{"id":7934,"date":"2025-04-08T18:12:40","date_gmt":"2025-04-08T23:12:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peaceeconomyproject.org\/wordpress\/?p=7934"},"modified":"2025-04-08T18:12:44","modified_gmt":"2025-04-08T23:12:44","slug":"the-hidden-threat-how-war-pollutes-our-planet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/peaceeconomyproject.org\/wordpress\/the-hidden-threat-how-war-pollutes-our-planet\/","title":{"rendered":"The Hidden Threat: How War Pollutes Our Planet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When we think about the impact of war, we often think of lives lost, communities displaced, and economies destabilized. But one of the most far-reaching and underreported casualties of militarism is the planet itself<\/a>. The U.S. military is not only the largest military force in the world<\/a>\u2014it is also one of the largest institutional polluters<\/a>. And yet, its role in accelerating climate change and environmental degradation is rarely part of the public discourse around national security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Carbon Footprint Bigger Than 140 Countries<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to a 2019 study from Brown University\u2019s Costs of War project<\/a>, the U.S. Department of Defense emits more greenhouse gases than many industrialized nations\u2014more than Portugal, Sweden, or Denmark. If the U.S. military were a country, it would rank as the 47th largest emitter of carbon dioxide in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much of this pollution stems from the military\u2019s dependence on fossil fuels. Aircraft, ships, ground vehicles, and logistical supply chains consume vast quantities of jet fuel and diesel. For example, a single B-52 bomber consumes around 12,000 gallons of fuel per hour<\/a><\/strong>. And during wartime, fuel usage skyrockets, as seen in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, which required immense logistical operations and airstrikes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n