Michael Lengefeld | Asymmetric Warfare

What you need to know

War and preparation for war entail harmful environmental impacts. There has been a dramatic historical shift in the way contemporary wars are fought, and the environmental consequences have also changed. Many nations of the Global North have pursued "asymmetric warfare" which relies on high-tech and resource-intensive warfare. Parallel to this shift is the national security threat of climate change - an issue which must be addressed by the global community. This warmaking strategy minimizes risks in the Global North and disproportionately shifts the attendant risks of war such as casualties, forced displacement, and environmental damage in the Global South.

American Reaper Drone — American Reaper Drone
Source: Lt. Col. Leslie Pratt/U.S. Air Force

U.S.S Abraham Lincoln — Flight Deck of U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln.
Source: Public Domain/U.S. Navy

What is this research about?

Military strategies change to accommodate existing technologies. During the 1990s the United States underwent a "Revolution in Military Affairs" and battle-tested its first "smart" weapons in the 1991 Gulf War. These innovative technogies were accompanied by new operational tactics that relied on shifting risks away from the homeland and its soldiers. Competing national militaries were compelled to match the strategy of asymmetric warfare pursued by the United States, driving a high-tech and resource-intensive arms race across the world. By the year 2000 many national militaries were undergoing their own revolution in military affairs, while over the next decade the world grappled with the terrorist attacks on 9/11, two global economic recessions, and two decadelong wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

What did the researcher do?

The researchers located and analyzed academic, government, and non-governmental data to understand the impact of national military characteristics on carbon emissions. They performed a longitudinal and socio-spatial analysis by regression that included 126 countries from 2000 to 2010.

A laser guided bomb before it strikes a small boat during a training exercise — A laser guided bomb before it strikes a small boat during a training exercise
Source: Public Domain/ U.S. Air Force

U.S.S. George Washington Carrier Strike Group. — U.S.S. George Washington Carrier Strike Group. Source: Public Domain/U.S. Navy

U.K. Apache and Tank formation during a readiness exercise — United Kingdom Apache and Tank formation during a readiness exercise

Indonesian Army Infantry Battalion

What did the researcher find?

Warmaking drives carbon emissions even in times of global Recession - when the slow-down of the global economy is reducing the impact of gross domestic product on carbon emissions. Risk-tranfer militarism in the Global North shifts the attendant risks of war to the peoples and the environments of the Global South. While the Global North is pursuing a strategy that relies on carbon-intensive advanced weaponry, the Global South is investing in more boots on the ground. In addition to bearing the brundt of impacts from the Global North's asymmetric warfare, the Global South will also be the most impacted by global climate change driven by CO2 emissions.

The manufacturing, maintenance, and distribution of weapons of war has many harmful environmental impacts. Many advanced weapons rely on precious metals, toxic production processes, and require large amounts of energy. The use of fossil fuels in this process contributes significantly to the environmental footprint of the military - and much of this energy is expended before the weapons are (if ever) deployed in war. National militaries are compelled to keep up with their rivals. Depending on the geopolitical and social context, this could mean competing in an arms race, or ramping up military participation to raise a standing army to match enemy "manpower".

How can you use this research?

Governments can be reminded that military competition can undermine national security through its impacts on global climate change via increased carbon emissions. The effect is significant even during two global recessions, when the global economy experienced contractions and a reduced carbon footprint. Understanding the effects that asymmetric warfare has on global carbon emissions can help governments craft less environmentally destructive strategies to protect national security interests. Environmental organizations may use this research to inform their stategies for applying pressure on governments who - while simultaneously acknowledging the national security threat of global climate change - are pursuing asymmetric warfare that significantly contributes to the carbon emissions driving global climate change.

Citation

Smith, Chad, and Michael Lengefeld. (2020). "The Environmental Consequences of Asymmetric War: A Panel Study of Militarism and Carbon Emissions, 2000–2010". Armed Forces & Society 2020, Vol. 46(2) 214-237. Available online at: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0095327X19832615

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