European countries bordering Russia are discussing ambitious wetland restoration projects with a double purpose: To trap CO₂, while also bogging down tanks.
A spokesperson for Estonia’s climate ministry told Politico that early discussions with the Ministry of Defense have already begun, and the defense and environment ministries of Poland and Finland have also said they are considering restoring peatlands for both security and climate reasons. A large amount of bogs have been drained for cropland, but closing the ditches that dry them out can quickly re-flood the land, turning them back into natural bogs.
Defense and climate rarely go hand in hand, but this initiative might allow governments to kill two birds with one stone: Diminish the number of dried-out bogs currently releasing carbon in much of Europe, and potentially help fortify a few NATO borders.