAS-ATILED-naval-led-light-fixtures-April-2019.pdf.[/mfn]
The Pentagon wants spent ammunition and casings to contain bioengineered seeds that would, after several months, grow environmentally friendly plants that would remove soil contaminants.[mfn]Kyle Mizokami, ‘The Military Wants Biodegradable Ammo That Turns into Plants’, Popular Mechanics, 11 January 2017, https://www.popularmechanics.com/military/research/a24690/us-military-biodegradable-ammo/.[/mfn]
Supporting firefighters and other people dealing with natural disasters is satisfying work for a lot of troops.[mfn]Tucker, ‘Climate Change Is Already Disrupting the Military’.[/mfn]
Vegan soldiers are filing complaints against the armed forces due to lack of plant-based food options and cruelty-free uniforms.[mfn]Liam Gilliver, ‘Vegan Soldiers File Complaints Against Armed Forces Over Lack of Plant-Based Options’, Plant Based News, 13 May 2021, https://plantbasednews.org/culture/ethics/vegan-soldier-armed-forces-plant-based-options/.[/mfn]
The new and improved Tomahawk missile now runs on corn.[mfn]‘The New and Improved Tomahawk Missile Now Runs on Corn’, Advanced Biofuels USA, 30 May 2020, https://advancedbiofuelsusa.info/the-new-and-improved-tomahawk-missile-now-runs-on-corn/.[/mfn]
An algae-powered Navy ship? Maybe.[mfn]‘Searching for Fuel Alternatives’, Currents: The Navy’s Environmental Magazine, Fall 2009, 52, https://p2infohouse.org/ref/49/48817.pdf.[/mfn]
Laser-charged infantry.[mfn]‘How to Cut the British Army’s Carbon “Bootprint”’, Institution of Mechanical Engineers, 21 April 2011, https://www.imeche.org/news/news-article/11-04-21/How_to_cut_the_British_Army_s_carbon_bootprint.aspx.[/mfn]
I love green tanks.[mfn]Celestine Schorlemer, ‘Beyond the “Green Tanks”: The Hidden Nexus of War and Climate Policy at COP28’, United Against Inhumanity, 8 December 2023, https://www.against-inhumanity.org/2023/12/08/beyond-the-green-tanks/.[/mfn]
And more, much more is still to come.[mfn]David S. Alberts, Information Age Transformation: Getting to a 21st Century Military, Information Age Transformation Series, Command and Control Research Program, Department of Defense, 1996, 32, https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA457904.pdf.[/mfn]
Some scholars say the only green military is a smaller one.[mfn]Alejandro de la Garza, ‘To Take Climate Change Seriously, the U.S. Military Needs to Shrink’, Time, 17 February 2022, https://time.com/6148778/us-military-climate-change/.[/mfn] We say that ‘quality and service aren’t just words’. Request a quote on military hardware.[mfn]‘Military Hardware’, B&B Electro-Mechanical Components, Inc., n.d., https://www.bbeminc.com/military-hardware.[/mfn]
Popular discourse is largely primitive and backwards when it comes to the politics of climate change.[mfn]Michael Busch, ‘Interview with Christian Parenti’, Foreign Policy in Focus, 29 September 2011, https://fpif.org/interview_with_christian_parenti/.[/mfn]
When I first heard of ‘environmentally friendly weapons’, it struck me as a mind-boggling paradox to place environmental care next to the means of war.[mfn]Nico Edwards, ‘Selling War Amid Climate Change’, Inkstick, 19 May 2023, https://inkstickmedia.com/selling-war-amid-climate-change/.[/mfn]
And yet, progress is being made.[mfn]Airbus Summit 2022: The Flight Path Towards Greater Sustainability, Airbus, 2022, 12, https://www.airbus.com/sites/g/files/jlcbta136/files/2023-03/Airbus%20Summit%202022%20-%20Proceedings.pdf.[/mfn]
The green turn in military policy communicates a simple message: that such a thing as environmentally sustainable warfare exists.[mfn]Edwards, ‘Selling War Amid Climate Change’.[/mfn]
The cliché of the environment as a silent victim of conflict didn’t feel like something that we should just take for granted.[mfn]Doug Weir, ‘How New Technologies Can Create Change Through Story Telling’, Conflict and Environment Observatory, 20 September 2023, https://ceobs.org/commentary-who-cares-about-the-environment-in-war/.[/mfn]
Human bodies being naturally biodegradable is not an argument for more war.[mfn]Ilan Kelman, ‘Eco-Weaponry’, Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere, 8 August 2012, https://mahb.stanford.edu/recentnews/eco-weaponry/.[/mfn]
Carbon neutral isn’t morally neutral.[mfn]Sharland, ‘Militaries and Arms Companies’.[/mfn]
We understand.[mfn]Corporate Social Responsibility Report, 2007, Northrup Grumman, 2007, 5, https://cdn.prd.ngc.agencyq.site/-/media/wp-content/uploads/2007-noc-csr-report.pdf.[/mfn]
It’s a good start, but we are committed to doing much more.[mfn]Boeing 2008 Environmental Report, Boeing, 2008, 28, https://www.boeing.com/content/dam/boeing/boeingdotcom/principles/environment/pdf/2008_environment_report.pdf.[/mfn]
We are committed to a pro-active policy of corporate social responsibility.[mfn]‘Corporate Social Responsibility’, Dassault Aviation, n.d., https://www.dassault-aviation.com/en/group/about-us/corporate-social-responsibility/.[/mfn]
We are committed to minimising the impact of our worldwide operations.[mfn]‘Committed to Minimising Environmental Impact’, BAE Systems, 5 June 2017, https://www.baesystems.com/en/blog/commitment-to-minimising-environmental-impact.[/mfn]
We are committed to delivering value to all stakeholders by driving excellence in environmental sustainability.[mfn]‘L3Harris Technologies Publishes Inaugural Sustainability Report’, L3Harris Technologies, 15 March 2021, https://www.l3harris.com/newsroom/press-release/2021/03/l3harris-technologies-publishes-inaugural-sustainability-report.[/mfn]
Are you a member of a community disproportionately impacted by militarism and climate change? Contact us and we’ll work to help amplify your voice.[mfn]Lorah Steichen and Lindsay Koshgarian, No Warming, No War: How Militarism Fuels the Climate Crisis—and Vice Versa, National Priorities Project at the Institute for Policy Studies, 2020, 37, https://www.jstor.org/stable/resrep28827.[/mfn]
The climate apocalypse will make the military-industrial complex busier, and more profitable, than ever.[mfn]Jasper Craven, ‘Greenwashing the Military-Industrial Complex’, The Baffler, 1 October 2021, https://thebaffler.com/latest/greenwashing-the-military-industrial-complex-craven.[/mfn]
In essence, solving the problem of sustainability and war requires a focus upon ethics—both individual and social.[mfn]Peter Denton, ‘Sustainability, Ethics and War’, Canadian Military Journal 17, no. 3 (Summer 2017): 62, http://www.journal.forces.gc.ca/Vol17/no3/PDF/CMJ173Ep61.pdf.[/mfn]
We believe we’re better together.[mfn]‘Clean Energy’, Amentum, n.d., https://www.amentum.com/what-we-do/clean-energy/.[/mfn]
We believe doing what’s right and holding ourselves and others accountable is the only way to do business.[mfn]The Future Can’t Wait: 2020 Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) Impact Report, Booz Allen Hamilton, 2020, 15, https://www.boozallen.com/content/dam/boozallen_site/esg/pdf/publications/esg-impact-report-2020.pdf.[/mfn]
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