Pittsburgh Branch Shows Film on Environment Ravaged by Military

A production still from the documentary Scarred Lands & Wounded Lives. The Pittsburgh Branch held a viewing of the movie at the Carnegie Library on October 12.

By Susan M. Smith
Pittsburgh Branch

On October 12, WILPF Pittsburgh organized a second showing of Scarred Lands & Wounded Lives, a documentary by Lincoln and Alice Day. Subtitled “The Environmental Footprint of War,” the film discusses the impact of war and of preparation for war on the environment in all parts of the world. This film showing was co-sponsored by Veterans for Peace, Pittsburgh Branch #47, and the Izaak Walton League, and the various participants met at the Carnegie Library in Homewood.

The movie was released in 2008 so we made sure to also present some more current information. After the presentation, we had a lively discussion of the situation and possible actions. We considered the fact that environmental damage over the last 50 years has been increasing. Jet fuel is in the water and air; tanks consume two gallons per mile; bombs destroy buildings and forests; deforestation is caused by chemicals sprayed and used by the military; and much more. The video showed and explained this situation in clear terms.

Photo: Susan Smith (seated), presenter and Pittsburgh WILPF Branch member, and Dan Galvin, speaker from Veterans for Peace, Pittsburgh Branch #47, at the October 12 event.

A former soldier from Veterans for Peace’s Pittsburgh Branch shared his witness about the pollution caused by the US military in Iraq while he was there. WILPF Pittsburgh shared various resources including two recent articles: "Major Media Bury Groundbreaking Studies of Pentagon's Massive Carbon Bootprint" by Joshua Cho, October 10, 2019, and "On Earth Day, Remembering the US Military's Toxic Legacy", by Whitney Well, originally published on May 15, 2017 with the title “U.S. Military World’s Largest Polluter – Hundreds of Bases Gravely Contaminated.”

It is important to get the information about the US military’s impact on the environment out in a broader way, since changing military practice could go a long way to lessening environmental damage and climate change.

Those interested in viewing the video can find it at http://www.scarredlandsfilm.com/. Consider holding an event in your own branch using this film and other resources.

The three co-sponsoring organizations in Pittsburgh have agreed to meet soon to plan other events.

For more information, contact me at sm99smith@gmail.com.