We Own the New Plagues

Human behavior is driving the planet's twin disasters.  Our exploitation of natural resources have lead to climate change raging virtually unchecked making vast areas of the planet uninhabitable.  In parallel to the ravages of climate change, the destruction of the planets biodiversity is leading to a proliferation of deadly new disease to plague mankind.

A UN summit on biodiversity, scheduled to be held in New York next month, will be told by conservationists and biologists there is now clear evidence of a strong link between environmental destruction and the increased emergence of deadly new diseases such as Covid-19.

Rampant deforestation, uncontrolled expansion of farming and the building of mines in remote regions – as well as the exploitation of wild animals as sources of food, traditional medicines and exotic pets – are creating a “perfect storm” for the spillover of diseases from wildlife to people, delegates will be told.

Almost a third of all emerging diseases have originated through the process of land use change, it is claimed. As a result, five or six new epidemics a year could soon affect Earth’s population.

What is depressing is that we know cause of these incipient disasters and we don't have the leadership or the collective will to address them.