Think Green Live Clean

Photo Credit: The U.S. Army

“Ten years ago, you would have had three- or four-star generals stomping up and down. Now they just ask, ‘How do I get it done?’ ” said Tad Davis, the Army’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety and Occupational Health. What Tad Davis is referring to are major conservation orders given by the Pentagon requiring the military to spend millions on protecting endangered plants and animals all over the country.

At Fort Stewart, Georgia about $3 million is spent every year to promote wildlife rehabilitation. Among other environmental initiatives, controlled fires are set for an endangered eight-inch red-cockaded woodpecker, which needs frequent pine fires to sustain it’s livelihood. In Eglin, Florida the Air Force has toiled to repair streams for the Okaloosa darter. During certain times of the year, training at Camp Pendleton, California is limited to a fraction of the beach out of concern for nesting shorebirds like the California gnatcather. And the list goes on…

The armed forces never used to be so eco-savvy, arguing that military efforts to preserve our earth would only take away from efforts to protect our country. However, commanders are now beginning to understand that preserving the environment is in our country’s best interest. “There is a strong understanding now that land is a limited resource, and that even our military is part of a larger ecosystem,” said L. Peter Boice, the Pentagon’s Deputy Director of Natural Resources. “If that degrades, it is harder for us to do our mission.”

Obviously, there are still some major environmental issues revolving around military operation that must be worked out, like the use of mid-frequency sonar in whale and dolphin hotspots, but this new military outlook is a huge step in the right direction and one that is desperately needed.

To read more check out the New York Times