In light of the global pandemic, I thought it was only appropriate that I write about it. I do not want to talk about all the bad news and the devastation that COVID-19 has caused but rather what we can learn and the change I hope will come.
While we have been forced to slow down the earth has reaped some of the benefits.
An article by the Washington Post says that the daily carbon dioxide emissions dropped 17% in April. This is huge strides towards lowering the emission to a healthy and sustainable amount. Unfortunately, the chances of emission continuing to decrease as states and countries begin opening up is slim as it is unlikely that there will be a mass lifestyle change that will decrease the demand for carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses.
In this time of crisis, everyone was able to change so quickly and adapt for the greater good of our health. However very little action has been taken to reduce pollution that has been killing for years.
The tiny poisonous particles go undetected by the body’s defense mechanisms break through the lung’s protective barrier and cause cancer. They are pumped into the bloodstream form blood clots that lead to strokes and heart disease.
Air pollution is the leading cause of noncommunicable disease. It kills 1.4 million people a year in strokes alone, 2.4 million in heart disease and 1.8 million in lung disease and cancer. Outdoor pollution kills 4.2 million a year and indoor pollution kills 3.8 million year.
Only 9% of the world’s population is breathing in safe air according to the World Health Organization guidelines.
Air pollution takes 7 million lives a year due to unsafe air quality and very little is being done. 376,497 people have died from the coronavirus and people worldwide were able to put their lives on hold to take the necessary steps to prevent the spread of the potentially deadly virus.
“Contaminated water and poor sanitation are linked to transmission of diseases such as cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, hepatitis A, typhoid, and polio,” says the World Health Organization. 829,000 people annually die from diarrhoea as a result of unsafe drinking water. And in 2017, 220 million people required treatment from schistosomiasis. It is predicted that by 2025 half of the world will be living in water-stress areas.
1.8 million people died from water pollution in 2015 and one billion became ill from it.
Plastic takes hundreds of years to breakdown, when it is not managed correctly it can have detrimental effects. It blocks waterways, draws disease carrying animals into cities and microplastics are ingested by humans. The burning of plastic is responsible for one fifth of the 3.7 million deaths caused by outdoor pollution.
A study by David Attenborough states that between 400,000 to a million people die annual due to poorly managed waste.
Pollution is killing, when are we going to say enough is enough?
When death was on the line, we changed our lifestyle, not because it was easy, but because it was necessary. In my eyes, and I hope in the eyes of many more, it is necessary to make a permanent change in our lifestyles, so we can prevent heartbreak, tragedy and despair caused by those who do not slow down and contemplate the lasting effects of their “solutions”. If fear is what drives us to act, I challenge the human race to look in the mirror and fear its reckless actions that are dooming future generations.
I fear the future we have created.
Please note that I am in no way trying to downplay those who have been affected by the coronavirus, my prayers go to out to everyone who is suffering during this time.
Feel free to check out any of my sources:
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/water-pollution-everything-you-need-know
https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/david-attenborough-plastic-health-report/