The New Cold War: What the Ukraine Crisis Means for the Environment

Ever since Ukrainians began to protest in November 2013 against their governments strengthening
ties to Russia instead of to the European Union, the US media has honed in on the poitica and
miitar! ramifications of the crisis" No#, as of $arch 1%, 201&, the Russian 'ederation has anne(ed
)rimea through an iega referendum" *o#ever, in the rest of Ukraine, pro+Russian miitants sti
cash #ith Ukrainian nationaists" ,here is a sense of unrest in Europe as #e as in the US, as it is
uncear #hether -utin #i be satisfied #ith )rimea aone" .t seems another /cod #ar0 is upon us,
and some peope fear that -utin #i not rest unti he absorbs a of Europe1dra#ing the 2estern
nations into a massive confict, perhaps in a ,hird 2ord 2ar"
Ukraine has a#a!s been a region coveted b! great nations3 the Russian Empire, the 4ttoman
Empire, 'rance and 5ritain, the Soviet Union, and the ,hird Reich" 2h!6 .t is e(treme! rich in
natura resources 7e"g" iron ore, coa, natura gas, oi, timber, and arabe and8 and contains a #arm+
#ater port, Sevastopo" 'rom the US perspective, it aso represents a buffer against Russian
aggression" ,rue, the Soviet Union has faen, but our government does not !et trust Russia as a
egitimate a!" ,hus #e need Ukraine to remain stabe and at east semi+autonomous"
9ccording to the )ommerce :epartment, the crisis in Ukraine hasnt stopped us from trading #ith
Russia 7#e current! se machiner!, vehices, and food to Russia in e(change for oi, metas, and
fertii;er8" *o#ever, if the US hits Russia #ith economic sanctions, free;ing Russian assets in
Europe, the aread! fragie Russian econom! ma! coapse, bringing strugging Europe 7its biggest
trading partner8 and us aong #ith it" 9s for Ukraine itsef, it ost about <10"% biion in natura
resources and other assets as a resut of the anne(ation of )rimea" 9t the same time, )rimea
depends heavi! on Ukraine for natura gas, #ater, and eectricit!" .n turn, Ukraine reies on Russia
for the ma=orit! of its natura gas> Russia contros the prices and Ukraine o#es the gas compan!
?a;prom <1"@ biion" ,o make matters #orse, the European Union gets the ma=orit! of its gas from
Russia, but this resource is transported through Ukrainian pipeines"
.n an effort to sho# /soidarit!0 #ith Ukraine and Europe and reduce their dependence on Russian
resources, the *ouse Energ! and )ommerce )ommittee approved a bi on 9pri 30 that #oud
increase iAuefied natura gas 7BN?8 e(ports to these regions" :emocratic opponents and 9mericas
Energ! 9dvantage caim that the bi #i raise domestic energ! prices and unempo!ment" ,he!
aso #orr! #hether our energ! industr! is robust enough to sudden! increase e(ports, and if it is
actua! in our best economic interest to se to Europe instead of 9sia" 4n the other end, Ukraine
and Europe must have infrastructure in pace to receive more natura gas, and it is uncertain #hether
the! #i opt for higher+priced US gas as opposed to cheap Russian gas" ,hen there is the
potentia! negative impact this increase in e(ports #i have on the goba gas market" 9t an! rate,
the Senate has !et to vote on the bi, and )ongress remains divided" $oreover, the :epartment of
Energ! does not readi! approve BN? e(port appications from non+'ree ,rade 9greement
countries"
9 combination of outside intervention and interna mismanagement has paced Ukraine in a
precarious domestic situation" .ncuding the mone! it o#es ?a;prom, Ukraine needs a tota of <3C
biion simp! to pa! the bis for the ne(t t#o !ears" ,he internationa communit! has donated
<32"1 biion to bai out Ukraine, #hich cant happen too soon as the Ukrainian hr!vnia has ost
vaue over the ast fe# months, investors are #ithdra#ing capita, and the econom! is shrinking" ,o
receive the mone!, Ukraine must raise ta(es and energ! prices, and free;e the minimum #age"
Nevertheess, man! industries in Ukraine do not use energ! efficient!, and conseAuent! cannot
operate #ithout subsidi;ed Russian natura gas imports" Energ! prices are rising goba!, and so is
the price of #heat 7Ukraine produces grain and sunfo#er oi8" 9s the debate over the e(port bi
sho#s, there is the danger that further internationa /assistance0 #i actua! e(acerbate the
situation" 9nd #ith man! Ukrainians 7and peope around the #ord8 iving in povert!, this is
mora! unacceptabe"
.n taking a arger vie# of the crisis, the soution once again does not ie #ith poitics, economics, or
miitar! action, but #ith socia and environmenta a#areness" Ukraine must be governed in a #a!
that respects a ethnicities, incuding Russians, Ukrainians, De#s, and ,atars" .t ma! be time for the
countr! to et go of )rimea and the pro+Russian east" 9so, the countr!s natura resources must be
utii;ed in the most efficient #a! possibe, so that their domestic use and foreign sae #i enrich the
popuation, not punge it into debt, and precious resources #i not be #asted" 4f course this is
easier said than done, because Ukraine acks the necessar! infrastructure" .f investors rene#ed their
faith in Ukraine, pouring capita back into the econom!, ma!be it #oud gro# stronger, ao#ing the
countr! to become more sef+sufficient" Europe has aread! taken steps to#ards independence from
Russian natura gas, but right no#, Russia ooms arge, ike a hungr! bear" 2hen #i she reai;e
that Ukraines natura resources are not for her o#n persona use, but there to benefit us a6 ,he US
has sipped back into a )od 2ar stance, #anting to in=ect our resources and mone! into Ukraine,
possib! at the e(pense of our o#n econom! and the goba market" 2oudnt it be more practica to
share our kno#edge of energ! efficienc! and sustainabiit! #ith the Ukrainian peope, to hep them
become as autonomous as the! !earn to be6 Sure!, using natura resources as a #eapon in this
/cod #ar0 is not #orth inficting hunger and povert! on the rest of the #ord"
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