War & Sustainability
- i64278
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
By Madera Rogers—Henry
In times of war, it may not seem like it, but sustainability is at the center. The connection to with the effects of war and how one sustains themselves through it is a deeply a human experience.There are innumerable casualties of war, and the ones we are seeing here in the US With the casualties of war, we see are pricing increases at the gas pumps, to the grocery stores, and to everyday services. Every single cost of war is a high one. Prices are higher. The bloody effects of warfare targets not just “friends and foes” but also ecosystems and natural resources. In addition to this, there’s significant damage to building infrastructures, an increased lack of risk access toto access clean air, water, and a stable environment. Still, it is important not to romanticize war. Still, many jump to the impulse to romanticize war, and embrace its destruction.
The conflict destroys lives, forces families to migrate to unsafe territories, living in tents, collapsed buildings, or refugee camps. Sustainability arises out of necessity in war is not a benefit of war—it is a side effect of the pressures war creates.
When we think about war, sustainability is rarely the first thing that comes to mind. In these moments of conflict, sustainability often emerges not because societies suddenly become environmentally conscious, but because survival demands innovation. Through this article, we offer five stories with hopeful actions as everyday people create inventions and new systems around this horrible time of global war.
Story One: Amidst the rubble amassed by the war in Gaza, there within the mangled environment intertwined with concrete, glass and metal, are Palestinian farmers planting seeds and growing food. We’ve provided several examples of how through war people use sustainable options to survive during war.
Video examples:
This video shows how the unwanted food cans become a shelter honoring journalists who were murdered.
As the world watches conflicts in key regions, like the Strait of Hormuz, disrupt the flow of oil and gas, energy prices surge and supplies,such as fertilizer, become increasingly uncertain. In response, communities around the globe search for alternatives—some revisiting traditional methods for everyday tasks such as cooking with coal or firewood, or while other governments reconsider the role of clean energy nuclear energy in securing reliable electricity and stability.
Story Two: As gas prices continue to soar. In Georgia, a self-taught innovator is gaining attention for developing a solar-powered machine capable of converting plastic waste into gasoline, diesel fuel, and even jet fuel. Imagine, with an invention like this could significantly reduce the amount of plastic entering landfills while addressing fuel shortages at the same time.
Video example::Plastic-to-fuel innovation video 1Plastic-to-fuel innovation video 2
Story Three: Here’s another example of effective ways to address rising oil prices:, in a community near Atlanta, Georgia, a handyman repurposed a Barbie doll camper into a functional mode of transportation—an unusual but symbolic example of how creativity emerges when people are forced to rethink mobility, affordability, and waste. See the clip
Yet within this contradiction lies another truth, one far less discussed. While war and crisis expose humanity at its worst, they also force humanity to adapt. In unexpected ways, global conflict and instability are accelerating the shift toward sustainability, not necessarily through environmental idealism, but through necessity.
Story Four: Another powerful example of sustainability during the war is on the island of Cuba. Even with the decades of economic hardship, long-standing embargoes and new sanctions restraints imposedplaced on the country have almost entirely blockedseverely limited access to fuel, food and medical supplies. Yet Cuban communities continue adapting through remarkable ingenuity.
Examples include solar-powered electric tricycles, repurposed motorcycles, and even coal-powered vehicles—creative responses to scarcity and fuel shortages - all created while nightly black outs occur.
Video:Electric tricycle with solar panelRepurposed motorcycle innovationCoal-powered vehicle example
These innovations may not always be scalable or highly efficient, but they reveal something essential: sustainability is often born from constraint. Communities facing hardship and awareness develop practices around repair, reuse, adaptation, and creative problem-solving. In many ways, these practices reflect sustainability in its rawest and most practical form.
Story Five: As war disrupts supply chains, weakens currencies, and drives up the cost of essential goods, communities are rediscovering one of humanity’s oldest economic systems: bartering. Neighbors exchange food, fuel, clothing, tools, skills, and services without relying on cash or unstable markets. Beyond helping families meet immediate needs, bartering promotes sustainability by extending the life of existing resources, reducing waste, and strengthening local resilience. In times of uncertainty, the resurgence of barter systems demonstratesed how cooperation and resourcefulness can help communities adapt and endure.
The hope is that the ingenuity born in hardship can inspire more deliberate approaches to sustainability—ones driven not by war, collapse, or fear, but by collective choice and responsibility.
And yet, even in the shadows of destruction, humanity continues searching for ways to survive, adapt, and build!
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