About “Earth’s Greatest Enemy”

SYNOPSIS

A foreign policy reporter and her Iraq veteran husband turn their sights on the hidden impact the US military has on the planet, after the birth of their first child creates anxiety about the climate crisis. Their investigation exposes a secretive and constantly-expanding web of pollution, cover-ups and unaccountability by the world’s biggest polluter.

Earth’s Greatest Enemy confronts an entity rarely acknowledged in mainstream debates and exempt from international climate treaties: the U.S. military is the single largest institutional consumer of fossil fuels on the planet, and one of the most destructive forces to ecosystems worldwide. This film combines urgent investigative reporting, startling data and striking imagery to reveal the scale and consequences of this hidden footprint.
Through the voices of veterans, communities living near contaminated bases, and leading scientists and experts, the documentary traces how having an unparalleled military machine poisons water, soil, and air, leaving behind permanent scars on human
health and the natural world. From accidental leaks to intentional dumping of toxic waste, it shows that military pollution follows no borders.
At the same time, it situates these environmental costs within a broader system of the U.S. empire, where global military dominance drives resource extraction, protects corporate interests, and prevents necessary climate action. Featuring rare confrontations with Pentagon officials, as well as high-ranking politicians, Earth’s Greatest Enemy exposes how leaders deflect accountability while securing ever-increasing Pentagon spending. The film moves between searing testimonies and sweeping cinematic sequences, set to an original score with musical contributions from rising artists. It is investigative and immersive, drawing viewers into a disturbing portrait of militarism’s ecological impact and window into a dystopian present and future.
At a time when every ton of carbon matters, Earth’s Greatest Enemy challenges audiences to confront a profound question:
Can humanity avert climate catastrophe while the world’s largest military empire continues to reign unchecked?

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

Earth’s Greatest Enemy was born out of filmmakers Abby Martin and Mike Prysner’s shared history as journalists and activists confronting U.S. wars. Having spent years documenting the human toll of militarism, the new parents found themselves asking a question: what is the cost of this system on the planet itself? Their newfound climate anxiety collided with their reporting on the American empire, leading to a years-long investigation into history’s biggest military and its toll on the planet.

What began as just an exploration of military CO2 emissions unexpectedly grew into discoveries about massive toxic waste dumping, permanent infection of warzones, habitat destruction, and more. Rather than focus on one topic, the filmmakers set out to make the only documentary that gives an all-encompassing picture of Pentagon-led ecocide.

Primarily, the aim was to create a piece of media that can be used by environmental and anti-war organizers alike, as a tool to educate their communities and build grassroots campaigns.

Production began in 2020, as wildfires, repression of protests and pandemic failures underscored the urgency of the climate crisis. Over the next four years, the filmmakers travel from Alaska’s vanishing glaciers to contaminated U.S. bases, war-scarred Iraq, the halls of climate negotiations and aboard U.S. warships. Along the way, they speak with veterans, whistleblowers, impacted families, and scientific experts, building a mosaic of testimony that reveals the staggering environmental footprint of militarism.

The filmmakers drew inspiration from the humorous and confrontational style of Michael Moore (Farenheit 11/9); the experimental political essay work of Travis Wilkerson (An Injury To One), as well as the music-driven, meditative imagery of Ron Fricke (Samsara).

The film intercuts global reporting with intimate scenes from their own family life, a storytelling choice that grounds the vast issues in a personal reality.

The result is an unexpected documentary that is both investigative and emotional, dystopian and comical, connecting the dots between war, empire, and climate destruction. Earth’s Greatest Enemy is not only an exposé of hidden costs, but also a call to confront the forces standing in the way of a livable future.

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

This team’s first feature documentary, Gaza Fights for Freedom (2019), was prescient in its focus. Released years before Palestine entered mainstream discourse, the film became a go-to resource for millions learning about the issue, and continues to be screened by activists and organizers around the world. With Earth’s Greatest Enemy as their second feature, the filmmakers turn their lens to another underreported crisis—militarism’s hidden role in driving climate collapse—bringing the same urgency and clarity to a subject too often ignored, and never before tackled in documentary form.

ABBY MARTIN – Director / Writer

Abby Martin is a renowned journalist and documentarian whose fearless reporting has made her one of the most recognized independent voices in media. Known for her on-the-ground coverage of U.S. foreign policy, Martin has been praised for her uncompromising independence and willingness to challenge powerful institutions. As the creator and host of the acclaimed series The Empire Files, and previously Breaking The Set, she has reported from conflict zones around the world, giving voice to those most impacted by militarism. Martin’s work has earned her a global following and positioned her as a leading figure in alternative media and grassroots journalism.

MIKE PRYSNER – Co-Director / Writer

Mike Prysner is an Iraq War veteran turned prominent anti-war activist and writer. After serving as a soldier in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, he became a leading voice in the veterans’ anti-war movement, co-founding organizations and campaigns that mobilized thousands of service members against occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. Prysner’s advocacy has taken him from grassroots organizing to national platforms, where his critiques of U.S. militarism have been widely circulated. As a producer and co-creator of The Empire Files, he has worked alongside Martin to investigate the costs of war and empire across the globe.