For as long as war has devastated the environment, moral and religious codes have sought to prevent or minimize the environmental impacts of wartime actions. Even in biblical times, Deuteronomy commanded:

Although this is an anthropocentric perspective, applying only to the extent that environmental damage clearly harms society, it has been the basis for much of the Judeo-Christian scholarship in the area, including the development of the principle of bal tashchit, a rabbinical interpretation enjoining environmental waste and destruction.

Similarly, the Qur'an enjoins Muslims from harming trees in a jihad, a Muslim holy war. In fact, some Muslim armies included an officer who had the specific duty to ensure that “trees are not burnt, nor unjustifiably pulled out and that women, children, the elderly and unoffending priests or monks should not be harmed. He also ascertains that water and medicine are given to the prisoners of war.”