THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF WAR AND CONFLICT DESERVE INCLUSION IN ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY CURRICULA

Environmental Geology seeks to inform students about the interface of humans and the physical Earth. Of all the choices we make, war is one of the most environmentally destructive of human endeavors. All aspects of militarism hold negative implications to the environment, including resources consumed, toxifying munitions, habitat destruction, ecosystem disruption, wildlife impacts, and environmental justice. In the Gettysburg Address, Honest Abe reminds us that we are a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Informed consent requires that two parties possess full appreciation for the nature and implications of the choices presented to them in order to make an informed choice. So, how can Americans give informed consent to send their soldiers into battle, if the implications of battle are not widely and fully understood? One subtle, but essential aspect of American military conflict is that we fight our battles mostly in other countries - the back yards of others. Our American citizens do not see battles in their back yards. We fight wars in foreign lands, then we come home. On the Homefront, our people do not feel the explosions. We do not clear the rubble. We describe here the backside of war. Weapons of Mass Destruction – nuclear, chemical, and biological, for example, possess the overt intent to degrade the environment – to deny the foe safe quarter, but the degradation extends beyond the combatant to their land, air, water, wildlife, and agronomy. This environmental degradation is rarely confined to the intended recipient, but more likely spreads further, including coming home to us. As such, our students deserve to better understand the environmental impacts of war and conflict. This presentation illuminates what we leave behind – what happens in those other peoples’ back yards. To understand this subject better, examples include both conflicts involving the USA, as well as foreign conflicts not involving the USA. We advocate that Environmental Geology classes should include such content within the geoscience curriculum.