Energy shocks from the Iran War spread beyond homes, hitting forests and conservation efforts

Summary: The war in Iran has made cooking gas too expensive for many families in Africa and South Asia. Because of this, women are forced to go back to cooking with charcoal and firewood. This is very bad for their health. Breathing in that smoke causes serious lung problems and kills millions of people every year. It also takes up hours of their day just looking for wood.

This fuel crisis hurts nature, too. Chopping down trees destroys forests. High fuel prices also mean fewer tourists visit, which leaves less money to pay park rangers. Without rangers, poaching goes up. People are also hunting wild animals for food, which increases the chance of spreading dangerous new diseases from animals to humans.

For more details, see AP News at apnews.com/article/iran-oil-africa-wildlife-conservation-lpg-b7fbb4297f435974588d978ba8465ab9 (opens in new tab)