--- title: "Genghis Khan killed so many people it was good for the environment" description: "The actions of Genghis Khan, one man, single-handedly cut 700 million tons of carbon from the atmosphere... mostly by cutting people." date: "2022-02-09" modified: "2025-07-30" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/genghis-khan-climate-change/" categories: - "History" tags: - "Military History" --- # Genghis Khan killed so many people it was good for the environment ![genghis khan statue]() In an age where worldwide industry and fossil fuel use emits [6.5 billion tons of carbon]() into the environment, we (mostly) scramble to find unique ways to cut our global carbon footprint. In that context, it's incredible how one man could single-handedly cut 700 million tons of his carbon footprint. And the carbon footprints of other people. And their actual footprints. And their feet. ![Painting of Genghis Khan]() *And sometimes their heads.* Genghis Khan Temujin conquered his way into the largest empire on earth between 1162 and 1227. His Mongol Army swept south through China, over and around the Great Wall. ![mongols]() *That's why building a giant wall is a stupid idea.* They then turned west through modern-day Afghanistan, Iran, and onward to the shores of the Caspian Sea – some 22 percent of the Earth's surface. In that campaign, the Great Khan killed some [40 million people](). The lands that those people were cultivating for farmland before the Mongols made it their gravesites soon started to grow trees and other vegetation instead. The returning forests pulled an astonishing [700 million tons of human-generated carbon]() out of the atmosphere, according to a Carnegie Institute study. That's like getting rid of every gasoline-fueled car on the road today. ![]() *And the drivers of those cars. And probably their families. (Picturehouse)* [That same study found]() that deforestation is one of the major contributors to climate change. Since the Khan killed all the people chopping down trees for farmland in Central and East Asia, the Earth had a chance to heal. He's like an ancient Lorax sent by Mother Earth — but with real consequences. ![]() *"*I am the flail of god*. Had you not created great sins, god would not have sent a punishment like me upon you."* However, since the people of the mid- to late-Middle Ages did not have access to cars, tanks, or John Deere tractors, the carbon removed from the atmosphere may have contributed to the first case of man-made global cooling. ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()