World
The Lingering Toxic Legacy of War: Environmental Damage That Lasts Decades
War not only claims lives and destroys infrastructure but also leaves behind environmental pollution that persists for decades, affecting public health and ecosystems. The conflict in Ukraine, the Iran war, and the 1991 Gulf War all demonstrate how attacks on fossil fuel infrastructure create long-lasting toxic legacies. Rebuilding with distributed renewable energy could reduce both the environmental damage and economic volatility that follow conflict.