Environmental Health Coalition's stance on the Iraq war

Hey this is Royce, and yes it is my first post. My schedule is insane and I'm a procrastinator what can I say. Anyways for my first post I wanted to find an environmental justice issue that related to the Iraq occupation because its my belief that war is one of the worst environmental impacts and we as humans do to this planet. Looking through a few of the articles from before to the early invasion it reminded me of what had been lectured about the last days in class. The first article I want to point out is the opposition statement of the Iraq invasion in 2003 of the Environmental Health Coalition. The article describes how the Iraq war violates the principles of environmental justice especially 1, 5, 10 and 15. Later in the article it states how war increases rape and exploitation of women and children. The article says women are the "first environment" of the family and community. This sentence reminded me particularly of the different environmental feminism waves that were discussed in class. Another paragraph talks about how the US war policy promotes environmental racism because making weapons pollutes and that pollution disproportionately goes into communities of minorities. The last portion of this statement I would like to address is the call for grassroots organizations to stop the war. All quarter we have learned that most of the time it's the grassroots organizations that help minorities and the white working class. If would like to read the Environmental Justice Iraq war statement here is the link.

http://www.environmentalhealth.org/EHC_Misc_Archive/EJStatementWarinIraq.html

The next article I read about the invasion was "Environmental effects of Iraq war" by Peter Drekmeier. If was endorsed by many groups including Earthfirst!, bay area, Green Peace and Sacred Land film project. This article is a short one that gives 10 reasons why environmentalists oppose the Iraq war. The three that really stood out to me reasons 2, 4 and 8.
Reason 2 states that war destroys nature and human settlements. After the first Gulf War 1,500 miles of coast line were tarnished with other and other cancer-causing chemicals.
Reason 4 pretty much reiterates reason 2, but more specifically saying bombs pollute the land scape. It gives an example of how 100,000 US soldiers were exposed to mustard gas and sarin nerve gas after weapons bunkers were destroyed after the first Gulf War.
Reason 8 hits closer to home for all of us. It says that when military spending increases funds for education, medical environmental are drastically cut.
To see the rest of the of the reasons why environmentalists opposed the Iraq war in the first place for yourself here is the link.
http://www.nuclearfreenz.org.nz/10goodreasons.htm