Gar Smith exposes militarism and environmental harm

Just World AdminAntiwar, Blog, Environment

We were proud to cosponsor the No War 2017 conference this past weekend at American University in Washington, DC. And we were even more proud that our own Gar Smith was a featured speaker! Just World Educational will be sponsoring a series of events with Gar Smith in the San Francisco Bay Area this fall (more on this below).

Just World table at the No War 2017 conference

Gar’s urgent message could hardly be more pertinent for the three-day conference addressing “War and the Environment.” Photos and a video archive of all the conference presentations is available at the World Beyond War site. His new book, The War and Environment Reader, will be published by Just World Books next month.

Gar Smith spoke on the opening panel Saturday morning. Smith’s talk, entitled Stones to Drones: A Short History of War on Earth, reviewed the history of human warfare. Smith noted the long pedigree of wars against nature, furnishing examples ranging from the Epic of Gilgamesh to the Bible, and through to the more recent, early history of the United States. Gar observed the continuity with the present day, calling the U.S. the leading purveyor of war.

Gar Smith and Richard Tucker

A video of his talk is available (his presentation runs approximately fifteen minutes long), as well as the full text of his prepared remarks at the conference.

Gar’s presentation was followed by Richard Tucker, a professor at the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment, who gave a wonderful endorsement of Gar and his book. Tucker noted that Gar is “one of our finest environmental journalists anywhere over the last 40 years or more” and called The War and Environment Readerthe single best collection of material on this subject, past or present” with a “most compelling” introductory essay by Smith summing up the themes of the book (and the conference). Tucker’s remarks on Gar and his work are really worth watching for yourself!

Smith’s talk at the #NoWar2017 conference was an excellent teaser for his Just World Educational-organized speaking tour this fall, which we are titling, Exposing Militarism and Environmental Harm. His slate of Bay Area events include

Our West Coast representative Jim Haber is busy organizing additional events so check-back for the latest updates!