How the military-industrial complex is waging war on the planet

How the military-industrial complex is waging war on the planet Submitted by John Rees on Wed, 08/19/2026 - 20:52 Nato's rearmament drive will impose severe environmental costs, including a massive projected increase in carbon emissions Parts of cannons are stored at an armament factory in Bourges, France, on 21 March 2025 (Jean-Francois Monier/AFP) On The scale of the arms industry’s contribution to climate change is often minimised, avoided or ignored. But preparations for war, and war itself, are killing the planet faster than practically any other single factor. The military-industrial complex causes more environmental damage than either the civilian aviation industry or the global shipping industry; in fact, its carbon footprint is close to both combined, according to a recent report.