User:ThatOneFatRatFromBarnyard/Environmental impact of war

Middle East
The water supply during the Iraq War had been heavily contaminated due to actions of the conflict; The oil from military vehicles would leak out, the ammunition fired from all weapons would also have uranium ooze out into the waters, and the overall wellbeing of nature and forest live in the Middle East had been destroyed[1]

In the Gulf War in the 90’s, Iraq residents intentionally spread all the oil from the Kuwaiti oil fields to pollute and contaminate the coastline and waters of Saudi Arabia. These acts were tantamount to ecoterrorism, as approximately 400 miles of Persian Gulf shoreline were covered in oil, destroying the livestock and environment.[2]

Vietnam War
Agriculture and the health of the land took a hit in the south, with large areas destroyed from the explosions, tarnishing the soil, the horizons it grows on, and even so far as to damage the bedrock beneath it all through what we now know as Bombturbation, and It brought long and complex issues toward the front of the ecosystem. The original forest has to be replaced by a succession of vegetation types that have comparatively sparse canopy and shallow root systems that cut off evapotranspiration, which is why an increase in runoff can be dictated after the bomb resonates and does the most damage it can do. [3]

World War I
Undoubtedly, the military establishments of the United States and the countries of the former Soviet Union are two of the largest global producers of hazardous wastes, using waste for essentially everything in-order to obtain victory; weapons, manufacturing, storage, etc. Researchers discovered that the US Defense Department produces between 400,000 and 500,000 tons of toxic wastes annually. [4]

World War II
Additionally, the Baltic Sea contains a large quantity of unexploded munitions, including land and naval mines from World War II. Not only do these unexploded munitions pose a threat to boating traffic, but also marine life. When these munitions are detonated below the ocean, whether unintentionally or intentionally in an effort to clear them, marine organisms several kilometers away can be inflicted with direct injury. Organisms greater distances away may still experience injury, such as damage to their hearing range which in some cases is irreversible. One hundred and sixty five thousand naval mines were placed in the Baltic and western sea during World War II, with an estimated 15-30% of these still remaining active.

Unexploded ordnance
Unexploded ordnance pose a threat to both construction activities and tunneling activities. This threat primarily exists in the United Kingdom, where many unexploded ordnance remain, leftover from World War I and II. If these unexploded ordnance were to explode, they pose the same level of threat to civilian populations just as they did during the war that they were used in, including a blast wave and shrapnel. Many unexploded ordnance are located at a depth ranging from 6 meters to 20 meters, with the depth these unexploded ordnance reach depending on multiple factors.

Targeting of chemical and industrial facilities
The targeting of chemical and industrial facilities in warfare can result in multiple negative environmental impacts. Depending on the type of facility, multiple chemicals and other dangerous substances can enter the environment which can pose a wide array of negative impacts. For example, the River Dunbae became heavily contaminated after airstrikes targeting oil and chemical facilities caused oil and chemical leaks during the Kosovo War. The targeting of oil fields and refineries also impacts the atmosphere, with large amounts of carbon dioxide as well as sulphur, mercury, and dioxins being released. Nearly half a million tons of carbon dioxide were released from the Gulf War, in which many oil fields were burned.

Testing of nuclear armaments
Many of the sites where nuclear armaments have been tested have both radioactively polluted water and soil. Strontium, plutonium, and uranium can all be released into the environment along with numerous other pollutants such as benzene and mercury.

Numerous negative health impacts exist from exposure to radiation due to nuclear armaments testing. One of the largest threats is the development of thyroid cancer, a health implication that primarily impacts individuals exposed to radiation during childhood. The threat of radiation exposure from nuclear armaments testing not only disproportionately impacts children but also those living closest to the site of the test. In the case of the United States of America, numerous residents of Nevada as well as the Marshall Islands have received much larger doses of radiation from the nuclear armaments testing that has taken place there. The testing of nuclear armaments in the Marshall Islands disproportionately impacts Marshallese people, as they make up the majority of the population on the Marshal Islands

A movement to ban the testing of nuclear weapons, called the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, was adopted by the United Nations in September of 1996. The treaty has been ratified by one hundred and seventy eight states as of 2024, with Papua New Guinea being the most recent state to ratify the treaty.

Strontium-90
Strontium-90 is considered one of the most dangerous radioactive elements. This is because it is highly radiotoxic and it has a very long half-life. In addition to polluting the soil, Strontium-90 can also pollute water, such as oceans and rivers. Strontium-90 is highly dangerous for marine life.

Waste Incineration
The smoke from these burn pits can potentially cause respiratory and cardiovascular disease. The threat of exposure to the smoke from these burn pits impacts both military as well as civilian populations. The threat that the exposure to this smoke poses depends on multiple factors, including the duration of exposure, wind direction, and the materials that are being incinerated. The United States Military now discourages waste disposal using open burn pits, recommending that they only be used in emergency situations. Additionally, there are also certain items that are now prohibited from being burned. Open air burn pits are still used today by military forces as well as civilian populations in places that do not have adequate solid waste disposal services.

Militaries' positive effects on the environment
The impacts of the war in Ukraine on fossil fuel demand could be experienced globally. Suspected impacts of the war include greater demand for locally produced energy sources stemming from increased concern over energy security. As fossil fuel deposits are not evenly distributed around the world, this could lead to a greater push for renewable energy forms as these are typically easier to domestically produce and are not as susceptible to the global economy. This process will likely occur gradually, if at all. Additionally, the war in Ukraine will likely produce a very large amount of Carbon Dioxide emissions due to high fossil fuel usage for military purposes.