The full impact of the war on nature is yet to be assessed, which will only be possible if the wicked man and his cronies do not resort to the use of nuclear weapons!
On the 22nd of April we celebrated the ‘International Mother Earth Day’, reiterating our commitment to preserving the health, life and well-being of our dear planet. ‘There is only one ‘earth, the only haven for our survival; destroy it, and we destroy our own existence’, an internalized strapline which constantly motivates us to honour this day. Unprecedentedly, the commemoration this year, seemed to provoke heightened emotional arousals in most, given the challenging realities around the world that ebb and flow their commitment to eco-centrism.
The Rainbows
In the life-shattering days of the first wave of the pandemic we witnessed an array of glowing rainbows in the sky of our hope, in favour of the conservation of the planet! During this time, the mounting accumulation of greenhouse gases generated by mindless human activity ended up in a temporary slowdown.
Lock-downs seized us home-bound, preventing us from engaging in unnecessary travels. Our cars were taken off the roads and our flights out of the skies! The resultant impact was that our ill-reputably polluted metropolises, skies and waters were rendered a refreshing lease of life. The air, water and noise pollutions dropped considerably, reinvigorating the planet with a hopeful symbol of new life. The wildlife too was revived with a rejuvenating spirit of mobility as they freely reclaimed their way back to our neighbourhood, as close as to our backyards.
Disconnecting with the complacency of the global leadership that shrugs off its responsibility of protecting the planet, and carries on with malevolent plundering of it in the name of development, the pandemic played itself out to be a checkmate. Helpless it may sound that against the dictates of our will, we were forced to pause and reflect on the precariousness of our actions that adds to the fragility the planet!
This unplanned natural revival of the flora and the fauna of the planet, could as best be considered as a blessing in disguise, an overdue, which no doubt, the planet was long-awaiting.
Mushroom Clouds and Smoke
Currently, we are at the crossroads of our civilization as there is no ‘rainbow effect of hope’ anywhere on the skies for the conservation of the planet! It has been replaced with toxic mushroom clouds and poisonous smoke caused by the nefarious warring imaginations of a wicked man whose country has the (ill) reputation for possessing the highest number of destructive weapons. The latest in these lethal, nuclear collection is the intercontinental ballistic missile.
Russia’s war on Ukraine, from the perspective of a needed ecological consciousness, can not be brushed aside as a war between two countries in a far away continent. It definitely, is causing pernicious impacts on the survival of the planet.
On the 24th of February Russia started the war on Ukraine, and on the same day it took control of the site of the defunct Chernobyl nuclear-power plant. It was reported that the movement of the military forces near the site newly stirred up the dormant radioactive dust. The European Space Agency released seven satellite images of fire burning within the exclusion zone of the plant. The potential risk of similar nature could also be applicable in the case of the dozen other nuclear reactors that Ukraine operates, says Ken Conga, a scholar and the author of the book “Environmental Peacemaking”. Reports also highlight that throwing all international standards of war, Russia has been bombarding ammunitions on the industrialized regions of Ukraine, setting oil and gas reservoirs on fire, bombing fuel tanks and depots and other energy infrastructures. These incessant burning of industrial goods and chemicals is generating obnoxious gases, oil spills, and toxic contamination that jeopardise not only the life of the species on the planet but also the very life of the planet itself. Winning the war, grabbing the land of another sovereign nation, seems to be the only goal of Russia; it is neither concerned about life of the planet nor the cries of thousands of youths and children at the COP26 held last year, for safeguarding the planet with a promise of long life for them and their subsequent generations.
Two Reports of Concerns
We are living through tough times, more than ever, as we are left to trust our instinct, speculate conclusions on the course and end of this nasty, ugly and unjustifiable war. Many have been killed, mutilated, raped and driven away as refugees. The full impact of the war on nature is yet to be assessed, which will only be possible if the wicked man and his cronies do not resort to the use of nuclear weapons! Incidentally, at this time there are two harrowing reports that capture our attention in relation to the threatened existence of the planet.
Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) Report
Just four days after Russia started the invasion of Ukraine, the UN IPCC presented a report, stating that climate change is happening more rapidly than previously predicted. Half of the world will be uninhabitable in a span of a few decades, if we don’t adapt drastic steps now for the protection of the planet. “Delay means death”, says UN Secretary General, who vehemently criticized the complacency of the global leadership, terming it as ‘criminal’.
American Psychological Association (APA) Report
On the same day, the APA released another report indicating that climate change is posing risks on people’s mental health and well-being. Individuals are expected to suffer from climate change anxiety, trauma of displacement and issues of grief. The report cautions clinicians in psychological professions to be prepared to serve the affected individuals and communities with better care informed of the psychological dimensions of climate change, climate justice and climate policy.
Emotions Are Legitimate, but More Is Needed
The writing on the wall regarding the threatened existence of our planet is loud and clear: if we don’t act upon it now, we will be digging our own graves and the grave of the planet. Emotional arousals on the thought of the egregious human actions that contribute to global warming, destruction of ecosystems and the loss of biodiversity are valid and legitimate; but what is badly needed is our adaptation and adherence to earth-centered human behaviours that ensure the survival of the planet. Let it not ebb and flow!
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