Future War: Will it really be clean and green? Dr Stuart Parkinson

Minimal environmental impacts We’ll look at (2) and (3) in more detail… • Image is report cover of early example of military efforts to reduce climate impacts (US DOD, 2008) 4 Minimal civilian casualties? • Myth: ‘Precision warfare’ • Reality: • Search for ‘battlefield advantage’ driving quest for more accurate weapons • Small, guided weapons are still destructive • Military attacks often use mixt. [...] [image credit: RAF] 9 Capturing the war narrative [image credit: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service] 10 Selective history • Example of Britain in World War II • Glamorising ‘our’ military successes • Britain and Allies defeating Nazis • Heroic military actions – e.g. [...] Battle of Britain, D-Day, Dambusters raid • Britain remembered as ‘underdog’ although actually a ‘great power’ • Downplaying/ ignoring ‘our’ military atrocities British bomber over Hamburg • Allied bombing of Germany: 600,000+ civilian deaths • British war policies in India contributed to 1943 Bengal famine: 3 million+ civilian deaths Figures from: World History Encyclopedia (2024); BBC News (2023. [...] laser cannons, stun guns • Failure to foresee speed of ICT development • Internet, mobile phones, artificial intelligence [image credit: OpenClipart-Vectors via Pixabay] 12 Imagining future peace • Military & technology-driven options are dominating over peace-orientated policy & strategic options • Accelerating arms races and confrontation • Increasing human rights abuses and environmental damage. [...] Missiles of the World.