Kiera Jefferson
The US military is the world's single largest institutional consumer of petroleum and one of the largest climate polluters in history. If it were a nation state, it would be the 47th largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world. The US military has spent decades cultivating a corrosive environmental legacy around the world, from radiation poisoning and birth defects to contaminated drinking water and toxic smoke. The US military's day-to-day operations produce massive carbon emissions, and its climate policy is contradictory, as it confronts the effects of climate change while remaining the largest single institutional consumer of hydrocarbons.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| US military's rank in terms of pollution | One of the largest climate polluters in history |
| US military's rank in terms of energy consumption | Largest user of fossil fuels and energy in the US government |
| US military's rank in terms of fuel consumption | Largest institutional consumer of petroleum in the world |
| US military's rank if it were a country | 47th largest emitter of greenhouse gases |
| US military's contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions | 6% |
| US military's carbon dioxide emissions in 2020 | 51 million tons |
| US military's carbon dioxide emissions compared to other countries | More than Denmark or Portugal |
| US military's number of buildings | More than 560,000 |
| US military's number of bases | 500+ |
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What You'll Learn
- The US military is the world's largest institutional consumer of petroleum
- The US military's jet fuel usage is a significant contributor to its emissions
- The US military's environmental negligence has caused radiation poisoning, birth defects, and cancers
- The US military has a vast infrastructure reliant on fossil fuels
- The US military's budget for 2022 was $760 billion, the highest in the world
The US military is the world's largest institutional consumer of petroleum
The US military is a vast infrastructure that relies on an extensive global network of trucks, cargo planes, and container ships to support its operations. The Department of Defense maintains more than 560,000 buildings on about 500 bases worldwide, making up a large portion of its emissions. The US military's extensive network of fossil-fueled ships, trucks, planes, and other vehicles contributes significantly to its emissions. In 2016, the Defense Department consumed about 86 million barrels of fuel for operational purposes.
The US military's petroleum consumption has severe environmental consequences. Its negligence, nuclear testing, and disregard for human life have resulted in dramatic increases in cancer rates among indigenous people. Uranium mining and above-ground nuclear weapons tests have contaminated the environment, causing radiation poisoning, birth defects, leukaemia, and thyroid cancer.
The US military has acknowledged the threat of climate change and has taken some steps to reduce its environmental impact. The Navy established Task Force Energy to focus on meeting energy goals, including reducing non-tactical petroleum use and increasing the use of alternative energy sources. However, the US military's dependence on existing aircraft and warships locks it into being a major consumer of hydrocarbons for years to come.
The US military's vast infrastructure and global operations make it the world's largest institutional consumer of petroleum, contributing significantly to climate change and causing severe environmental and human health issues.
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The US military's jet fuel usage is a significant contributor to its emissions
The US military is the largest user of fossil fuels and energy in the US government. It has been responsible for 77 to 80 percent of federal energy consumption since 2001. The US military's jet fuel usage is a significant contributor to its emissions.
The Air Force is the largest consumer of fuel in the Department of Defense. In 2023, the US military and government consumed around 7% of the jet fuel used in the United States, which averaged 1.65 million barrels per day. This figure had decreased by 7% from 2019 to 2020 due to the pandemic but recovered to pre-pandemic levels by 2021.
The US military's jet fuel usage has environmental consequences. For example, in December 2021, about 6,000 people became sick when jet fuel from a World War II-era Navy storage facility leaked into the drinking water aquifers of Hawaiian residents.
The US military has also been working to reduce its environmental impact. For instance, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) funded a $6.7 million project to develop technologies to create jet fuels from biofeedstocks. In April 2011, four USAF F-15E Strike Eagles used a blend of traditional jet fuel and synthetic biofuels in a flyover, marking the first time biofuels were used in the Department of Defense.
The US military's jet fuel usage is a significant contributor to its overall emissions, which have established it as one of the largest climate polluters in history. Its vast infrastructure and global network of vehicles contribute to its emissions and make it a key institutional consumer of hydrocarbons.
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The US military's environmental negligence has caused radiation poisoning, birth defects, and cancers
The US military is one of the largest polluters in history and the single largest institutional user of fossil fuels in the world. Their negligence and disregard for human life have had devastating consequences for people and the planet.
One of the most shocking examples of the US military's environmental negligence is the contamination of drinking water at North Carolina's Camp Lejeune military base. Over 25 years, up to 1 million people were exposed to contaminated water. Jerry Ensminger, a Master Sergeant in the US Marine Corps, lived at Camp Lejeune with his family during his daughter Janey's conception, gestation, and birth. Janey was diagnosed with leukemia at age 6 and passed away three years later. Janey's tragic story is just one of many from Camp Lejeune families who suffered the consequences of the US military's negligence.
In another instance, the US Naval Air Station Oceana in Norfolk, Virginia, spilled 84,000 gallons of jet fuel into a waterway in 2017. Similarly, in 2019, it was revealed that an Air Force contractor had been dumping the industrial solvent Trichloroethylene (TCE) into the ground surrounding Tucson International Airport for 29 years. Over 1,350 residents suffered from cancer and other illnesses due to this negligence.
The US military's environmental negligence has also had global impacts. Withdrawing from the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, the US military is exempt from reporting its emissions, which contributes to a lack of transparency and accountability. The US military's extensive network of fossil-fueled ships, trucks, planes, and other vehicles supports its operations worldwide, making it a key contributor to climate change.
The US military's negligence has had devastating consequences, causing radiation poisoning, birth defects, and cancers. The true extent of the damage may never be fully known, but it is clear that reform is urgently needed to protect human lives and the planet.
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The US military has a vast infrastructure reliant on fossil fuels
The US military is the largest user of fossil fuels in the US government, and its vast infrastructure is heavily reliant on fossil fuels. It has been described as a "goliath multinational corporation", with a global network of fossil-fuelled ships, trucks, cargo planes, and container ships supporting its operations.
The US military's vast infrastructure includes over 560,000 buildings on about 500 bases worldwide, with approximately 750 bases across 80 countries and territories. The bulk of the US military's emissions come from fuel use and powering these facilities. The US military emitted an estimated 51 million tons of carbon dioxide in 2020, more than the emissions of most countries, and it has been responsible for 77 to 80 percent of federal energy consumption since 2001.
The US military's reliance on fossil fuels is further evident in its aircraft and warships. For example, the F-35, the DOD's replacement for the F-16, burns significantly more fuel, with a reported 5,600 liters of fuel burned per hour compared to 3,500 liters per hour for the F-16. Jet fuel has been identified as the biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions from the military.
The US military's vast infrastructure and global reach contribute significantly to its high fossil fuel consumption and emissions. Its operations range from humanitarian aid to military engagements, all of which rely on this extensive network of fossil-fuelled vehicles and planes.
While the US military has acknowledged climate change as an "existential" threat to national security, critics argue that it has not done enough to reduce its emissions. The US military's exemption from the 1997 Kyoto Protocol and the lack of mandatory reporting on military emissions in the 2015 Paris Agreement have contributed to the challenge of addressing this issue.
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The US military's budget for 2022 was $760 billion, the highest in the world
The US military is one of the largest polluters in history, and its budget for 2022 was $760 billion, the highest in the world. With this vast infrastructure, it is no surprise that the US military is the largest institutional consumer of petroleum and fossil fuels in the world. It relies on an extensive global network of trucks, cargo planes, and container ships to supply its operations, which include humanitarian aid, bombs, and hydrocarbon fuels.
The US military's large budget contributes to its high pollution levels. It has been responsible for 77 to 80 percent of federal energy consumption since 2001. The US military maintains more than 560,000 buildings on about 500 bases worldwide, which account for a large portion of its emissions. Its extensive use of fossil-fueled ships, trucks, planes, and other vehicles for its operations further increases its carbon footprint.
The US military's negligence, nuclear testing, and disregard for human life have had severe environmental and health consequences. Radiation poisoning, birth defects, leukemia, and increased cancer rates among indigenous people are some of the detrimental impacts experienced by residents near military testing sites. Additionally, the US military's use of burn pits on post-9/11 military bases has exposed soldiers and civilians to toxic smoke, further contributing to its environmental negligence.
Despite recognizing climate change as an "existential" threat to national security, the US military has been criticized for not doing enough to mitigate it. The US military's emissions are often underestimated due to incomplete data, especially regarding overseas operations and aviation fuel consumption. The US military's large budget and subsequent high emissions highlight the need for reform and a shift towards carbon neutrality.
The US military's $760 billion budget for 2022 is a significant contributor to its position as one of the world's largest polluters. Its extensive infrastructure, reliance on fossil fuels, and high energy consumption have severe environmental and health impacts. With growing concerns about climate change, there is increasing pressure for the US military to reduce its carbon footprint and increase transparency in reporting emissions.
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Frequently asked questions
The US military is the world's largest institutional consumer of petroleum and one of the largest polluters in history. If it were a nation-state, it would be the 47th largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world.
The US military has been responsible for 77 to 80 percent of federal energy consumption since 2001. It maintains more than 500 bases worldwide and relies on fossil-fuelled ships, trucks, and planes to support its operations.
US military pollution has contributed to climate change and caused detrimental health issues such as radiation poisoning, birth defects, and increased cancer rates among indigenous people.
The US military's carbon emissions contribute to rising temperatures and more frequent and intense extreme weather conditions. Its climate policy is contradictory, as it aims to confront the effects of climate change while remaining a major institutional consumer of hydrocarbons.
There have been calls for more transparent reporting of military emissions and for militaries to enact programs to "green" their operations. The US Defense Department has also committed to reducing emissions and investing in clean energy technology.
