In 2020, the U.S. military was responsible for a whopping 52 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions – more emitted than the entire country of Sweden. It turns out that weapons of war are not just devastating for local families and ecosystems – they are massively contributing to the destruction of the entire planet.
Sign now to demand: the Department of Defense must cut greenhouse gas emissions and stop climate catastrophe!
The U.S. armed forces are more responsible for climate change than over 150 entire countries. Ironically, the military fully understands what is at stake as the planet continues to get hotter -- in fact, it has authored numerous reports emphasizing the risk climate change poses to both national and global security. Yet year after year, the military budget balloons and hardly a dent is made in emissions within each of its branches. All the while crucial government programs that desperately need funding – including investments into sustainable energy and infrastructure – receive pennies on the dollar.
The F-35 program, for example, is expected to cost a total of $1.7 trillion by the end of its life cycle. On top of that, these weapons of war are some of the least energy efficient ever produced, emitting massive amounts of CO2 and requiring more fuel than just about any other plane in history.
Each year, scientists author reports that remind us: we are running out of time to act. Given that the military has caused so much environmental harm in the past, it is their responsibility to lead the way in green energy and emissions reductions. The U.S. military has access to the world's largest research budget – there is no excuse for its sluggish response.
If the U.S. military is really interested in protecting its citizens, the most important investment it would make is not in some elaborate, multi-billion dollar bomber, but instead in green energy and a habitable planet. It is time we tell the Department of Defense: protect Americans, cut U.S. military emissions! Sign the petition!