Environmental Devastation in Lebanon

Test ticker

Monika Bauerlein,
CEO

Dear Reader,

The next few months are make-or-break for Mother Jones’ fundraising, and we need more online readers to pitch in than have been of late. In "It's Not a Crisis. This Is the New Normal," we take a level-headed look at the brutal economics of journalism, why investigative reporting like you get from us matters, and why we're optimistic we can grow our base of support in a big way—starting with hitting a huge $300,000 goal in just three weeks. Please learn more and donate if you can right now.

The next few months are make-or-break for Mother Jones’ fundraising. We need to raise $300,000 quickly, and we need more online readers to pitch in than have been. Please learn more in "It's Not a Crisis. This Is the New Normal," where we go into the brutal economics of journalism, and what makes Mother Jones unique and worth supporting if you can right now.

Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.

Admittedly I’m worried more about residential apartment buildings being bombed than I am about dead sea-turtles, but the environmental damage caused by the war in Lebanon has been absolutely staggering. The Jiyeh power plant near Beirut has leaked some 15,000 tons of oil into the Mediterranean sea since it was targeted by Israeli air strikes two weeks ago. (As first reported, I belive, right here on this blog.)

The oil has slicked a third of Lebanon’s coast and could affect Cyprus, Turkey, and possibly Greece. Cleanup crews can’t get to the mess due to the violence, and it could cost up to $500 million to clean up and ten years for the ecosystem to return to normal, by some estimates. As Lebanon’s environment minister, Yaacoub Sarraf, told the AP, “What is at stake today is all marine life in the eastern Mediterranean.”