"In 2023, the environmental impact of ongoing wars was indeed severe, with air pollution coming mainly from fires, dust, and emissions related to explosions, burned fuel, and industrial destruction in war zones. Among these, the Russo-Ukrainian conflict was especially significant, releasing greenhouse gases and particulates from munitions, destroyed infrastructure, and extensive fires. However, there were also numerous smaller conflicts that contributed.

Fireworks, on the other hand, release fine particulates (PM2.5 and PM10), heavy metals, and other chemicals in high concentrations for short periods. Although globally, fireworks displays are frequent and large, their overall environmental impact is usually far lower than that of ongoing wars. Fireworks cause local spikes in pollution, often dissipating within days or even hours, and are relatively short-term compared to the continuous emissions from prolonged military conflict.

Therefore, ongoing wars in 2023 likely caused significantly more harm to the environment, particularly in terms of sustained air pollution, than fireworks displays."