[ad_1]
The blame game has begun. The number of victims of COVID-19 is still unknown, but there is a current of hatred and disinformation that invades the deadlines. The damage of disinformation and the virus itself to families and communities equals our failure to ensure that science, not rhetoric, shapes politics.
Studies show that it is more common for viruses to be transmitted from animals to humans. Some mistakenly say this is due to harmless human error. But there is evidence that the preservation and diversity of biotopes, or habitats, decrease human-animal contact and the likelihood of new pathogens appearing in humans. Our failure to trust science is an important factor underlying our current coronavirus crisis.
Animal-borne diseases are more frequent than ever. A 2017 peer-reviewed study found that 75 percent of emerging infectious diseases that affect humans, such as West Nile virus, Ebola, SARS, and Lyme disease, are zoonoses, or diseases caused by pathogens. that have jumped from animals.
Reports of zoonoses have appeared throughout recorded human history. The Book of Samuel in the Old Testament describes a bubonic plague epidemic long before decimating a third of the population of Europe in the fourteenth century. In 2,300 a. C., the rage of the hunting dogs devastated Mesopotamia. The researchers who reread Plutarco discovered in 2003 that the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC. C. was probably due to the West Nile virus that he contracted from a flock of crows that fell dead at his feet when he entered Babylon.
Studies of the increase in zoonoses indicate that such diseases may be the result of human-induced changes in natural habitats: urban development, the conversion of wetlands to agriculture, pollution and deforestation are key factors. Ebola research has linked the outbreak to farming practices. When forests were cleared for cultivation, insect-eating bats disappeared, while fruit-eating and Ebola bats multiplied.
Solid biodiversity cushions the spread of disease transmission to humans. In a 2010 article published in Nature, Felicia Keesing and 12 other researchers concluded that preserving and protecting intact ecosystems and their endemic biodiversity reduces human-animal contact, the emergence of new pathogens and the prevalence of infectious diseases.
This is the result of a phenomenon called the dilution effect. Dangerous pathogens progressively decrease each time they are transmitted from a host animal species to a non-host species. According to the French scientist Serge Morand, who studies the socio-ecological dimensions of infectious diseases, the more robust our biodiversity is, the more microbes circulate at “low noise”, which means that they are not easily transmitted from one species to another.
Industrial agriculture is another aggravating factor. In 2012, Robert Lawrence of Johns Hopkins University noted, “Our current model of animal feed production greatly influences viral evolution and transmission. The system … poses serious threats to public health, including an increased risk of pandemic influenza. “
As a “flexitarist,” I will refrain from militant rhetoric about the sin of consuming meat, but the numbers are disturbing. Every year, 70 billion farm animals worldwide are raised for food, and more than 150 million tonnes of shellfish are produced, almost half of aquaculture. Producing such quantities en masse is a stress for our biodiversity, as it pollutes the air, land and waterways. And clear the land needed to raise animals and grow standardized fuels for deforestation. So when it comes to mitigating the spread of infectious diseases like COVID-19, we don’t need to look beyond our plate.
Once the COVID-19 pandemic is over, we cannot afford to return to business as usual. Storage of fans and masks will not protect us from the next pandemic. The only positive way to act collectively and responsibly, for our own survival, is to ensure that our ecosystems are diverse. That means reviewing habits that encourage us to consume in ways that have proven to be unsustainable and therefore detrimental to our own well-being.
In 2018, the French government adopted a policy to stop importing deforestation-related products, such as palm oil, beef and wood, by 2030, and has set a limit on biofuels derived from contributing raw materials deforestation. Instead of the usual blame game, policymakers chose a collaborative approach with exporting countries, including the use of development aid, to encourage them to switch to biodiversity-friendly production methods. The strategy also includes a public procurement plan and “zero deforestation” labeling requirements to help consumers make better decisions.
If it was not obvious before COVID-19, it should be now: the conservation of biotopes must be a priority on national agendas. It is the most effective and cost-effective way to prevent future outbreaks that threaten our lives and threaten our livelihoods.
Editor’s Note: Tudor Alexis, a diplomat at the French Foreign Office, is currently serving as the French Consul General in Toronto. Project Syndicate provides the article to The Reporter – the world’s leading source of original opinion comments. Project Syndicate offers incisive perspectives on our changing world for those who are shaping its politics, economy, science and culture. The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Reporter.
Contributed by Tudor Alexis
