Let's create continuous conversations about climate change education: Spreading the Sediment of Science!

Hi, educators! Share your student reach in our short Impact Survey 📚 Survey Link

Collateral Damage: The Environmental Cost of the Ukraine War

Provided by: Yale School of the Environment |Published on: March 30, 2023

Articles/Websites Grades 9-12, ap-college

Synopsis

This article outlines the environmental threats caused by the war in Ukraine including fires, pollution, damage to nuclear facilities, and logging.
It discusses the sensitive habitats, such as steppe grasslands and beech forests, that face severe damage and degradation, putting rare species at risk.
It also discusses the concern about radiation levels and nuclear waste containment at multiple nuclear energy facilities that are sites of conflict in the war in Ukraine.

Subjects: Science, Social Studies, English Language Arts

Authors: Fred Pearce

Region: Europe

Languages: English

Positives

This article covers the environmental cost of war, a topic that is often overlooked in news headlines.
There are links to many relevant and diverse primary sources that discuss the environment in Ukraine, including the Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group.

Additional Prerequisites

Students should be emotionally prepared to discuss the consequences of war, and instructors should be prepared to discuss the human toll of war, too.
Students should be familiar with the terms and concepts of biodiversity, logging, nuclear radiation, and pollution.

Differentiation

It may be helpful to lead a discussion to gather students' background knowledge of the war in Ukraine and assess their level of comfort in discussing topics of war.
Before reading the article, have students do a turn-and-talk activity to discuss what they think potential environmental consequences of armed conflicts may be.
Consider having students independently research and learn more about some of the unique habitats and species present in Ukraine that are discussed in the article.
It may be helpful to create an interdisciplinary lesson with a social studies class when examining these topics.

Scientist Notes

Teaching Tips

Standards

Resource Type and Format