Stories of families torn apart. A torture chamber allegedly built for children. Senseless violence, looting, shelling of civilian settlements. Could it get any worse?

Russia's brutal war in Ukraine will soon have been going on for a year. But just as we start to think we have seen it all, a new spectre arises: Putin, orchestrator of climate armageddon.

Today, environmental specialists are raising concerns about rapidly falling dolphin populations around the Black Sea. Over 2,500 stranded dolphin bodies have been discovered on Ukrainian shores, with estimated thousands more dead at the bottom of the ocean.

Many believe that the massacre is the result of naval sonar used by Russian submarines, which are thought to cause serious acousticRelated to sound or hearing. trauma to dolphins.

Dolphins are not the only concern. The war has had far-reaching impacts on agriculture, ecosystems, biodiversityBiodiversity is all the different kinds of life you'll find in one area - the variety of animals, plants, fungi, and even microorganisms like bacteria that make up our natural world. Each of these species and organisms work together in ecosystems, like an intricate web, to maintain balance and support life. , water supplies and air quality.

At COP27The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as the Conference of the Parties (COP). last year, Ukraine claimed that Russia's invasion has led to the emission of 33 million tonnes of greenhouse gasesGreenhouse gases, which increase the atmosphere's capacity to hold heat, are vital to life on Earth: without them the planet would be freezing. But human activity is disturbing the delicate balance that created the conditions for life as we know it. Carbon dioxide is responsible for 60% of the manmade greenhouse effect, but we also produce smaller quantities of methane, ozone and nitrous oxide, which are even more damaging. - the equivalent of adding 16 million cars to our roads for two years.¹

The invasion has also put around 600 animal and 750 plant and fungi species at risk, as soldiers have bombed important conservation areas.

The impact on human environments in cities, towns and villages is devastating. Shelling and explosions release toxic lead, mercury and depleted uranium particles into the air, making even breathing hazardous. Buildings hit by explosions can pump out harmful carcinogensAny substance that can cause cancer. for up to three decades.

Some say that Russia's ongoing assault on Ukraine is just the tip of the iceberg. Climate change and war are self-perpetuatingWhen something causes itself to continue to exist - or by existing makes itself worse. , they claim. Of the 25 nations most vulnerable to climate change, more than half are ongoing conflict regions.

Many cite the example of Syria, where a long and painful drought from 2007 to 2010, caused at least in part by man-made climate change, was credited with causing the country's civil war in 2011.

Disasters caused by climate change give rise to unrest, which contributes to conflict, which causes yet more climate change. Experts say that this cycle will only accelerate with time, if we do not find a way to stop the clock.

Yes: Every impact of this war is going to have repercussions for centuries, but we should pay particular attention to the environmental hazards. We are reaching breaking point with climate change and should take this more seriously.

No: Our first priority should always be the direct human impact.  Russia's intention is not to destroy the environment, but rather to attack the Ukrainian population and Ukraine's sovereignty. We need to focus on this first and foremost.

Or... It is natural for humans to sympathise most with what we understand, which is the impact of war on human life, relationships and culture. But many of these ecological side-effects will also have an impact on human health and lives for decades to come, so we need to keep them in mind.