One might think war itself is a very direct form of violence, but environmental change may be a slower type of violence, says Gustav Cederlöf, associate professor of social and environmental studies at the University of Gothenburg.
In the first two weeks alone, the war in Iran produced emissions of five million tonnes of greenhouse gases, according to the Climate and Community Institute, which has analyzed the war's climate impact. That is equivalent to the emissions of a medium-sized fossil fuel‑intensive country like Kuwait - or the emissions in two weeks from a combined 84 of the countries with the lowest emissions, writes The Guardian.
Buildings and fuel
The burning oil facilities that are often seen in pictures are not the worst culprit. Destroyed buildings account for the largest part of the war's estimated carbon cost. According to data from the Iranian Red Crescent, around 20,000 civilian buildings were destroyed in the first two weeks - equivalent to 2.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, the analysis found.
Heavy fighter aircraft flying long distances, as well as ships and vehicles, are estimated to have contributed 529,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.
The analysis by the Climate and Community Institute included several different factors, explains Gustav Cederlöf.
As a further step, they also calculated not only the fuel used but also the emissions from producing aircraft and ammunition.
Drone warfare
War affects the environment for a long time to come, and in many cases the effects are difficult to assess. Annica Waleij, senior analyst at the Swedish Defence Research Institute (FOI), discusses the drone war in Ukraine, where downed drones are left lying in fields and pastures, which can have consequences for both agriculture and biodiversity.
The fiber optics that these huge numbers of drones bring with them are affecting birds. These are important flyover areas for migratory birds, where a lot of debris ends up and birds get stuck in it.
She still highlights Ukraine as an example.
They have really done a great job there in trying to map out what happened, where it happened and who can be held responsible at some point in the future.
The Geneva Convention contains rules that prohibit war tactics that damage the environment in the territory of another state. That increasingly seems to play less of a role, Waleij points out.
You actually shouldn't bomb an oil facility or a power plant. That's a war crime. Yes, it has environmental effects, but the serious thing is perhaps that you're completely ignoring international law - and it protects nature and the environment.
