A "Silent Victim": How Nature Becomes a Casualty of War by Emily AnthesIn “A ‘Silent Victim’: How Nature Becomes a Casualty of War”, Emily Anthes discusses how the Russia-Ukraine conflict may lead to significant environmental damage. According to Anthes, “Wars destroy habitats, kill wildlife, generate pollution, and remake ecosystems entirely…” Previous conflicts have established this negative relationship between war and nature. Herbicide use during the Vietnam War destroyed vast swathes of jungle wilderness and weapons usage during World War I and II contaminated the soil with heavy metals. Anthes states that environmental consequences resulting from prior conflicts have already been witnessed in Ukraine, with more environmental damage lurking on the horizon. Fighting has created fires capable of being seen from space near the Black Sea Biosphere Reserve, damaging the habitat of migratory birds and displacing thousands of animals. Many are concerned the fighting will destroy industrial sites used for processing coal and oil, thereby releasing massive amounts of pollution into the atmosphere. This would worsen global warming and climate change, disrupting ecosystems on a global scale. According to Anthes, scientists and government officials worry the conflict could also damage Ukraine’s nuclear reactors, releasing radioactive particles into the atmosphere. Russian military activity in the Chernobyl exclusion zone has already worsened radiation in the area, putting many animals living in the exclusion zone at risk. This includes gray wolves, raccoon dogs, and the endangered Przewalski’s horses. Disruption of these species will cause ripples through trophic cascades, potentially altering this unique ecosystem permanently.
Anthes’ writing excellently supplements the sources already composing the wilderness module. The writings of Roderick Nash, Evelyn White, and Emily Atkins primarily discuss the value of wilderness and its importance. Nash argues for why national parks benefit every nation, White details how the wilderness reconnected her with her ancestors, and Atkins describes the life of Pattie Gonia, a queer environmental activist who can confidently express their identity in nature. While these sources emphasize the value of wilderness, they fail to address its fragility and the threats wilderness faces. “A ‘Silent Victim’: How Nature Becomes a Casualty of War”, makes people realize that wilderness is not a guaranteed right, and that military conflict can destroy it. This knowledge leads to an understanding between war and wilderness and the growth of conservationist ideals, both of which will keep wilderness safe for future generations to enjoy. - Annotation by Anonymous, Fall 2023