EDITORIAL - Pay attention to environment issues too

There is so much going on in the world nowadays that some of us may be caught off guard that it is World Environment Day today. People are more likely to be familiar with issues involving local and national politics, gun control, the war in Ukraine, and even showbiz lawsuits and breakups, compared to environmental concerns.

At the surface these issues may seem to have a more immediate impact on some people compared to environmental issues. But we have said this before and we will say it again; we ignore the signs that the earth is in trouble at our own peril.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are now more than 50% higher than in the pre-industrial era, these levels have not been seen on Earth for about four million years.

NOAA blamed the spike in carbon dioxide on global warming caused by human activity, particularly the production of electricity using fossil fuels, transportation, the manufacture of cement, and deforestation.

In May 2022, the threshold of 420 parts per million (ppm), in May 2021 the rate was 419 ppm, and the year before that at 417 ppm.

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that traps heat, causing and being a cause of global warming. And while plants can actually breathe in carbon dioxide, humans can’t.

The only bright spark so far for the environment this year actually stems from an unlikely source; Russia’s war against Ukraine. To further strangle Russia’s war chest, the European Union is looking to end its dependency on gas, oil, and coal from Russia by 2027.

It is hoped they will be looking to sustainable energy solutions, solutions that don’t cause pollution or a rise in carbon dioxide levels.

Again, we ignore environmental issues at our own peril. Will we only take notice after deforestation, pollution, and similar human activities make it too hard for some of us to breathe?