The magnificent Edward Norton on his Twitter announced the UN Climate Change Conference December 1–4. He also called for joining the Global Climate Alliance. This is a well-known and respected international initiative. Importantly, its activists see a direct link between climate change and the human rights crisis on the planet. Let’s look into these issues. For example, how does a construction company, a large factory, an agricultural company, or even your neighbours at home violate your rights and, what should you do about it?
Animal Influenza
So, first we built factories around which cities sprang up. Then we started moving these factories out of the city, so as not to see smoking pipes in the centre of megalopolises. The growing population demanded more housing and food, and hence new areas of cities arouse around which farms and agribusinesses grew. Man has ceaselessly invaded the world of wildlife, reclaiming more and more land from it.
The outcome? An ideal environment has been created to transfer pathogens from wild animals to humans. Today 60% of human infections are of animal origin. Remember, the COVID-19 outbreak was blamed on either a bat or a pangolin. In fact, both animals are not to blame, and everyone understands that. I’ll tell you more, coronavirus may still seem just the small stuff to us. Scientists are already screaming, though no one hears them, that about 1.7 million unidentified viruses exist in mammals and waterfowl. Any of these could cause another even more severe pandemic.
Climate Change
I’ve written before about how scientists believe climate change affects the frequency and strength of wildfires, floods, and hurricanes. How tens of millions of people remain without shelter, food, or medical care. But climate change also affects the survival of microbes, contributing to the spread of viruses. After all, the last decade has been recognized as the hottest on record. Here we go again! Many experts say that pandemics will occur more frequently and be more devastating to the health of people and national economies.
Hazardous Contaminants
Waste of all kinds and untreated domestic sewage put nearly 2 billion people in the world at risk of contracting polio, cholera, typhoid and dysentery. Methyl-mercury in everyday consumer products finds its way into the world’s oceans and contaminates fish. Together with seafood, this harmful substance ends up in the human body and has toxic effects on immune, nervous and digestive systems. The most common herbicide in the world, glyphosate from agricultural fields, gets into the groundwater. This results in 25 million people suffering from acute poisoning from agricultural fertilizers, which cause several types of cancer.
Several petrol-powered cars per family, smoky industries, fires at waste dumps, peat bogs and forests. Scientists estimate that 9 out of 10 people in the world breathe dirty air. The result is that about 7 million people around the world die annually from illnesses caused by atmospheric pollution. Those lucky enough to survive risk irreparable brain damage. It can cause developmental delays in children and Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases in the elderly.
A blow to biodiversity
The reduction of biodiversity, to which man has had a hand, boomerangs back to us. Today, one in three people on the planet suffers from malnutrition. And it is the diet that has a lot to do with cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Just think — today only 12 crops and 5 animal species provide 75% of the world’s consumption!
Today, 15,000 species of medicinal plants are in danger of extinction. Mankind loses one life-saving drug every two years, including those for treating cancer. After all, today it is natural raw materials that make up a large part of pharmaceuticals.
And one more thing. Researchers believe that the decline in effectiveness of antibiotics in recent years is due to the fact that they began to be used en masse to stimulate the growth of livestock. As a result, about 700,000 people die annually from resistant infections!
Phantom Rights
In words, at least 155 nations of the world declare the right of their citizens to live in a healthy environment. Nevertheless, according to the World Health Organization, 23% of all deaths worldwide are directly or indirectly related to environmental risks — soil and water contamination, air pollution, etc.
Lawyers believe that the environment and human rights are firmly interrelated. An unhealthy environment leads to human rights violations. Respect for human rights plays a decisive role in nature protection. It took thousands of natural disasters and tens of millions of ruined lives for the UN General Assembly to finally adopt a resolution on the human right to a clean and healthy environment in July 2022. It is clear that most member states of the Council of Europe have already introduced such a right in their legislation. But did it have any tangible effect? The question is rhetorical.
There are environmentally responsible businesses, but their number is still negligible. Therefore, it is up to the governments of the world to start fulfilling their commitments to the environment and related human rights! Otherwise, the bureaucracy will have no one and nowhere to govern …
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