Reading to be done before Class: None. Browse some of the links below if you wish.
Come to class with a basic familiarity with the following concepts and ideas: None

The Environmental Costs of War

 Militaries and the Environment

The Physical Geography the Gulf Region (map)

• Climate and Water
• Terrain (photomap of Iraq , Relief Map )
• Coastal Ecosystems
  • Intertidal Mud Flats
  • Rocky shore
  • Seagrass bed
  • Coral reefs and islands
• Terrestrial Ecosystems
  • Desert and Steppe
  • Desert Wetlands
  • River Marshes

Environmental Impacts of the First Gulf War

• Impacts from the Build up of troops and Heavy Equipment 
• Impacts from Bombing and Mines 
• Effects from Oil Spills 
• Effects from Oil Fires
  • National Geographic Story on Oil Well Fires
  • Photos
  • Satellite Photos

Effects of the current war?

Oil Pipeline Fire 3/29/04

Oil Well Fires (3/21/03 Preview, Large)

MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) image from the Terra satellite 3/21 (Preview, Large Heat signatures (red) and thick black smoke (indicated by the yellow arrow))

Iraq Image Archive from NOAA

Other Images of the War via Satellite (from NOAA)

Sandstorms (Preview, Large)

Hot spots in Iraq (Preview, Large )

Conflict and the Environment in West Asia

UNEP Post Conflict Assessment site for Iraq

UNEP Post Conflict report for Afghanistan

Iraq Image Gallery from the UNEP Includes Baghdad Oil Trench Fires

Iraq Satelite Images from the UNEP

UN Environment Program Iraqi Marshlands Restoration Site

Eden Again