Abby Martin’s New Documentary Examines the Pentagon’s Ecological Toll

The documentary, Earth’s Greatest Enemy, utilizes investigative reporting and personal narratives to challenge the narrative of a green military. Martin argues that the Pentagon’s carbon footprint is vastly underestimated, noting that official figures account only for daily oil purchases—270,000 barrels—while ignoring the life-cycle emissions of equipment and the environmental costs of war-torn reconstruction. Scientist Stuart Parkinson projects these emissions could reach 295 million metric tons by 2028, a staggering total that excludes the destructive reality of active combat.

The Human and Environmental Cost

Beyond greenhouse gases, the film documents widespread contamination, including the dumping of toxic waste and the abandonment of millions of munitions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Martin frames this destruction through the lens of human impact, opening with the story of Lavon Johnson, an Iraq War veteran living in a demolished tent city in Los Angeles. By juxtaposing the displacement of veterans with footage of environmental collapse, the film asserts that the military system treats both people and the planet as disposable detritus.

Martin intends the project to bridge the gap between anti-war and climate advocacy movements, arguing that the two issues are inseparable. Despite facing resistance from distributors who deemed the subject matter too controversial, she self-released the film to push for the decommissioning of US military bases globally. She advocates for a radical shift in priorities, calling for the redirection of massive defense budgets toward essential public services like housing and healthcare, framing the movement as a necessary fight for life against a system built on extraction and violence.