Global News Podcast Bonus: War and climate
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Mar 8, 2026 
Professor Nita Crawford, an international relations expert on military emissions, and Dr. Benjamin Nymark, a researcher on warfare’s environmental impacts, discuss war’s carbon toll. They cover estimating conflict footprints like Gaza and Ukraine. They explain the biggest emission sources: jets, munitions, supply lines, bases and reconstruction. They explore military fuel use worldwide and the potential for electrification and operational changes.
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Full Climate Cost Of A War Includes Prep And Rebuild
- Wars emit large, concentrated CO2 amounts beyond bombs, including pre-conflict fortifications and post-conflict reconstruction.
- Benjamin Nymark estimated the Gaza war released 33.2 million tonnes CO2e, comparable to annual emissions of a small country like Jordan.
War Footprints Vary With Front Size And Duration
- Different wars have very different footprints driven by geography, duration, and scale of frontlines.
- Nymark notes Ukraine emitted ~237 million tonnes CO2e with fires alone contributing ~22% of that total.
Bombs Fuel And Building Materials Are The Big Emitters
- Major emitters in combat are munitions and fuel plus heavy construction materials used before and after fighting.
- In Gaza Nymark highlighted 100,000 tonnes of munitions and 900,000 litres of jet fuel as heavy contributors.