Greta Jimenez
The US military is one of the largest polluters in history, with a carbon footprint larger than any other institution on Earth. If the US military were a country, its fuel usage alone would make it the 47th largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, with emissions exceeding those of entire industrialised nations like Portugal and Denmark. The US military's vast infrastructure relies on an extensive global network of container ships, trucks, and cargo planes to supply its operations, ranging from humanitarian aid to bombs and hydrocarbon fuels. This heavy reliance on fossil fuels has cultivated a corrosive environmental legacy, with the military contributing significantly to climate change through its emissions and negligence.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| US Military's rank in terms of carbon emissions | If the US military were a country, its carbon emissions would rank between that of Peru and Portugal and it would be the 47th largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world. |
| US Military's carbon emissions | The US military emitted more than 1,212 million metric tons of greenhouse gases since the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. |
| US Military's spending | US military spending hit nearly $877 billion in 2022, representing nearly 40% of the total global spend. |
| US Military's contribution to global emissions | The US military accounts for 5.5% of global emissions. |
| US Military's contribution to US federal energy consumption | The US military has been responsible for 77% to 80% of federal energy consumption. |
| US Military's contribution to climate change | The US military is a significant contributor to climate change. |
| US Military's number of buildings | The US military maintains more than 560,000 buildings on about 500 bases around the world. |
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What You'll Learn
The US military's carbon emissions are greater than entire countries
The US military is a significant contributor to climate change, with carbon emissions larger than those of entire countries. In 2019, a report by Durham and Lancaster University found that the US military consumes more liquid fuels and emits more carbon dioxide than most countries. If the US military were a country, it would be the world's 47th largest emitter of greenhouse gases, with fuel usage alone accounting for this ranking. This is due to the military's vast infrastructure and global network of container ships, trucks, and cargo planes, which supply its operations with everything from bombs to humanitarian aid and fuel. The US Department of Defense is the world's largest institutional consumer of petroleum, and its operations account for 70% of its energy consumption.
The US military's emissions have been largely exempt from reporting requirements. The 1997 Kyoto Protocol, the world's first legally binding international climate treaty, exempted greenhouse gases emitted during military operations from counting against a country's emissions total. The United States never ratified this protocol and has since withdrawn from it, creating a gap in the understanding of the country's climate footprint. The 2015 Paris Agreement removed the automatic exemption for military emissions, but the decision to report them is now voluntary. As a result, the full picture of US military emissions remains unclear.
The US military's carbon emissions have been compared to those of entire countries, such as Denmark, Portugal, Sweden, Morocco, Peru, Hungary, Finland, New Zealand, and Norway. In 2013, the Pentagon building emitted more than 24,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide, and the Department of Defense accounts for nearly 80% of the US federal government's fuel consumption. The US military's vast infrastructure and global operations contribute significantly to its carbon footprint, and its climate policy has been criticized as contradictory. While recognizing climate change as a threat, the military remains the largest single institutional consumer of hydrocarbons.
Climate activists have called out the US military for its role in climate change, with Pakistani activist Ayisha Siddiqa highlighting the impact of Western-induced wars on carbon emissions and the poisoning of air and water. The US military's emissions data is scattered and incomplete, with major fuel consumption categories often missing. Despite this, there is ample evidence of the military's significant contribution to climate change, and its negligence has come at a huge environmental cost. Reform and a Green New Deal have been suggested as necessary steps to address the military's environmental impact and protect the planet.
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US military spending and its environmental impact
The US military is one of the largest polluters in history, with an enormous carbon footprint. If it were a nation-state, it would be the world's 47th largest emitter of greenhouse gases, consuming more liquid fuels and emitting more CO2e than most medium-sized countries. The US military's environmental impact is felt not only in terms of its carbon emissions but also in its contribution to climate change, nuclear testing, and disregard for human life.
The US military's vast infrastructure relies on a global network of container ships, trucks, and cargo planes to supply its operations, including humanitarian aid, bombs, and hydrocarbon fuels. This extensive supply chain contributes significantly to the military's carbon emissions. In 2017, the US military branches collectively spent billions of dollars on fuel, with the Air Force alone purchasing $4.9 billion worth. The US military also owns a large number of properties, with the Department of Defense having 585,000 facilities spread over 27 million acres in 160 countries in 2018. This vast real estate footprint contributes to the military's energy consumption and carbon emissions.
The US military's emissions have often been overlooked in climate change studies due to the difficulty in obtaining consistent data from the Pentagon and US government departments. The United States' exemption from reporting military emissions under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol further contributed to this gap in understanding. While the Paris Accords closed this loophole, the decision to withdraw from the agreement in 2020 will likely result in a return to this data gap.
The environmental impact of the US military extends beyond carbon emissions. The military has been criticized for its negligence, nuclear testing, and disregard for human life, resulting in a significant environmental cost. For example, in Minden, Louisiana, the military was found to be burning explosives and munition waste several times a day without any environmental emission control measures, leading to complaints from residents.
The US military has recognized the threat posed by climate change and has committed to reducing its environmental impact. In 2021, the Pentagon acknowledged that rising temperatures are "reshaping" the world with more frequent and intense extreme weather conditions. The military has also set a goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, with plans to electrify army vehicles and modernize power generation, battery storage, land management, procurement, and supply chain resilience. However, critics argue that the military's dependence on existing aircraft and warships will lock it into being a major consumer of hydrocarbons for years to come.
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US military's burning of toxic substances
The US military is one of the largest polluters in history, with carbon emissions exceeding those of most medium-sized countries. Its vast infrastructure and global network of trucks, cargo planes, and container ships contribute significantly to its carbon footprint.
One of the concerning practices employed by the US military is the burning of toxic substances, particularly through the use of "burn pits." Burn pits are large areas where various waste products, including trash, plastics, wood, metal, paints, solvents, munitions, and medical and human waste, are burned in the open air. This method of waste disposal has been utilized by the US military at bases in the Middle East, primarily in Afghanistan and Iraq, since 2001.
The use of burn pits creates a significant amount of toxic smoke and air pollution. The emissions from these burn pits contain chemicals known to be carcinogenic to humans, including dioxin. Military personnel stationed near burn pits, especially those responsible for tending them, have likely been exposed to high levels of air pollution. The toxic smoke can also be carried by the wind, exposing surrounding areas and communities to harmful substances.
In Minden, Louisiana, the military was found to be burning explosives and munition waste several times a day without implementing any environmental emission control measures. Following complaints from residents, the military relocated this activity to Colfax, Louisiana.
The burning of toxic substances by the US military has raised concerns about the potential health risks to both military personnel and nearby communities. In 2022, Congress passed the PACT Act, which expanded healthcare and benefits for veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances, recognizing the link between military service and health issues.
Additionally, the US military has been criticized for its handling of Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF), a PFAS "forever chemical" introduced during the Vietnam War to combat petroleum fires. Despite evidence of AFFF's environmental persistence and impact on human health, the Department of Defense ordered the burning of 20 million pounds of AFFF between 2016 and 2020. However, there is no conclusive evidence that incineration effectively destroys the toxic chemistry of AFFF, and it may simply emit toxins into the air, affecting nearby communities.
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US military's use of fossil fuels and hydrocarbons
The US military is the largest user of fossil fuels and energy in the US government. The US military's emissions are about 51 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent annually in the last two years. This is a reduction from past military emissions but is still larger than the emissions of most countries. The US Department of Defense (DoD) is responsible for 93% of all US government fuel consumption. The DoD uses 4,600,000,000 US gallons of fuel annually, an average of 12,600,000 US gallons of fuel per day. If the DoD were a country, it would rank 34th in the world in average daily oil use.
The US military's fuel usage is not limited to the DoD. The US Air Force, for example, uses 10% of the nation's aviation fuel. The Air Force is the leading purchaser of renewable energy within the Federal government. The Navy has established Task Force Energy to focus on meeting energy goals, which include reducing non-tactical petroleum use in the commercial fleet by 50% by 2015 and acquiring 50% of total energy from alternative sources by 2020. Despite these efforts, the US military's dependence on fossil fuels is unlikely to change due to its pursuit of global operations and the life cycles of existing military aircraft and warships.
The US military's vast infrastructure relies on an extensive global network of container ships, trucks, and cargo planes to supply its operations with everything from bombs to humanitarian aid and fuel. This logistical supply chain is a major contributor to the US military's large carbon footprint. The US military's carbon bootprint is so large that if it were a country, its fuel usage alone would make it the 47th largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world.
The US military's climate policy is contradictory. While it recognizes climate change as a threat multiplier, it remains the largest single institutional consumer of hydrocarbons in the world. This contradiction is due to the US military's dependence on existing aircraft and warships for global operations. The US military's acquisition and consumption of hydrocarbon-based fuels are made possible by the US Defense Logistics Agency - Energy (DLA-E), a powerful yet under-researched sub-agency within the Defense Logistics Agency.
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US military's contribution to climate change
The US military is a significant contributor to climate change. If it were a country, it would be the world's 47th largest emitter of greenhouse gases (GHG), consuming more liquid fuels and emitting more CO2e than most medium-sized countries, such as Peru, Portugal, Denmark, and Sweden. The US military's vast infrastructure relies on a global network of container ships, trucks, and cargo planes to supply its operations, ranging from humanitarian aid to bombs and hydrocarbon fuels. This extensive supply chain contributes to its large carbon footprint.
The US military's emissions have often been overlooked in climate change studies due to data inconsistencies and reporting exemptions. The 1997 Kyoto Protocol, the world's first legally binding international climate treaty, exempted militaries from reporting greenhouse gas emissions during military operations, creating a loophole that was only closed by the Paris Accords in 2015. However, with the US withdrawal from the agreement in 2020, this gap in emission reporting will return.
The US military is one of the world's largest institutional consumers of hydrocarbons, with the Department of Defense accounting for nearly 80% of the federal government's fuel consumption. In 2017, the US Air Force purchased $4.9 billion worth of fuel, emitting more than 25,000 kilotonnes of carbon dioxide. The US military's aviation activities contribute significantly to GHG emissions, with aircraft flying at high altitudes leaving contrails that cause additional atmospheric heating effects.
The US military has recognized climate change as a "'threat multiplier' that can exacerbate other risks. In 2021, the Pentagon acknowledged that rising temperatures are "reshaping" the world with more frequent and intense extreme weather conditions. However, the US military has been criticized for its negligence and disregard for human life, with a history of contaminating groundwater and causing environmental destruction in intervened countries.
Climate activists have called out the US military for its role in climate change, specifically citing the use of depleted uranium and the poisoning of air and water. While the US military has acknowledged the need to reduce emissions, it remains to be seen if meaningful changes will be implemented to mitigate its contribution to climate change.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the US military is one of the largest polluters in history. It emits more carbon dioxide than entire countries like Denmark and Portugal. If the US military were a country, it would be the 47th largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world.
The US military relies on an extensive global network of trucks, cargo planes, and container ships to supply its operations. The bulk of fuel is consumed by weapons systems such as tanks, ships, and planes, with up to 80% going to fuel for fighter jets. The US military is also the largest institutional consumer of hydrocarbons and petroleum.
The US military's carbon emissions have a significant impact on climate change. Its negligence, nuclear testing, and disregard for human life have come at a huge environmental cost. The US military's emissions contribute to rising temperatures and more frequent and intense extreme weather conditions.
