A fast spreading wildfire along Athens’ northern edge. One of dozens springing up across Greece today. Bone dry landscape meets intense heatwave and strong winds etc

Much of the most insidious damage, though, has emerged from neglect & ad hoc economic practices adopted by desperate locals and admins during wartime. Think prolific deforestation, even more intense groundwater depletion, and the cons of 'artisanal' oil refining, as in this corner of NE Syria 3/

Almost every military actor has used water or other resources as weapons of war. This was extra true of the regime & ISIS, but victorious rebels got in on the act too–––as in the case of this dried out riverbed. A colleague & I stumbled on it soon after the SNA had blocked Khabur w an earth dam 2/

Though few Syrians will deem it an immediate priority (for obvious reasons), the *possible* end of fighting offers a vital opportunity to begin addressing yrs of brutal enviro & climate destruction. The landscape, which was already degraded by unsustainable pre-war ag policies, is in tatters 1/

Today is 'peace day' at COP, a fitting if slightly contrived hook for me to launch into Blue Sky in earnest! Six weeks ago, my book, 'The Heat and the Fury: On the Frontlines of Climate Violence,' was published. It's the product of ~10 years of reporting, all with a view to spelling out the (1)