The Cost of Burn Pits,  Part One by Marisa De La Villa When Beau Biden, the son of Former President Joe Biden, returned from his deployment in Iraq, he brought with him more than just memories of war. Years after his return, he was diagnosed with brain cancer– something his family believes was linked to toxic exposure from burn pits 1 . His story is just one of thousands. Veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan continue to battle health complications long after they’ve left the battlefield. Their stories are crucial to understanding the irreversible damage caused to both human beings and the natural world, and are key to spreading awareness on the dangers of burn pits 2 . During the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. military used massive open-air burn pits to dispose of waste, including plastics, electronics, chemicals, medical supplies, and even amputated limbs. This combination of substances created a thick, black smoke that poured into the air, filling the natural world...