WAR = CLIMATE CHANGE = WAR = CLIMATE CHANGE…TIME TO BREAK THE CYCLE!
Nov 24th, 2010 in Featured Articles, Newswire(See 1 page pdf file of this statement, for printing)
We, the undersigned, declare the following:
There can be no solution to the climate crisis and no “climate justice” so long as the US military and its allies continue to pollute unabated, and to squander lives and resources. Likewise, there will be no end to war so long as global warming continues to accelerate. It’s time to break the cycle and end the death spiral!
Militarism/War: Elephant in the Living Room. (Accompanying fact sheet: http://tinyurl.com/26stkfv)
- The US Military and their allies, through their imperial wars and military actions (overt and covert) around the world, have inflicted massive suffering and civilian casualties.
- The US Military is the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions on the planet, yet these emissions are exempted from reporting requirements.
- Access to more oil, the burning of which is fundamental cause of climate change – is the primary underlying motive for current wars.
- Both warfare and climate change are rendering large areas uninhabitable – displacing millions of people as refugees, and yet the rights of immigrants are increasingly limited, threatened and abused.
- Climate change is likely to result in far more wars, being a “threat multiplier” and now recognized as the greatest looming threat to “security”. Access to resources – including land, food, water – is already becoming increasingly challenging, and scarcities will likely trigger conflict and further displacement in the future.
- The US Military is also the largest source of toxic chemical and radioactive poisoning of peoples and environment around the globe, and plays a major role in promoting false solutions that only worsen the problems (biofuels, nuclear technologies, climate geoengineering etc)
- The US and global economy is in shambles, funding for a “fair and just transition” – to ensure that people are not negatively impacted by the necessary transitions, is not forthcoming, “green” jobs remain scarce, millions lack access to basic healthcare.
- The US has lead the efforts by developed countries in stymieing progress among nations, consistently refusing to pay their “ecological debt”, owed to non-industrialized countries and their peoples… All while spending trillions on furthering wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and elsewhere.
- Our global commons (air, water, forests) is being bought and sold in carbon markets under the guise that this is the ONLY feasible means of generating funds to take necessary actions to prevent and adapt to impacts of climate change. The result is further concentration of wealth and power, at the expense of the planet.
We will not accept the death spiral of militarism, war and climate change. It is time to break the cycle! In Cancun and beyond, we Demand:
- An end to oil and resource wars, and reinstatement of diplomacy and respect over use of force in all foreign relations
- Troops brought home, military bases abroad closed down and cleaned up, those on US soil dramatically reduced and cleaned up.
- Redirection of the vast majority of military funding to fund human services, ensure decent quality of life, payment of ecological and climate debt, and compensation to countries and peoples damaged by US militarism.
- Dismantling of the military-industrial complex. Corporations stripped of personhood. Clean elections mandated.
- IPCC to create an urgent special report on military emissions, both direct and indirect (e.g., ecosystem damage and desertification due to military activities). No reporting exemptions by powerful countries.
- Urgent implementation of “real” as opposed to “false” solutions, to end the use of fossil fuels, and restore and protect public and environmental health.
Signed Organizations: (to join this continuing list, please email rsmolker@riseup.net AND rsmolker@gmail.com)
Aldrig Mere Krig Denmark
Arlington United for Peace and Justice USA
Baltimore Nonviolence Center USA
Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace USA
Beyond Copenhagen Coalition, India
Biofuelwatch USA/UK
Black Agenda Report USA
Canadians for Action on Climate Change Canada
Centre for Civil Society Environmental Justice Project S. Africa
Citizens for Environmental Safeguards USA
Climate SOS USA/Canada
Code Pink USA
Community OrganizIng Center USA
Defenders for Freedom, Justice & Equality USA
Earth Peoples Intl
Ecologistas en Acción Spain
ECOMUNIDADES Mexico
Edmonds Institute USA
Energy and Climate Policy Institute for Just Transition South Korea
ETC Group intl
Friends of Brook Park USA
Friends of the Earth, South Africa S. Africa
Friends of the Siberian Forests Russia
Global Exchange intl
Grassroots Global Justice Alliance USA
Grassroots International intl
Global Compliance Research Center Canada
Global Warming Education Network USA
Green Party of San Mateo County (CA) USA
Hemispheric Social Alliance intl
Human Nature USA
IBON Foundation Phillippines
India Institute for Critical Action India
India People’s Science Campaign India
Institute for Social Ecology USA
International Tribal Association intl
International Action Center intl
Jersey City Peace Movement USA
Jubilee South intl
Krisoker Sor (Farmers’ Voice) Bangladesh
Latin American-Canadian Solidarity Association Canada
Liberazioni-3E Italy
LIFE – EDUCATION – ENVIRONMENT – EQUALITY Germany
Little Village Environmental Justice Organization USA
Milton for Peace USA
More Gardens! Fund USA
Movement for Nationalism and Democracy Phillippines
New York Climate Action Group USA
No Biomass Burn USA
Nuclear Resister USA
Organic Consumers Association USA
Peace and Justice Resource Center USA
Peoples Movement on Climate Change Phillippines
People’s Union of Democratic Rights India
Radio Free Maine USA
Réseau national Dette et Développement (RNDD-Niger) Niger, Africa
Rising Tide North America US/Canada/Mexico
Sacred Ground Historical Reclamation Project USA
Society for Threatened Peoples International intl
Sociologists without Borders intl
Somerville Climate Action USA
South Asian Dialogues on Ecological Democracy S. Asian
Speak Up For Wildlife Foundation Canada
Teachers and Scientists against Maldevelopment India
The Corner House UK
Tikkun Chicago USA
United for Peace and Justice USA
United National Antiwar Committee USA
Unity of Women for Freedom Phillippines
Union Pacifiste de France France
Valby and Sydvest Against War Denmark
Workers for Nationalism and Democracy Phillippines
World Can’t Wait USA
World Rainforest Movement Uruguay/Intl
Via Organica Mexico
World Temperate Rainforest Network USA
