Should we take the Western world's military budget and spend it on the environment?

Question

Instead of spending trillions of dollars on weapons and wars we could take that money and spend it on energy efficient non-carbon emitting technology such as widescale solar power. It's all very well ranting on about terrorism, but the planet will become pretty inhospitable to anyone unless we act now. Get oil men out of power, and support the ecologists, because they are the true heros. Do you agree?

I see some people are denying the fact that there is an envionmental problem at all! I don't know what research you've been reading but even without reading, climate change is real and palpable. Ask people whose homes are flooded or have deserts encroaching on them. There should be plenty more sand for you guys to bury your heads in over the coming decade!

Answer 1

How about instead we just stop spending altogether? Stop spending your/my hard earned dollars on cars, buses, airplanes, jets, gardeners, taxi's, restaurants, vacations, pets, boats, jet ski's, helicopters, air conditioning, rockets, indoor/nightime sports activities, music, movies, computers, amusement parks, and all those other material pleasures that are responsible for creating greenhouse gasses, etc. I say it's time to get the American Consumer out of power. Don't you agree?

Answer 2

No, the "proof" about global warming or other eco dangers is not only not proven, but is incredibly biased.
Non profit eco-groups employ thousands, bring in $ in grants and donations given out of concern for a problem in the environment. There's billions of dollars to be lost if a problem ISN'T found.
Defense spending not only buys bullets, but also funds scientific programs. Other than killing, it also focuses on how to keep people alive in harsh climate, repair horrible injury, cure or prevent disease, all manner of science. GPS navigation, sattelite communication, disease prevention, nutrition, materials, all have trickled down from defense related study.
Science aside, education programs for service veterans have funded college education for hundreds of thousands of citizens who would'nt have been able to pay otherwise. And face it, aside from fighting wars, a strong military even in peace, has kept us safe. An ineffective way of self defense is seen by many as an invitation by those seeking to TAKE what we have, and they don't

Answer 3

Absolutely not. If all those other choices for power we so much better then there would be companies wanting to do them. There would be a market and people clamouring for those items I do not see that yet. Should the govt put some incentives on some of these things to get the ball rolling? Sure but its that military that lets you live a peaceful and free life .

Answer 4

We should take the worlds military budget and spend it on education... If qualified teachers could make 100,000 + per year then we could get gifted and talented people to teach our children. If all the people in the world were educated then they would see the stupidity behind war and a highly funded military would no longer be necessary... And they could figure out how to fix the environment.

Answer 5

I have a better idea especially for the US; rather than spending trillions in propping up Iraq, they could finally have Universal Healthcare in the US. It's amazing to me how much the US Government is willing to spend on killing and how little to make sure all of their citizen's has access to the best healthcare available regardless of financial station in life.

As for the environment, sure healthcare and the environment are closely linked; and money for both these projects is darn well better spent than killing people.

Answer 6

No , because it is about all the president likes to do. There is plenty of money to clean the environment. 10% of the money that congress wastes would do it. Look at FEMA. Look at TVA and a host of agencies that either contribute to the polution as TVA does or waste money as FEMA does. FEMA paid for a sex change operation. Prisoners got VISA cards. Let Bush play his war games. That keeps him occupied. Look at all he could foul up without a war to fight.

Answer 7

Bravo Baravo
if everone spent thier defense budget on usfuls things then we would have hardly any problems in the world but most of all there would be no wars.

Answer 8

Yeah, let's fix the environment so that the nut bag regligious psychos (Arabs, Muslims, Al Queda, N.Korea, etc...) will have something prettier to blow the fxck up.

Answer 9

I agree it should happen but it never will as long as there is fear and greed

Answer 10

no -- the research regarding global warming is actually not proven.