Environmental Science Blog

Currently, a very disastrous event is occurring: war. Russia is invading Ukraine. Although war causes mass casualties to humans, war also effects the environment. War can cause habitat loss, invasive species, and draining of natural resources.

Habitat loss is one of the biggest effects of war. Habitat loss can be caused by bombs, chemicals, infrastructure collapse, and other weapons. The result of this is fractured habitats or complete habitat loss. An example of this is the nuking of Japan. When US nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, not only did the cities get completely demolished, the habitats around the cities were also wiped out. When there is habitat loss, there is also a loss in organisms in the area. This could possible cause species extinction. Whenever there is war, habitat loss is inevitable.

Another result of war is the introduction of invasive species. When armies from different countries travel, they often carry invasive species or disease. For example, the Europeans carried the Black Plague to the Native Americans. This caused more than half of the native population to die. Invasive species’ in a new environment can cause detrimental effects to that environment. The invasive species can cause species extinction and reduced biodiversity as it grows unchallenged.

Whenever there is war, the countries will try to accommodate their soldiers with food, weapons, and clothing. This means that they will have to harvest a lot more natural resources. Doing this can result in draining of natural resources like wood, metal, and agriculture. Chopping down more wood causes deforestation, Mining causes habitat fracture and habitat loss, and an excess amount of agriculture can drain the nutrients from the soil leaving the land barren and unable to support life.

Therefore, whenever there is war, damage to the environment is inevitable. Whether its habitat loss, invasive species, or resource drainage, the environment will never be the same. Because of its effect on the environment and the people, war should be avoided.