*[Enwl-eng] UWEC Issue #7

[enwl]

UWEC Issue #7

The war has myriad negative aspects that are not obvious at first glance.



                              Dear Friends!

                              The war has myriad negative aspects that are 
not obvious at first glance. For example, when we discuss the invasion’s 
environmental consequences, few consider its impacts on Ukraine’s scientific 
community. The war has not only halted work on many biological and 
environmental initiatives. It is also threatening the data collected by 
researchers over many, many years.

                                a.. Saving scientific data during war: how 
is it possible and why it matters?
                              In his article, Ukrainian Nature Conservation 
Group’s Oleksii Marushchak describes how researchers collect, catalog, and 
preserve data collected over years of research. Current technology makes the 
process more efficient than it was, for example, during World War II. 
However, without the necessary speed and support, the probability of losing 
significant amounts of information is still high. This could be a 
catastrophe for environmental protection not only in Ukraine, but also in 
Europe.

                                a.. Biology in Bomb Shelters
                              The war is prompting the mass migration of 
Ukrainians, and thus also Ukraine’s scientific communities. Today, 14.7% of 
scientists involved in biological sciences have already left Ukraine and 
another 38.1% are internally displaced. Between shelling and drone strikes 
on the national energy sector, it is not even possible to work virtually. In 
addition, there is a significant shortage of personnel, especially young 
staff. Most monitoring programs are on hold, either because of the ongoing 
fighting or because of a simple lack of resources. UWEC Work Group’s Oleksii 
Vasyliuk discusses the struggle of biological and environmental scientists 
to survive in this situation.

                                a.. Hydroelectric dams as weapons: virtual 
and actual
                              Hydropower plants and the reservoirs that 
support them have been used and continue to be used as weapons for achieving 
military goals. During WWII, the destruction of the Dnipro hydropower plant 
killed thousands of people. Today, the threat of blasting the Kakhovka 
hydropower plant is widely discussed as a possible scenario, an event which 
could result in civilian deaths, but also has the potential to create 
additional difficulties for operation of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power 
plant. Our experts Eugene Simonov and Oleksii Vasyliyuk analyzed the 
“lessons of war” related to hydropower plants.

                                a.. Nord Stream Gas Leaks: Experts Estimate 
Impact on Climate
                              The gas leak resulting from damage to the Nord 
Stream pipeline was a clear demonstration of how events related to the war 
in Ukraine can directly affect the ecology of other regions. Methane 
emissions over just a few days is roughly equivalent to half of Denmark's 
annual emissions or the greenhouse gas emissions of one of Europe's largest 
coal plants. We publish a transcript of a conversation with Sascha 
Müller-Kroener, director of Deutsche Umwelthilfe e.V. (Environmental Action 
Germany and Eco-action Germany), which first appeared in the Eurasian 
Climate Brief podcast series.

                              You can find more information about the 
environmental consequences of the war in Ukraine on our website and on our 
social media (Twitter and Facebook).


                              Peace and strength be with you, dear friends!
                              Aleksei Ovchinnikov
                              Editor, UWEC Work Group










      From: UWEC Work Group
      Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2022 10:44 PM
      Subject: UWEC Issue #7



 
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