Potential impacts of an Israeli attack on Iran

Times Article

While this does not directly address the environment and how it may be impacted by an Israeli strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. I do not know the details of nuclear radiation, nuclear power, and precision airstrikes but it seems as though this could create some major problems. Would there be a more serious explosion if a location with nuclear research going on? It seems as though this could be dangerous because of the unknown potential affects of this action, and any possible reprisals by the Iranians or other Islamic countries of the area.


And while it does not really apply to this week's topic this blog is quite interesting

Iran-Iraq War & Waterway Claims

http://www1.american.edu/ted/ice/iraniraq.htm

This article talks about the role that the Shatt-al-Arab waterway played in the Iraq/Iran war. Since an ambiguous "The Peace Treaty of 1639" between the Persians and the Ottoman empire, this waterway has been disputed. Although we often think of the Iran/Iraq war as war about religion, this article talks about the main role that the waterway played in its initiation and both countries perseverance.

The article also talks about how although their was a lot of potential for the environmental damage during the Iran/Iraq war, relatively little actually occured (compared to the potential).

So I guess ultimately this post isn't about the environemnal impacts of war, but rather the environmental causes.

http://www1.american.edu/ted/ice/iraniraq.htm

Health Hazards 9/11

Ground Zero Hazards

Environmental impact of 9/11 worse than feared

The articles that I found talk a lot about the health effects associated with the 9/11 attacks. The video does not talk much about what the health effects were, but it does show how many sources said that the area was perfectly safe.

Given our reading centered around Al qaeda I thought that it would be interesting to link our topic back to the U.S. directly. I think that it is important to realize how the issues we are discussing (such as terrorism) can directly influence

our lives here in the U.S.

link

Here's the link (I finally got it to work)

http://www.afghan-web.com/geography/environment.html

Waging War on the Environment in Afghanistan

For some reason right now, I am unable to post links here, but I found an article called, “The Condition of Afghanistan’s Environment” by Daud Saba and Mardom Nama-e Bakhter through google.

It is quite old (from 1997) but I thought it would be interesting to see what the status was during the active rule of the Taliban compared to the current status of the environment in Afghanistan today.

As others have noted in their posts, the article mentions the loss of forested area as a huge problem in the already very arid country. Much of this problem is due to deforestation, but a significant amount has also by burned or destroyed by war technology in chemicals. These chemical weapons, which Afghanistan used in the war against the Soviet Union, contributed smog and pollution to the air. As a result, these are obviously direct environmental consequences from war, as opposed to what we have seen in other countries we have studied where much of the degradation is linked indirectly to war through oil.

The article talks about how even worse than the decreasing amount of forests as well as farming land is the terrifying environmental and human danger of land mines, which are planted for war purposes. As of 1997, there were more than 10 million land mines in Afghanistan. (WHAT!?)

We must ask, at what point does environmental degradation become a government’s weapon against its own people. The state of the environment in Afghanistan desperately needs to be addressed, but are there motives for those who hold power to prevent reform?

Drought in Afghanistan

Drought and conflict have been devastating for Afghanistan’s drinking water. Access to safe water has been limited even before US-led bombing commenced in October 2001. The lack of safe drinking water also makes diarrhea and dysentery more of a threat. Disease outbreaks were not met with the traditional means of community education on hygiene and communication campaigns since the Taliban dismantled those women-led structures. By the time the campaign on Afghanistan was underway in 2001, the country had been experiencing its worst drought in 30 years. Well drilling and water delivery have been undertaken by foreign NGOs to help make safe water available. The areas of Maywand and Khakrez have particularly been impacted by these problems. They traditionally rely on water from underground water sources or shallow water wells, but these sources have been damaged and truncated. Irrigation for food production has also been more difficult to obtain and as a result food production has suffered. Severe food shortages now face the country and Oxfam says 5 million could experience extreme food shortages and possible starvation. Delivery of aid and water relief has been complicated as infrastructure and supply routes are under continued attack. While the focus on Afghanistan policy has been on the insurgency and political security, food security has been getting little attention. A humanitarian crisis looms for Afganistan. Can the US escalate its battle against continued suffering and public health crises in Afghanistan? Will the focus on the troubles of Afghanistan incorporate the pressing need for action to remove the circumstances that make starvation and disease too real of a threat for millions in Afghanistan?

Deforestation, endangered species, land mines

sorry, i'm a little late with this...

This article talks about the effects of years and years of war in Afghanistan, especially the civil war. It touches on a few things already mentioned by Slavi and Evelyn, in regards to deforestation and land mines, but offers some other facts as well.

here is the link: http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2002/03/afghanistans-environmental-casualties

their natural resources are depleting as a result of being over used to make war weapons, but also in order to survive financially in war times. one resource especially over used has been the forests. the lumber industry has been one of few money-making industries because wood is need to create and fuel the building of war infrastructure. much of this wood is smuggled out of the country by a timber mafia. the lack of trees leaves the earth exposed, and as the top soil erodes, the land is made unusable for agriculture.

a lot of this land is filled with left over land mines from the civil war, an estimated 10 million! that kill or injure 3 people per day!

a drought has caused even more fighting over water access of rivers and canals. also, the animal biodiversity of Afghanistan is suffering signifcantly. There are lots of problems with poaching and hunting endangered species for food and profit on the black market.

the devastation that Afghanistan has sufferd because of conflict and war is unbelievable, and there is no sign of things turning around. the land, air, and water is constantly degrading and becoming unusable, and creating an unlivable environment for humans to live.