Workers in unions, because of their position in the economy, have the potential power to stop climate disaster and end war, in a way that other groups do not. Members of the armed forces (who are also workers) should be included in Just Transition plans.
Creating good union jobs will provide continued employment for workers currently in fossil fuel corporations and the military-industrial complex. Just Transition includes facilitating justice to communities damaged by corporate pollution, including monetary reparations and shutdowns of toxic industrial sites. Just Transition requires protecting communities presently reliant on tax revenues generated by the presence of fossil fuel and military-industrial operations.
Militarism’s relationship to the global environmental/climate crisis is of grave importance. War itself is an environmental and ecological nightmare whose effects endure for decades after combat ends. War and preparation for war produce immense amounts of climate-warming greenhouse gasses and toxins. The Pentagon is responsible for 5% of global greenhouse gasses (GHG) emitted every year. It is the largest institutional GHG emitter on the planet. A large percentage of Superfund sites are located on military bases. The US military acts as the enforcer of last resort to ensure the United States and allies have unrestricted access to oil and gas resources throughout the world.