June 10, 2008

Book Review - Greening of the U.S. Military

The Greening of the U.S. Military: Environmental Policy, National Security, and Organizational Change
Robert F. Durant
TD 195 .A75 D87 2007

Durant chronicles the efforts to incorporate environmental policies into the Department of Defense from the George H. W. Bush administration to the current one. Based on interviews and extensive research through documents, reports, and other written materials, Durant reveals that efforts to "green" the U.S. Military have involved considerable controversy and debate. He focuses on the needs of the military to comply with national and international laws concerning the environment and natural resources, which often requires change in policies, procedures and thinking within the organizations. Much of the debate centers around the speed, depth, and methods by which these procedural and cultural changes should take place. Adopting a "green" outlook is also seen as somewhat foreign to the military, particularly during times of hostile conflict. Detailed and well referenced, this book offers a new way of looking at the activities of the United States Armed Services.