Today Sunday 29th June 2025 - Stop the War Coalition in Britain is calling For "Welfare not Warfare" as the British Government has just agreed to increase their defence budget to 73.5 billion pounds over the next five years and will be purchasing 12 F-35 jets which can carry conventional munitions as well as nuclear war heads.
At the recent conference in The Hague, (24th - 25th June, it concluded with a commitment from NATO member countries that they would increase their defence spending to 5% of Gross Domestic Product by 2035 (which as most of us know is what President Trump has been asking for). Two days before this conference was held - the stealth bombing by the USA of the nuclear facilities in Iran took place - 14 GBU-57 massive ordnance penetrators were dropped on the Fordo site - these bombs weigh13,000 kgs and are able to penetrate 60 feet of concrete or 200 feet of earth before exploding.
At the same time as the conference in The Hague was opening; in Gaza (on 24th June} "The Israeli military fired near Palestinians waiting for aid in Gaza killing 25 and wounding 146. The Israeli military opened fire near hundreds of Palestinians waiting for aid trucks in central Gaza on Tuesday according to hospitals in the Strip.. The Awda hospital in the Nuseirat refugee camp, which received some of the victims said 146 others were wounded among them 62 in critical condition who were transferred to another hospital in central Gaza. " according to a report by the BBC.
Trump was declaring a massive wipeout of Iran's nuclear facilities -- European leaders at the conference appeared to be fawning over President Trump and giving him his 5% defence spending. Men, women and children in Gaza are dying of what appears to be "enforced" malnutrition; and the Russian - Ukraine war continues.
Not to forget the horrors in Sudan, the terrible unrest Tanzania " Tanzania is facing a range of challenges including rising crime, human rights concerns, and ongoing health issues. " according to recent reports - and sadly there are many other parts of the world in turmoil.
In July Australia will be hosting Exercise Talisman Sabre 25 which will include USA, Japan, New Zealand ,United Kingdom and Papua New Guinea will host an event for the first time. The militarisation of Northern Territory continues to expand, as does the militarisation of our education system, and recently the HMS Spey and the HMAS Sydney conducted another freedom of navigation activity in the South China Sea close to Spratly Islands in accordance with the UNs Convention on the Law of the Sea. I wonder if the government of China and all the countries who claim part of the Spratley Islands kicked up as much fuss as some Australian politicians and media did when the Chinese warships circumnavigated Australia without encroaching our waters.
These "war games " "field exercises" that are held on a very regular basis here in Australia (either on land, sea or air or all at once) - do not seem to attract much attention from environmentalists, yet these exercises incorporate live fire demonstrations of various weapons systems like missiles, rockets and other weapons systems (testing), some are fired into the ocean some on the land, some from the air causing damage when they land; but no-one comments, asks how much pollution do the training sessions create, how much damage, how much do they affect the climate change target (I believe they are not included in the target).
Monash University CDES WORKING PAPER SERIES
Emissions from Military Training: Evidence from Australia Wang-Sheng Lee Trang My Tran conducted this study: The document is thorough and long so I have just copied Conclusions
"The military is a major source of air pollution, primarily due to its extensive use of fossil fuels to operate military vehicles and military jets. However, this point is often overlooked in discussions on air pollution. In addition, the emissions generated from live firing of various military weapons is not well understood and studied. In this paper, we analyse the effects of major joint military exercises held in an inland military training area in a remote part of Australia on levels of air pollution. Involving thousands of soldiers, these exercises are simulations of war activities and provide natural experiments where there are sudden bursts of intense military activities at local sites. We utilize high-frequency fixed effects models to estimate how intense military training activities affect levels of CO, PM2.5, and SO2. Our causal estimates are based on making comparisons with a control area that was not subject to the military training activities located several hundred kilometers to the east and on the same latitude. For the two training exercises examined in 2015, we find a positive and significant effect of military training on levels of CO and PM2.5. For the two major training exercises examined in 2017, our results are also positive but more muted. We were not able to obtain reliable estimates on the effects on SO2 levels using our estimation strategy. In conclusion, our research sheds light on an important but often overlooked aspect of en vironmental impact: the emissions generated by military training activities. By quantifying the pollution released during these exercises, we contribute valuable insights to the broader conversation on combating climate change. While our study addresses emissions from train ing exercises, the military’s environmental footprint extends beyond this and includes substantial emissions from various operational activities such as fuel consumption by vehicles, tanks, jets, and warships. Moving forward, comprehensive assessments of military-related emissions are essential for developing effective strategies to mitigate environmental degradation and advance global sustainability goals. Accordingly, acknowledging and addressing all sources of pollution, including those stemming from military operations, is essential "
Just think about all the missiles, bombs, ammunition, and other defence harmful strategies, like chemical warfare (remember Agent Orange?) nuclear testing, that has occurred since WWII - Defence Forces have a lot to answer for, at least their governments do - but nary a word is said in protest.
Wouldn't it be fantastic if all these governments were putting the same enthusiasm, time, science, research, and commitment into lifting people out of poverty, bringing them clean water, enabling land to become arable so crops can be grown; building all types of housing that is desperately needed across the world, ensuring all citizens globally have exceptional health care - no babies dying, no Mums dying in childbirth, no young sons or fathers dying in war - just healthy secure populations with the easy access to high standards of child-care and education, and our disabled, elderly and maimed are taken care in the most humane manner with compassion, and expertise in the caring of these amazing people.
Stop the wars, Stop the militarisation of education systems. Stop the bullying of those less fortunate. Stop the starvation, the racism and the hate; and let's try living in Peace.