The impact of war on our living home
by Linda Thyer
Thank you – it is true honour to speak to you all on the traditional and ancestral unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh peoples, in remembrance of all of the lives lost in war, on a day where as many as 120 armed conflicts are raging globally. Besides the lives lost, many are left maimed, and children are left orphaned and homeless. The toll on physical health is enormous, and the toll on mental health can be even greater, often cascading through generations.
Much is written and spoken about these terrible human costs to war. Butmuch less is said about the impact on our myriad non-human kin. Our anthropocentric view places humans above all other life forms. However, in other worldviews such as those of many Indigenous peoples, ALL forms of life are equally valued. Such a worldview is biocentric meaning all living and non-living beings have intrinsic value, and all beings
are animistic or have a spirit. Interconnectedness of all beings is central to this worldview. And when we consider that every molecule of air we breathe, every sip of water we drink, every bite of food we eat are all absorbed into every cell of our body, we can recognize that we literally become what we breathe, drink and eat, and are inextricably connected to everything on this Earth. As Cash Ahenakew, a Plains Cree scholar and
professor at UBC, writes, we are part of the metabolism of the land. So when we destroy and pollute these sources of life, we are harming ourselves as well. This understanding has been used by warmongers during wars and genocides, where the natural systems which provide for life for all its inhabitants are deliberately destroyed and polluted, and weaponized to cause illness and death through starvation and pollution of water and food, while destroying cultural ties to the land.
War has both immediate and long-term impacts on our living home. These are manyfold, from direct pollution of air, water and soil, to loss of biodiversity, to the indirect impacts of the high greenhouse gas emissions of war and militarization causing climate change and the ensuing ecosystem destruction. I will speak about each of these in a bit more detail.
In reports coming from the current wars in Ukraine and Gaza, direct strikes are causing significant pollution. For example, bombs with their toxic fallout as well as debris and rubble of pulverized buildings kick up dust containing fine particles of glass, wood, concrete, asbestos and a variety of other
heavy metals. The destruction of buildings, roads and other infrastructure generated an estimated 37 million tons of debris in Gaza the first 6 months after October 7, 2023. Noxious substances are released into the air during attacks on fuel storage facilities, industrial and chemical facilities, and
medical facilities, disseminating toxic fumes, industrial cleaning agents, and bio-hazardous materials respectively. Uncontrolled burns, such as wildfires ignited by explosions, contribute to air
pollution in war zones much like they do here, with wildfires burning up all combustibles in their path including plastics, wiring, fuels, chemicals and even solar panels, releasing toxic soot, PCBs and other gases and particulates. In these chaotic war situations where waste and fuel infrastructure is destroyed, desperate civilians burn for fuel the solid waste
that is piling up. The toxic gases released by these fire sources contribute to health risks for humans, animals and plants alike, in addition to contributing to greenhouse effects.The fine particulate matter from both dust and wildfires presents considerable health risks to humans as well as to other animals, with this dust and particles often having far-reaching
impacts as they travel to neighbouring areas through air currents or washout with the rain and travel through waterways to settle in soil. White phosphorus, a chemical used in warfare, creates a toxic smoke used to hide military manoeuvres, and is known to have a harmful impact on plants, contaminates the soil, and causes lung damage and other organ failure in humans and other animals. Dumping and decomposition of ammunitions and other military equipment, releases explosive residue and leaches pollutants into waterways both in the near term and as they decay over time. Unexploded ordnances may remain for long periods of time in water or on land, with effects that last long after the conflict may have ended. Flooding of mines and industrial
facilities leads to water runoff contaminated with a variety of toxic materials and chemicals including radioactive materials. This polluted water finds its way into water tables, rivers, lakes and the sea, threatening drinking supplies and the health and wellbeing of all the plants and animals living in the waterways.
Disruption of wastewater facilities contributes to water pollution as well, currently a big issue in Gaza with huge amounts of untreated wastewater pouring into the sea. Destruction of solid waste treatment facilities leads to
leaching of waste contaminants into the soil worsened with rainfall when they make their way into waterways and the sea.
War has an impact on coastal and marine ecosystems as well, including chemical pollution, loud noises, and physical damage to habitats with deployment of land and sea mines.
In Ukraine, the collapse of the Nova Kakhovka Dam due to warfare caused massive flooding downstream, with the flood waters carrying organic wastes as well as oil, landmines and unexploded ordnances. The flooding itself caused enormous loss of plant and animal life, not unlike the atmospheric rivers in Sumas Prairie in 2021, and the resulting change in water flow later contributed to drought conditions with inadequate water for some ecosystems and for farmlands.
The chemicals from ammunitions and explosives, especially heavy metals, can contaminate soil and surface waters for a century or more, creating land unsuitable to live on or farm. PFAS, or forever chemicals known to have toxic effects and last forever in the environment, are found in some munitions and may be present in higher concentrations in war zones. In
Ukraine as of January 2024, unexploded ordnances are estimated to contaminate nearly 1/3 of the land, and clean up is expected to take decades.
Special mention must be made of nuclear energy and the overwhelmingly devastating and persistent impacts on all forms of life, of radiation from warheads as well as from compromised power plants. In Ukraine, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant was the first ever to come under military
attack, creating an urgent situation. This tension continued at the intersection of war and climate change, with concern over an adequate water supply to cool the core and prevent nuclear catastrophe, due to the Nova Kakhovka Dam collapse by acts of war, and drought conditions related to climate change.
Loss of biodiversity due to habitat destruction is another environmental impact of war. Nature preserves and sensitive ecosystems have been destroyed by large-scale military movements over the land, digging of trenches, landmines and shelling, wildfires, deforestation and pollution.
Displaced civilians, especially in large numbers contribute to the damage. In some areas, the constant military activities have led to near-extinction of some species. Many conservation efforts are put on hold during military
occupation as well. And at at time when rising CO2 levels are contributing to climate instability and compounding the devastating impacts of war, these green spaces serve as critical carbon sinks. Clean up after war typically involves much more waste than careful deconstruction of buildings, as many materials are mixed together and can not be recycled. Post-war reconstruction contributes further to ecosystem pollution, requiring energy, often fossil fuels, and materials extracted from nature via harmful processes such as mining, further placing a strain on natural systems. And in times of urgent need of materials, environmental regulations may be relaxed.
Beyond the direct impacts, war causes ecosystem destruction indirectly, by contributing to climate change through greenhouse gas emissions related to preparations for and execution of war activities. In Gaza, on the day of
October 7 alone, the Hamas attack emitted around 646 tons of carbon dioxide equivalents. Then, in just the first two months of the war, Israel!s aerial bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza emitted approximately 281,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide, and an estimated 536,000 tons of CO2 equivalents in the first 120 days of war, 90% of which is attributed to
Israel’s air and ground strikes, with 89,000 tons of explosives on the Gaza Strip and over 250,000 military flights. Additional sources of those emissions include the manufacturing and detonation of explosives, artillery and rockets, tank maneuvers and vehicle fuel consumption. In Ukraine, recent study estimated that emissions from the war has likely exceeded
150 million metric tons of CO2 so far.
Since the Kyoto agreement in 1997, military emissions have been exempt from obligatory carbon emissions reporting, due to pressure from the US which has the largest global military emissions, reported at 51 million metric tons of CO2 equivalents in 2022, of which jetfuel comprised 80% of
operational emissions and 50% of overall emissions. The emissions total is more than the annual emissions of Portugal or Norway. Nothing destroys the planet faster than war. And nothing destroys the global collaboration required to address climate climate change more than preparations for war.
Although the natural environment is protected under International Humanitarian Law, it continues to be a “silent casualty of war”. This glaring omission highlights the final global war that I would like to mention: the war on nature. This is the war that we are waging on our living home, in which humans are destroying so many other life forms, through armed conflicts with other humans as well as through our attempts at domination of nature. It shows up in ways such as our determination to eliminate so-called pests in our homes and agricultural systems, as well as the lack of recognition of the harmful effects of our insatiable appetites for material goods, leading to pollution of the air, water and land. To end this war, we need a change in our hearts and minds, to humbly understand our small part in the great web of life, to recognize all our kin and learn to live in loving reciprocity with them and make peace with nature.
I’d like to close with a piece written by the late Richard Wagamese, an Ojibway journalist and author, on the traditional saying “All My Relations”, a phrase used by many Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island usually when sharing through speaking. He wrote: “I’ve been considering the phrase “all my relations” for some time now. It!s hugely important. It!s our saving grace in the end. It points to the truth that
we are all related, that we are all connected, that we all belong to each other. The most important word is ”all”. Not just those who look like me, sing like me, dance like me, speak like me, pray like me or behave like me. ALL my relations. That means every person just as it means every rock, mineral, blade of grass and creature. We live because everything else
does. If we were to choose collectively to live that teaching, the energy of our change of consciousness would heal each of us – and heal the planet.”
Thank you!