Would you like to sign this climate chaos letter to Secretary of War Gates?

Friends,

The NATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR NONVIOLENT RESISTANCE has issued a CALL TO ACTION on APRIL 8, 2011: PENTAGON ACTION FOR PEACE and CLIMATE JUSTICE -- “DISARMaggedon.” If interested in joining the action, let me know.  Note there is a conference call on Wednesday at 9 PM, and you contact me for the call-in numbers if you would like to participate.

Finally, below is a letter we are sending to Secretary of War Robert Gates.  We are looking for organizations to sign on before the letter is mailed.  We would also accept individual signers.  Thanks.

 

Kagiso,

 

Max

 

National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance, 325 East 25th Street, Baltimore, MD 21218

 

March 16, 2011

 

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates

Office of the Secretary of Defense

Pentagon

Washington, DC 20001

 

Dear Secretary Gates:

 

I am writing as a representative of the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance. We are a group of citizens dedicated to working for an end to the illegal wars and occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, and the illegal bombing, since July of 2008, of Pakistan. It is our opinion that the use of drones is a violation of international law.

 

These actions are causing incredible human suffering, growing distrust of the United States around the world, and are diverting our resources which could be better used to ease human suffering. We follow the principles of Gandhi, King, Day and others, working nonviolently for a peaceful world.

 

As people of conscience, we are very concerned about the devastation that military expenditures are causing to our environment. According to Joseph Nevins, in an article published on June 14, 2010 by CommonDreams.org, GREENWASHING THE PENTAGON, “The U.S. military is the world’s single biggest consumer of fossil fuels, and the single entity most responsible for destabilizing the Earth’s climate.” And the article claims “. . . the Pentagon devours about 330,000 barrels of oil per day (a barrel has 42 gallons), more than the vast majority of the world’s countries.” Go to http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/06/14-1.

 

The amount of oil used by your military machine is beyond belief, and each military vehicle also releases pollutants through the exhaust. Tanks, trucks, Humvees and other vehicles are not known for their fuel economy. Other fuel guzzlers are submarines, helicopters and fighter jets. Each military flight, whether involved in the transport of soldiers or in a combat mission, contributes more carbon into the atmosphere. can add this to the letter: “As people of conscience, we are very concerned about the devastation that military expenditures are causing to our environment.” However, it is not the expenditures but the warmongering which is the problem relating to the environment.  Nevertheless, I will add military expenditures.

 

The U.S. military’s environmental record is dismal. Any war can bring about ecocide in the area of fighting. One example was the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Vietnam is still dealing with effects of the use of the toxic defoliant Agent Orange. More recently, Mother Earth is suffering because the Pentagon continues to use depleted uranium ammunition. It seems the Pentagon first used DU weaponry during the Persian Gulf War 1.

 

Because the United States has hundreds of military bases here and abroad, the Pentagon is exacerbating a growing environmental crisis on a global scale. Of course, this crisis is not limited to U.S. military activities, but the Department of War must be the focus if we are to seriously address the planet’s ongoing climate chaos.

 

We would like to meet with you to discuss bringing all troops home from these awful wars and occupations and the Pentagon’s role in the destruction of the environment. At this meeting, we would appreciate if you could provide a detailed breakdown of the military’s greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide. As citizen activists and members of the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance, we adhere to the Nuremberg protocols. These principles, established during the trials of Nazi war criminals, call on people of conscience to challenge their government when it is engaged in criminal activity. As part of our Nuremberg responsibility, we are reminding you that you swore to uphold the Constitution. “In a dialogue, we will present data to demonstrate an abuse of the Constitution and the ecosystem.”

 

Please get back to me, so that a meeting can be scheduled as soon as possible. The current situation is urgent. Cities and states are starving, while tax dollars are wasted on wars and occupations. Innocents are dying because of U.S. military policies. And the environmental damage caused by the Pentagon must be halted.

 

Most observers have noticed that weather patterns are changing.  Last summer wildfires blackened the skies over much of Russia.  In Pakistan the rains caused millions of people to flee from their homes. And the weather has greatly affected the farmers of the world, resulting in food shortages in many countries. The nature writer Bill McKibben has a new book called EAARTH, and he makes the point the old planet no longer exists.  Today, people are risking their lives for freedom from tyrants.  We gain solace from their actions and recognize that we must save Mother Earth so people can indeed enjoy the fruits of democracy.

 

We look forward to your response, as we believe citizen activists have the right and obligation to be involved in matters of such great importance. Your response will be shared with others concerned with the issues raised above. Thank you for considering our request.

 

In peace,

 

Max Obuszewski, on behalf of the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance