We have become so hooked on Covid-19 news we have half-forgotten there are other dangers. This is, however, a natural reaction in terms of our inbuilt ‘fight or flight’ response. We should not forget the effect of coronavirus on our natural world while we have our backs to the wall. Because we are part of that same chain.
Beyond the Effect of Coronavirus on Our Natural World
We have shelved the deadly threat of global warming that could eliminate our species. We are overlooking the countless billions of people already struggling to survive before the virus struck. Re-surging conflicts between east and west, and different faiths pend in our minds for now.
The naked face of extreme terrorism is more ruthless than the coronavirus, yet we have no vaccine for cyber attacks. The threat of nuclear war is always on us. The possibility of an even more extreme virus locks our minds down. There’s no space in headlines for the effect of coronavirus on our natural world nowadays.
So is the Landmark Year for Nature Gone Forever?
The second decade of the 20th century was going to be a special one for nature. We had grandiose ideas for a carbon neutral economy. Our funds are redirected to the coronavirus crisis instead, while gifts to non profits evaporate.
We may welcome the return of nature to our streets and gardens for now. However, behind the scenes poaching is alive and well in Africa’s threatened nature reserves. The pandemic had its roots in a moment when a human touched a wild animal somewhere.
It’s time to eliminate the trade in wild animals, especially endangered ones and those with horns and tusks. The effect of coronavirus on our natural world will be waiting for us after we find a vaccine for the pandemic. We may discover some species vanished on our watch. But then what else could we have done?
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Preview Image: Nature Returns at Dawn
