EDITORIAL - Save the environment, save lives

Today is World Environment Day, something that might sail over the heads of many of us who are not aware such an occasion even exists.

Exactly a year ago our editorial was about how this current pandemic was actually good for the environment because it curtailed or even totally put a stop to many of the activities that expedited pollution and global warming.

A year later, and with a pandemic still going on, it seems that whatever gains Mother Nature made as a result of the lockdowns are being slowly lost as more and more people and countries resume their economic activities.

Let’s talk air pollution. While India continues to have the cities with the worst air quality index in the world, this isn’t limited to developing countries anymore. Just recently Germany was cited by the European Court of Justice for failing to curb air pollution in its major cities.

Pollution in the seas continues to be a problem, with even the formerly-pristine coasts of France seeing its fair share of plastic waste washed up on its shores. Trash also continues to be a problem in the seas, especially in the Asian region. In fact it has become part of the marine food cycle, with many fish and marine mammals falling victim to microplastics.

Many parts of the world are now also facing land pollution. In the US, runoff from huge dairy farms is killing smaller farms in Minnesota, while pollution caused by pesticides continues to affect many rivers. China is also battling with its own problems caused by polluted soil.

Pollution is mainly caused by economic activities, and many argue that such activities are necessary to make sure people stay alive. But they have to remember that pollution is also causing a lot of deaths.

The other effect of pollution is even worse. It can cause bodily harm that might not be evident immediately, but take time to develop. We are talking about diseases, cancers, and the like. Such damage might even be passed on to the next generation.

This World Environment Day let us remember that by saving the environment we actually save lives. By doing so we make sure that we have fresh air to breathe, clean water to drink, and land that is safe to build our homes and livelihoods on.

Time is running out but there is still enough of it, although just barely, to save the earth.