ABSTRACT
Two trends can be observed that mitigate the impact of military conflicts on the environment. First, there is the timid rise of normative consciousness as indicated by, for instance, the United Nations’ 1976 Environmental Modification Convention that limits the use of environmental modification as a method of warfare, or the inclusion of two provisions in the 1977 Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Convention of 1949 that limit the environmental damage permitted during international armed conflict (Schmitt 2000: 88). Likewise, Principle 5 of the 1982 World Charter for Nature holds that “Nature shall be secured against degradation caused by warfare or other hostile activities.” Second, some armed forces such as NATO’s are beginning to incorporate environmental assessment in their management practices (safeguarding hazardous materials, treating waste water, or reducing energy consumption).
