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"the environment is not an abstraction but represents the living space, the quality of life and the very health of human beings, including generations unborn". Attacks in wartime against military objectives often impact upon the environment. Oil facilities as military objectives can serve as a prime example. When an oil refinery is struck, this may give rise to toxic air pollution. When an oil storage facility is demolished, the oil may seep

Pollution of the high seas has recently become a serious and pressing problem faced by the international community. Any measures to eliminate or prevent it necessarily involve international law. This causes serious problems because one of the basic statutes of international laws calls for complete freedom of the high seas, and, therefore, freedom to pollute. Various methods have been evolved in coping with this problem. The 1954 London International Convention attempts to eliminate the pollution of coastlines and recreation areas by the creation of contiguous zones. The 1962 & 1969 amendments to the convention require flag states to punish violators of the regulations and extend the jurisdiction of the regulations to the high seas. The 1969 amendment is not yet in affect and neither is the 1969 Brussels International Convention which extends the powers of Coastal States threatened by pollution to exercise all measures to eliminate that pollution. It is concluded that oil pollution elimination would require an additional international convention which focused on five main points which are listed and explained.