War machine and the health of the planet

Apart from indirect consequences of war from transport vehicles and airplanes emitting pollution, there are also direct consequences when carbon is released into the air from fires from bomb strikes. This is the result of an Israeli strikes on Gaza’s Islamic University at the end of last year. — Reuters

AS we start to think about Malaysia’s upcoming role as the chair of Asean next year and the region’s emerging focus on climate, peace and security, I wanted to take a moment to consider some of the hidden costs of the horrors of war.

Beyond the terrifying, heart-wrenching scenes we have been witnessing from Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Yemen, and a host of other conflicts around the planet, the carbon emission costs of conflict are truly staggering and must be factored fully into work on the climate-related dimensions of international, regional and national peace and security.