I believe that accountability is of prime importance in any space that aims or claims to foster change, and this paper is an exploration of how the US military, and by extension the 'Military-Industrial Complex', evades this notion of accountability.
The reason why I decided to pick the topic of militarism and its effects on the climate was because I, and many other grassroots organizations, have been alerted to the dangers of omitting military emissions from climate governance spaces. This paper sought to explore the gravity and destructiveness of military activities, but just focused on the US military specifically due to the breadth and scope of its operations worldwide. I researched the carbon footprint, or more fittingly, the carbon 'bootprint', of the infrastructure that the US military utilizes, from fighter jets to the pollution it creates abroad. Moreover, this paper asks 'why?' It questions why it is that military emissions aren't mentioned in climate governance spaces, even if a body like the Pentagon is a bigger polluter than 140 countries world wide.
My professor always pushed us to "find our puzzles" and this was mine.
I had to analyze the economic and political forces at play. Who benefits from the unobstructed, uncriticized churning of the war machine? My search lead me straight into the pits of hell: the 'Military-Industrial Complex'. Simply put, it describes the close-knit relationship between the government (more dangerously the politicians that are said to represent the interests of the 'demos') and the defense industry. It becomes no secret that war is profitable, which might shed light on why the environmentally destructive effects of the US military are never punished.
More importantly, I am a firm believer that it is important to place those most affected by an issue at the center of the conversation. The American invasion of Iraq decimated not only the lives of many, but also the physical space around them. Destruction of life occurred at all levels, where even Iraqi land was subjected to violence. This paper aimed to provide tangible evidence as to why military activities should not be ignored in policy spaces, by highlighting the ways in which military produced pollution perseveres for years to come, even if conflict isn't overwhelmingly active. From a climate justice perspective, it is extremely bizarre how Iraqis are dehumanized, even in the womb. Birth defects are rampant in areas around military bases..... and there were 500 active military bases in 2014 only.
This paper required an extensive examination of sources I wasn't familiar with reading, especially when it came to an analysis of military equipment and infrastructure emissions. In addition, it was quite the challenge to cover this many angles to an argument in a relatively short paper. However, it was rewarding. I'm quite proud of it. In the future, I would like to research the effects of the US military's activities on the other areas that its operational in ( For example: Guantanamo Bay)
Link to paper: Poli 375_ Long Essay
-With constant feedback from my professor, I learned how to a craft a well-rounded argument and bypass intellectual holes by consulting well accredited sources.
- This paper was challenging because I felt the need to put a lot of effort into proving that it was a topic of great importance. To do that, I highlighted the human cost and devastation in the case of the US invasion of Iraq. This was significant as I constantly try to center my work around those that are most affected by it. I would never want to belittle or de-emphasize the struggles of many in the name of academic exploration.
- Unfortunately, even as I urge for military emissions to be scrutinized, I have come to understand the power dynamics at play that would make that difficult. That is significant as even with my discontent against the systems in place, at least I'm more knowledgeable on why they function the way that they do.