Is the War on Terrorism also a War on the Environment
... We must be alert to the likelihood that aggression toward the United States may increasingly take the form of environmental terrorism, including biological and chemical warfare. ... We have some experience with the long-term effects of exposing military and civilian personnel to potentially dangerous chemicals such as the defoliant Agent Orange in Vietnam and a variety of toxic agents in the Gulf War. ... Just as terrorism knows no borders, neither do environmental problems. ... Surely, the environmental devastation from the Gulf War (recall oil fields ablaze) ought to give us pause. ... Ironically, the administrations recent multilateralism in seeking broad support in the new war on terrorism stands in sharp contrast to its unilateral decision to abandon the Kyoto Protocol, the international agreement to control greenhouse gas emissions responsible for global warming. ... But even if this war is inevitable, the environmental effects of our response both at home and abroad require careful consideration because of their serious long-term implications.