“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
The U.S. Must Force Israel To End Its War On Iran
Take Action Now Israel is the main destabilizing force in the Middle East, and its attacks on Iran are being made possible by U.S. support. We bear…
A Path To Pushing MAGA Out Of Power
Take Action Now Only a new governing coalition capable of expanding political democracy and beginning a process of structural change can push MAGA…
Israel’s War On Iran Was Made In USA: Trump Supported Attacks, While Faking Peace Talks
Take Action Now Israel attacked Iran in an aggressive act of war. The US government supported the strikes, providing intelligence and planning with…
With Iran, The U.S. Faces The Potential For An Iraq War 2.0
Take Action Now Israel’s unprovoked attack on Iran has the potential to be far, far more catastrophic.By David Vine, Responsible Statecraft…