The Military and the Environment: An Arctic Case

While the environment is on focus, and the strategy of sustainable development is of a current value the world over, the environment is particularly important in remote areas sensitive to man's activities, such as in northernmost regions of the globe. After the Cold War the Arctic region is still been of a major significance to the USA and the Russian Federation from the military point of view. There is a relevant interrelationship between the military and the environment already in peacetime, as military activities and presence have influences in the environment and climate. The military uses energy, resources, lands & waters, as well as intellectual resources, and consequently causes air & water pollution, as well as risks to the environment and human security. This chapter explores the relationship in the Arctic region with both a fragile ecosystem, and heavily militarized by the nuclear weapon systems of the two superpowers.