The Cold War's Ecological Benefits

When people think of the Cold War they tend to dwell on all negatives that came with it: totalitarian governments, proxy wars, a nuclear arms race, and so on. But looking back on the period, the authors of a new paper in the journal Biological Conservation say there was an odd ecological benefit that resulted from the interruption of trade that occurred between Eastern and Western Europe during the Cold war--fewer invasive species. "Global trade is a real concern for invasive species, and the lessons we can learn from the Cold War offer a warning flag to developing countries that are now expanding in an international economy," said co-author Susan M. Shirley. read more

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