The Environmental

Consequences of

War.



The latest war raging across the Lebanese/Israeli border is no exception to environmental disasters that come with conflict. Of main concern is an oil slick stretching up to 80km up the coast of Lebanon (near Beirut) and into Syria. This spill happened as a result of an Israeli air strike on a power station 30km south of Beruit on the 14th & 15th July. The oil tanks feeding the station were targeted in the attack. The UNEP is hoping to support the Lebanese in dealing with the crisis, although this is obviously not easy while the country is under air attack. More on this at; http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,,19959467-5001028,00.html .

There are less obvious environmental concerns such as the hugh amount of reconstruction that will have to go on once this conflict dies down. Somewhere will have to be found to dump the twisted steel and concrete resulting from the bombed out apartments and bridges. Then millions of tonnes of new concrete and steel have to be produced to rebuild homes and amenities. All of this, along with the tragedy of lives lost and families pulled apart, need never have happened. The costs of the destruction, the tragedy and the environmental disasters should be borne by the arms industry. Of course ideally their businesses should be closed down. Yeah I know, fat chance....... all those jobs.