War & the Ecology of the Persian Gulf
During the course of the Persian Gulf War, the I
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During the course of the Persian Gulf War, the Iraqis released tons of oil into the gulf. Later, when it became evident that they were losing the war, the Iraqis set fire to oil fields throughout Kuwait. Both of these events have had a severe impact on the ecology of the Persian Gulf. There is the threat that these events may have a serious effect on the world environment as well. So far, however, the impact on the world environment has not been as bad as experts originally predicted. The war in the Persian Gulf was basically centered around the control of the oil resources of Kuwait. Saddam Hussein's motivation for invading Kuwait in the first place was related to his desire to control the local production of oil. Oil is an important fuel source for the United States as well as the other nations of the world. In fact, the entire economy of the free world is dependent upon the use of oil. The majority of the world's oil is located in the Middle East region and, as a result, the United States is strongly dependent upon imports of oil from that region. Saddam Hussein sought control over Kuwait's oil supplies because Kuwait is one of the most productive of the oil-rich Middle East nations. The emphasis on oil in the Persian Gulf War made it logical for Iraq to employ an attack on the Kuwaiti oil industry as part of its overall war strategy. Thus, in an effort to undermine the economy of Kuwait, the Iraqis released massive supplies of oil into the Persian Gulf a
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lity of serious damage on a global scale. This may occur if the smoke of the fires is carried high enough into the atmosphere to be carried by wind to other locations. Fortunately, recent estimates on the extent of the Kuwait fires indicate that worldwide damage is a remote possibility. Nevertheless, the damage on the local region will be extensive. In addition to Kuwait, various other nations in the region will be affected by the air pollution. At the height of the fires, the resultant smoke covered a range of 5,800 square miles, and was reported to have "drifted as far north as Iran."
The ecosystem of the Persian Gulf has been described as "one of the world's most fragile." Because of this, the oil spill and the oil fires have caused extensive ecological damage in the Persian Gulf region. The oil spill, for example, has destroyed a great deal of the marine life in the region. Environmentalists have noted that the wading birds have suffered the most, with as many as 20,000 deaths being reported in the area. There has also been severe damage to the fish, sea turtles, and other sealife in the region. Furthermore, "the seagrass on the coast of Kuwait is... sensitive to pollution and could be severely damaged." The Persia
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Approximate Word count = 2664
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page)
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