Talisman sabre military exercises, war and the environment

There is currently no major military threat to Australia. The recent Defence White Paper confirmed this.  The paper briefly recognised the threats that loom largest - climate change and resource security - and then proceeded to recommend an array of fuel-guzzling resource-depleting war machines that will intensify these threats.

Armed conflict and environmental security are of course global issues, and Australia cannot solve them alone. We could however be part of the solution, rather than part of the problem, by focussing our attention, energy and funds on the real threats we face, rather than the quest for military supremacy.

A fraction of the $308 billion that was announced in the budget for a decade of military spending, and the $48 million or more that will be spent on Talisman Sabre, could achieve major security benefits if channelled into renewable energies, environmental remediation and building regional goodwill.

Talisman Sabre might strengthen our relationship with the world's most powerful military force, but whether that makes us more secure is a different matter.  Security in the 21st century will depend significantly on the extent to which we humans can cooperate, rather than compete, to salvage a liveable world.