Target: Inger Andersen, Executive Director of United Nations Environment Programme
Goal: Make clear consequences of continued and expanding Middle East conflict for environment and health.
Ominous black rain fell from the skies in the wake of relentless U.S. and Israeli air strikes on Iran. But this downpour was much more than just a symbolic representation of the darkness descending on the country. The rain is the opening salvo of a catastrophic environmental crisis.
Oil facilities have been a major target of airstrikes. The fires sparked by these strikes – combined with the innate toxins in the oil itself – create a lethal cocktail of carcinogens and pollutants so pervasive that they have become embedded in the very precipitation of the surrounding area. As untold amounts of poison literally rain down, any living organism – human, animal, and plant alike – will suffer devastating short-term and longer-term health consequences, from chemical burns to crippling respiratory illnesses. Soil and groundwater contamination can create an even more cascading effect. Compounding the water crisis is the very real prospect that facilities used to treat and cleanse water could be targeted in future strikes. If radioactive nuclear material is ever hit, the consequences would be infinitely dire.
The longer the conflict continues, the more environmental ramifications will extend well beyond active strike zones. A recent massive research initiative concluded that global warming has accelerated in a decade’s time far past what was previously thought. War has and will remain a significant driver of greenhouse gas emissions. For context, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine alone has produced a larger percentage of emissions than entire developed countries.
Sign the petition below to demand the planet’s leading alliance of nations ensures that the world understands the stakes involved in allowing this conflict to continue.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Executive Director Andersen,
Black acid rain, implicit chemical warfare on civilian populations, ecological catastrophe, wide-ranging water contamination, and soaring greenhouse gas emissions: these are just some of the consequences of the ongoing air strike campaigns unfolding in the Middle East. The utter disregard for human life and the prioritization of “saving the oil” above saving lives will come at the planet’s peril. This global partnership must be the leader the world needs during this time.
Please launch the world’s largest public education initiative and open eyes and minds to what’s at stake. Civilizations around the world must recognize and understand the environmental crisis that will quickly spread from Iran and surrounding areas to the entire planet if urgent action is not taken. Do everything in your power to prevent humanity from becoming the architect of its own demise.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Avash Media
