The Impact of the Military on Climate Change and the Situation of Indigenous Peoples in the US

The world’s militaries are responsible for almost 5.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions annually, which is greater than the combined emissions from the aviation and shipping industries. Researchers from Queen Mary University of London found that the emissions from the first 120 days of the recent conflict in Gaza exceeded the annual emissions of 26 individual countries, and the emissions from rebuilding Gaza will be greater than the annual emissions of more than 135 countries, similar to the annual emissions of Sweden or Portugal.

In Gaza, military campaigns often lead to ecocide, where the enemy population’s ability to live sustainably and maintain autonomy over its water and food supplies is reduced or eliminated. According to researchers from Forensic Architecture, at least 50% of the agricultural land and orchards in Gaza have been destroyed, along with greenhouses and olive groves.

Native Americans living along the Pacific Northwest coast are facing severe impacts of climate change including rising sea levels, extreme heat, coastal flooding and erosion, rising water temperatures, decreasing snowpack, and an increasing risk of wildfires. They require assistance accessing government funding to help them adapt to new living conditions, relocate homes, and adapt salmon runs to warmer water temperatures.