Climate Impacts of War
- 13 hours ago
- 3 min read
The climate impacts of the war in Southwest Asia will take decades to remediate
The human toll of the war in Southwest Asia should not be underestimated – at least 2000 people have been killed, and over 35000 injured. Military action in Iran and other parts of Southwest Asia has not only led to immense human suffering and economic consequences, but also to environmental consequences and differing political views on the future of fossil fuels.
Direct impacts
The direct impact of the war is the use of military equipment, such as operating planes and warships, and the release of CO² from exploding bombs. This war focuses on targeting energy infrastructure, leading to fires at oil storage facilities that release catastrophic amounts of carbon into the air. Oil slicks in the Persian Gulf risk ecological disaster. The release of toxins in concentrated forms directly harms nearby communities, damages the environment, and pollutes the atmosphere.
Human lives are directly (and indirectly) impacted, from wounds to loss of life and emotional distress, sometimes requiring long time recovery, if people are not scarred for life. Another long-term effect is the dislike for the nations that attacked them. Some Iranian people have likely already felt resentment towards the U.S. and Israel; that resentment can only have grown over the last few months by bombing their country, their homes, and their families. To “heal” this emotional wound may take generations.
Indirect impacts
One of the indirect impacts of this war is an economic one; the price of fossil fuels has gone up globally. The other is a social one; the injustice where rich countries that have had the opportunity to create reserves are less affected by fuel shortages and climbing prices than other parts of the world, such as parts of Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Right now the impact on energy systems is complex and mixed. Even as some countries increase burning coal or want to open up more oil drilling, in offshore Scotland or the Gulf of Mexico, others see that wind and solar can shield them from fossil fuel shocks. The EU is arguably in a better situation than at the start of the Ukraine conflict, having added renewables and diversified its energy portfolio.
Two industries that are really benefiting from this war: the military-industrial complex and the fossil fuel industry. While the average citizen is seeing their cost of living rise unacceptably, Shell has made $1.3 billion in extra profits from the Iran war alone. British Petroleum (BP) reported an additional $1.8 billion in extra profits. Total also reported an additional $1.8 billion in extra profits. These extra profits are in addition to the fossil fuel industry profits from wars in Ukraine and Gaza. In Gaza, it is mostly the military industrial complex that is making money. Figures for the military industrial complex aren’t public, so we can’t know how much profit is being made there.
There is a solution to this. One that takes away the gross profits being made by the fossil fuel industry, one that can be implemented in an equitable way, and one that will help us be less affected by the wild decisions of incompetent and irrational leadership. Renewables are the answer: with your own or local-government-owned solar or wind power, the demand for fossil fuels will be lower, thus lowering your energy bills. Using bikes, public transport, and electric cars reduces our dependency on fossil fuels even more. Of course, not everybody has a budget to put up solar or buy an electric car, so we need an equitable solution to make sure that the people who need financial support to move away from fossil fuels can have access to adequate financial support. Fridays For Future is of the opinion that the outrageous profits being made by fossil fuel companies should be taxed severely, and the money from those taxes should be used to move away from the use of fossil fuels and support communities to build their own renewable energy sources.
Please support our petition to Stop Big Oil Profits, to hold the fossil fuel industry accountable, and to demand that governments raise taxes on these outrageous profits!
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