“Roughly speaking, military emissions are likely to grow as military budgets grow…”
By Dharna Noor, The Boston Globe
Senate Democrats are scrambling to find a path forward for the biggest climate spending package in US history after Senator Manchin pulled his support last weekend. But last week, the Senate passed another piece of legislation that could quietly have massive implications for the climate: the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which funds and sets the budget for the military.
The measure, which was approved by the House earlier this month, authorizes $768.2 billion in defense spending, which is $25 billion more than requested by President Biden in his fiscal 2022 budget. It will now go to Biden’s desk for final approval, where it is expected to pass, increasing the defense budget by 5% from last year.
The US Department of Defense is the largest institutional greenhouse gas polluter in the world. Thanks to its bases and vast fleets of aircraft carriers, jets, drones, and trucks, it is also the largest consumer of fossil fuels in the federal government, using more oil and gas than the entire countries of Sweden and Denmark, according to a landmark 2019 study.
Recent Posts
Senate Democrats Demand Trump Administration Reveal Full Costs of Iran War
Take Action Now “Americans deserve to know how much of their money is being burned on Trump’s war,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren said.By Chris Walker,…
Stealing Palestine, Stealing Enlightenment
Take Action Now The authors trace the origins of Zionism, at least in large part, to Evangelical Christians who, much like back-to-Africa racists in…
Decoding Pro-Israel Buzzwords in a Time of Genocide
Take Action Now Support for Israel has declined steeply among Americans, but its defenders continue to maintain a siege of buzzwords against…
Tax the Rich and Slash the Military Budget
Take Action Now The Left is often asked how it proposes to pay for programs like universal childcare, Medicare or All, and a green jobs program.…