It is interesting to see that the ‘green’ trend/agenda appears to be reaching the arms industry. This opening sentence might move the reader to think that I am about to discuss the development of biodegradable bullets, flora-friendly mines, or AK-47 recycle centers. However futuristic this might sound, I am sure there is someone out there seriously researching such possibilities. Far from that, I just wanted to draw attention to the brief article below. The article addresses a substantive attempt at the greening of arms and aerospace companies. Do not get over-optimistic, by greening I mean the business of establishing and selling the green credential of a particular company. With the politics agenda, spin and actual policy, and public concerns merging into a powerful trend for the greening of the environment, this business promises to be a profitable one. Evidently, how greenable (sic) arms firms are is altogether a different matter. Yet what really interests me is, when and in which form, the green agenda will intersect the private military company / private security company (PMC/PSC) debate. If there is a proposal in the air about defense companies being "compelled to invest back in the country they have sold arms", how long will it take for someone to propose the same for fully-fledged PSCs/PMCs such as Blackwater and Aegis. Indeed, this is the realm of speculations about alternative and surreal futures. However, are not we converging into that realm rapidly?

April 2, 2007