The Hidden Environmental Costs Of The Impending Ukraine Conflict (Part 2)
, I discussed the more well-known environmental costs of warfare. Explaining the hidden costs to the environment is harder, though. Not only are there new methods of warfare, like cyberattacks, to account for, but there are also lingering environmental problems this particular conflict could lead to. To really understand the environmental costs, we need to consider everything.Once hackers bring critical infrastructure down, what it takes to fix it can vary.
There’s also the problem of damage to the infrastructure itself. Malware might not just turn off the computer-controlled equipment that manages the flow of electricity, gas, water, or sewage. In some cases, cyberattacks instruct the computers to sabotage the systems. Large transformers at utility stations could be burnt out through deliberate overloading.
” article series, sewer malfunctions happen all the time, and often make a “stomach bug” spread through an area. When untreated sewage makes its way into water supplies, bodies of water, and streets, it not only sickens humans, but damages the environment. Algae blooms, lack of oxygen in the water, and many other things can go wrong.
The biggest way to avoid hidden costs to the environment is to build resilient communities. Not only does this prepare a society for worst-case scenarios like wars, but it also prepares it for natural disasters, technological malfunctions, and many other threats. The best way to explain resilience is to look at trees. Rigid trees that can’t bend will get broken up by the wind.