Depleted Uranium in US Weapons

Depleted uranium is used in armor plating, radiation shielding, ballast in missiles and aircraft counterweights. Soldiers are advised to be away from the impact of vehicles containing or hit by depleted uranium to prevent heavy metal poisoning. This isn't always possible for troops, and the Iraqi people who live in continuous combat have even more difficulty escaping the deleterious effects of depleted uranium on the battlefield. This is the country where they live after all. What kind of effects does the use of DU have exposed Iraqis? The concerns about radiation are not as troubling as depleted uranium being a potentially poisonous heavy metal. Depleted uranium dust and shrapnel exposure have been cited as the source of birth abnormalities leukemia by returning US soldiers. It is unclear if the dramatically increased incidence of cancer in Basra, where the water supply was contaminated by depleted uranium, can be completely attributed to DU. But this does spell concerns about the use of depleted uranium ammunition. While the US has resisted attempts to ban the use of depleted uranium, studies still point to the tenfold increase in childhood cancer as signs that the use of depleted uranium for tactical reasons needs to be reexamined.

SlideShow

Here is a great slideshow about the First Gulf War and about terrorism and the possibilities for the Second Gulf War and its environmental impacts. I really wanted to lay claim to this piece of media so my analysis and thoughts will follow when I come back from work later tonight

Tigris River

this article talks a little bit about the pollution of the Tigris due to the impacts of the US occupation of Iraq. The Euphrates-Tigris river valley is considered by many the birth of civilization, and the access to a flowing fresh river is one of the reasons why. Today, however, the Tigris is anything but mighty or flowing. It has been dammed at its source in Turkey to stop flooding, but in many parts, the river doesn't flow, but is staganat, and even dries up. The lack of flow also incrases the salt concentration in the water, making it unusable for drinking and unlivable for much of the ecosystem.

More pertinent to the war, before 2003, the river, had an ample and stable fish population. Pollution from war chemicals as well as dead bodies (mostly torture victims) thrown into the river have contributed to its contamination. Near Baghdad, fishermen have reported that the fish are scarce, but that they also cannot even try to fish there because it separates the city from US controlled Green Zone, which includes soldiers patrolling the waters. During the day, they make fishermen leave, and at night, fishermen risk being mistaken for "insurgents planting bombs."


Here is the link: http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/iraq/attack/consequences/2006/1113river.htm

Iraq War's Environmental Impact

I found this interesting article from just before the Iraq War, in January 2003 in "THE GUARDIAN". (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2003/jan/19/iraq5)It talked about the possible effects of a new Iraq war, if it happened...which it did (obviously).
It talked about the effect that the First Gulf War had on the environment but also on civilians and it makes some assumptions about the latest war.

Another article was from 2005, from BBC, talking about the impact that the war had on the environment of Iraq. It mentions some of the things from the previous article and it projects that costs for decontamination of Iraq would be around $40 million.
This is very interesting, since I found a bunch of random facts about the war on this site where it states how much pollution the war has caused so far (in carbon emissions) and how much money has been poured into it.

It is really amazing and truly fascinating to think that the U.S. would rather waste so much money by attacking a nation and then trying to rebuild it, instead of providing that money for stopping the current global warming trends, or spending more money on the war in Iraq than the whole world spends in order to stop global warming. I'm just overwhelmed by the information... I am not sure how accurate they are, or how accurate they can even be, but still.... even if it's somewhere near that, it's ridiculous.

article from NY Times

This is completely irrelevant to this week's topic but I thought it was pretty interesting. you may have to sign up to be a member of NY Times to read the whole article but it is free.


Link

Environmental Effects of War: Health

This is more directly relating to the enviornmental effects of the war. Apparently the war has led to decreased health services and a lack of available clean water for those within Iraq... I can't find the full report that is mentioned, but from other sources that have summarized it, it sounds like it's pretty lengthy....


http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/OCHA-64CV6S?OpenDocument


"The new report estimates that more than 20,000 Iraqis have died between the start of hostilities and when the report was finalised late last month. The number of people affected by the aftermath of the war is still rising as the Iraqi people continue to pay the price in death, injury and mental and physical ill health.

'Limited access to clean water and sanitation, as well as poverty, malnutrition, and disruption of public services including health services continue to have a negative impact on the health of the Iraqi people,' says the report's author Dr Sabya Farooq."

American Company Profiteering off (American Caused) Destruction in Iraq

So I know that everyone is really busy, but I REALLY encourage you to check out this link:

http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/search?q=haliburton

It's taken from the blog of an Iraqi women who uses the name "riverbend" - she fears the repercussions of revealing her true identity. She is 24 years old and before the war in Iraq she was a successful business woman. After the Saddam Hussein was taken out of power, she talks about how virtually non-existent differences between religious and ethnic groups flared and multiplied as the American forces divided power between them. As a result, conservative Islamic groups now have much power and she is no longer allowed to work.

This post from her blog focuses on the restructuring of Iraq. She talks in particular about a bridge being rebuilt by Halliburton. She reminds us that there is significant unemployment in Iraq as a result of the war, and that there are skilled engineers who are more than capable of rebuilding the bridges destroyed by American bombing. One of these engineers is her cousin, a bridge engineer for over 17 years who helped rebuild 20 of the bridges destroyed during the first Gulf War. His company appraised the rebuilding of the bridge at 30,000. Halliburton, however, got the contract and charged the Iraqi people 50,000,000 to rebuild the bridge.

She discusses how American companies are profiting off the destruction of Iraqi cities caused by American bombs. The American companies are driving Iraq into debt, which is especially atrocious once one is aware that Iraqi companies could do the same job for considerably less. In addition, the American companies are taking much needed jobs from the Iraqi's to giving them to American workers and contractors!

I realize this isn't directly related to the environmental effects of war, but I really wanted to share this because it does have to do with the destruction cased by war.

I REALLY recommend reading more of her blog, it provides a very unique perspective to the conflict in Iraq from someone who is actually experiencing it. Her blogs have also been published into two books entitled "Baghdad Burning." Also - a little endorsement here - if you find this interesting I strongly recommend that you take the class "Images of Women in the Middle East" taught by Kousha this fall (Sociology, Mondays from 1:10 - 4:10). She is from Iran herself and teaches the class incredibly well. It connects very well to this class and the readings are very interesting. I learned a lot from the class, and if you are interested in the Middle East, chances are you will love it too.