Climate Justice Means No War with Iran

Donald Trump’s recent military strikes in Iran — carried out without clear congressional authorization — have already killed civilians, destroyed critical infrastructure, and pushed the United States toward another catastrophic Middle East war. This isn’t just a moral and constitutional crisis — it’s a climate emergency. The U.S. military is the world's largest institutional emitter of greenhouse gases, burning staggering amounts of oil and gas through its global operations at the very moment scientists warn we must slash emissions to avoid irreversible climate chaos.

Congress must act now.

The Constitution gives only Congress the power to declare war. Lawmakers in both chambers are preparing to vote on a War Powers Resolution to reassert that authority and block further unauthorized military escalation. Passing that resolution is essential to stopping this reckless war before more lives — and more of our climate stability — are sacrificed.

We urge Congress to pass the War Powers Resolution immediately and make clear that no president has the authority to drag us into war without democratic approval.

This moment is a stark reminder that militarism and fossil fuel dependency are two sides of the same crisis. The U.S. military’s vast energy footprint — from fighter jets to naval fleets to hundreds of overseas bases — generates more greenhouse gas pollution than most countries. That pollution worsens droughts, heatwaves, floods, wildfires, and sea-level rise that devastate frontline communities first and worst.

Let me repeat that. The U.S. military is the world’s largest institutional greenhouse gas emitter — and expanding war means expanding climate destruction.

Every dollar spent on bombs, missiles, and warships is a dollar stolen from renewable energy, climate resilience, and good-paying clean jobs. Endless war locks us deeper into oil dependence. A rapid, just transition away from fossil fuels makes conflict less likely and peace more possible.

We don’t need more bombs.
We need diplomacy.
We need climate justice.

Peace is a climate policy. Climate policy is peace. Congress must act now.

Please sign this petition to demand Congress:
1: Stop Trump’s illegal war with Iran.
2: Pass the War Powers Resolution to rein in military escalation.
3: Redirect funding from fossil-fuel-powered warfare to a just and responsible clean energy transition.

The petition to Congress reads: Stop Trump’s unauthorized military escalation with Iran and immediately pass the War Powers Resolution to prevent another catastrophic war. The U.S. military is the world’s largest institutional greenhouse gas emitter, and every new conflict accelerates the climate crisis while draining resources from clean energy and resilient communities. Choose diplomacy over destruction and invest in a just transition that strengthens both our democracy and our planet.
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Sources:

Newsweek | Climate Change Expert Warns Trump Geopolitics Could Deepen Planetary Catastrophe | https://www.newsweek.com/climate-change-us-military-pollution-carbon-emissions-2094434

The Guardian | Donald Trump’s Geopolitics Could Deepen Planetary Catastrophe, Expert Warns | https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/may/30/donald-trump-geopolitics-could-deepen-planetary-catastrophe-expert-warns

Climate Justice Alliance | CJA Opposes the War on Iran – War Fuels Climate Change | https://climatejusticealliance.org/cja-opposes-war-on-iran/

DeSmog | The Defense Department Is Worried About Climate Change — and Also a Huge Carbon Emitter | https://www.desmog.com/2019/06/17/defense-department-worried-climate-change-huge-carbon-emitter/