The planet-warming emissions generated during the first two months of the war in Gaza were greater than the annual carbon footprint of more than 20 of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, new research reveals.The vast majority (over 99%) of the 281,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2 equivalent) estimated to have been generated in the first 60 days following the 7 October Hamas attack can be attributed to Israel’s aerial bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza, according to a first-of-its-kind analysis by researchers in the UK and US.According to the study, which is based on only a handful of carbon-intensive activities and is therefore probably a significant underestimate, the climate cost of the first 60 days of Israel’s military response was equivalent to burning at least 150,000 tonnes of coal.The analysis, which is yet to be peer reviewed, includes CO2 from aircraft missions, tanks and fuel from other vehicles, as well as emissions generated by making and exploding the bombs, artillery and rockets. It does not include other planet-warming gases such as methane. Almost half the total CO2 emissions were down to US cargo planes flying military supplies to Israel.
If that is true, then every airplane in the skies is putting out huge amounts of CO2 - which indeed they really do. A single transatlantic flight generates hundreds of metric tons of CO2.
So a little research shows that all aviation traffic worldwide puts out over 1 billion tons of CO2 every year. That comes out to about 2.8 million tons from aviation every day. According to these calculations, Israel is directly and indirectly responsible for less than 5000 metric tons of CO2 a day - which is about 0.17% of what is used by all airplanes every day. It is the equivalent of about 25 flights from London to New York. And aviation is responsible for about 2% of CO2 emissions worldwide, meaning the war in Gaza is adding roughly an additional 0.0034% of all CO2 emissions.
Looking at it another way, the world generates about 36.8 billion tons of CO2 a year, which is 100 million tons a day. If the Gaza war generates 5000 tons a day, that increases the amount of CO2 by 1/20,000th.
Does that sound like it has an "'immense' effect on climate catastrophe"?
This article is just manipulating numbers to make Israel look bad. And, let's face it, anyone who looks at a map of the world and thinks that anything happening in Gaza is having an "immense" effect on the CO2 worldwide is an idiot.
This is especially disgusting because Israel contributes more to helping the environment on a per capita basis than probably any other country in the world, with Israeli environmental innovations being used around the world.
Now, why would people spend so much time calculating Israel's, and only Israel's, carbon footprint - and vastly exaggerating it - during a war for its survival?
One doesn't have to wonder about that too hard.
