But Vine’s research shows that it has more than 750 overseas US military bases in about 80 countries – more than any empire in world history. The Pentagon does not release data on bases. In terms of budget, firepower and presence, the US outguns all armies in the world – including China, first in terms of number of soldiers, and Russia, owner of the largest stockpile of nuclear weapons. With world leaders currently debating the consequences of climate change at the COP28 summit in Dubai, here’s a look at the environmental costs of the US military. Yet its contribution to heating the planet is largely overlooked, the US government having lobbied for an exemption for military activity from the 1997 Kyoto Protocol that set binding emissions targets for signatory nations. During the 2015 Paris talks, the exemption was removed, but reporting of military emissions remains optional. The environmental impact of the US military machine was documented in two 2019 reports, which revealed it to be the world’s largest institutional consumer of hydrocarbons, belching out more emissions than industrialised nations like Portugal and Denmark. Many scientists and activists think there are problems with the idea of a carbon footprint, which can make the global carbon problem quite individual or personal rather than seeing it as a whole world issue that needs whole world solutions.īut, alongside industry and organisations reducing their carbon footprint, it can be a useful tool to reflect on what each of us can do to help make a change.Keep reading list of 4 items list 1 of 4 US nuclear sub offers show of force in the Middle East list 2 of 4 China says US ‘exaggerates’ its military threat in new report list 3 of 4 Biden signs enormous US military budget into law list 4 of 4 Infographic: History of US interventions in the past 70 years end of list For example, it’s estimated that:Ī short email from phone to phone has a carbon footprint equivalent to around 0.2g of carbon dioxide or CO2 while a single text message is equivalent to around 0.8g of CO2Ī mile on a full electric bus in the UK has a footprint equivalent to around 6g of CO2 while 1 mile in an average petrol car has a footprint equivalent to around 530g of CO2Ī litre of tap water has a footprint equivalent to 0.36g of CO2 while an average litre bottle of water equates to 480g of CO2Ĭarbon footprints can also be measured against one another to compare impacts around the world:For example, someone in the United States has an average carbon footprint of around 14 tonnes of carbon per year, whereas in the UK our average of carbon footprint per person is just below 5 tonnes, and in the Central African Republic it is as little as 0.1 tonnes. It’s the same with food, clothes, and other things which we don’t see emissions from – there are emissions released into the atmosphere in the growing of food, the manufacturing of items, and the transporting of goods and products all around the world before they end up in our hands.Įverything has a carbon footprint, and some items have more emissions than others. ![]() For example, if you drive to school, emissions from the petrol in your car are added together with the emissions created in the production of the food you eat and the clothes you wear.Įven the objects we use every day have carbon emissions, like a pen made from plastic has a carbon footprint even if we can’t see the fossil fuels when we look at the pen. Imagine a carbon footprint being like a big maths sum you have to do, adding up all of the carbon that your activities release into the atmosphere, known as carbon emissions.Īnything that creates greenhouse gases can be included in your total carbon footprint. A carbon footprint is a number, often measured in tonnes, kilograms, or grams, that represents the total amount of carbon dioxide and other green-house gases that are associated with a product, person or even a country.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |