On Feb 10, “Joker” Joaquin Phoenix wins the Oscar Best Actor. In an emotional and wide-ranging speech, he sketched the issue of equity and nature conservation, “Human beings at our best are so inventive and creative and ingenious. And I think that when we use love and compassion as our guiding principles, we can create, develop and implement systems of change that are beneficial to all sentient beings and to the environment.”
He is not the only Oscar winner to appeal for wide attention and concern for nature and the environment. But few changes have been made yet.
Why don't people make the instant change? Perhaps the way widely adopted nowadays to plunder nature is the easiest one- to achieve development by giving human need in the center, sacrificing the living condition and life of the creatures on the earth, and ignoring the outcomes triggered by human disturbance to other species. To change requires people to leave outside their comfort zones and shift the mode of vested interest. At the same time, human beings should make a sacrifice for all life shared nature. Some are taking the excuses of politics, economy, and livelihood to refuse change.
The reality is that biodiversity loss and climate change are the two top crises for human sustainable development.
The novel pneumonia outbreak in China is a clear reflection.
Illegal wildlife trade is endangering an increasing number of animals, leading to biodiversity loss. Moreover, illegal trade facilitates the transition of the virus from wild animals to humans. Prof. Walter Ian Lipkin who assisted Chinese medical personal to combat SARS has discussed the cooperation in Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak. He puts forward suggestions on the permanent ban on wildlife trade and on effective strict regulation to the industries of livestock and slaughtering. Otherwise, outbreaks of disease caused by the novel virus are expected in ten years.
In recent years, climate change is posing influence on wild animals, particularly for migratory birds, by changing the migration routes and traditional habitats. Some are forced to winter in the urban area, which shortens the distance between people and wildlife carrying pathogens and facilitates illegal wild animal trade as well.
The reality we should be aware of is that no medicine has been developed to eradicate SARS, Ebola, MERS or COVID-19
No one can be immune to the current situation, and that is the reason why all of us should practice the Human-based Solution (HbS). We believe the speech delivered by Joaquin Phoenix will influence and make a change as it shows the hue of HbS.
China has learned a lesson from the pneumonia outbreak and introduces change. The public has fully realized the problems of heath security brought out by wildlife trade. The Commission of Legislative Affairs of the National People's Congress has worked on the amendments of the National Wild Animal Protection Law and planned to fasten the legislative process of law on Animal Epidemic Prevention.
The baseline allows zero breaches, and unfairness permits no hesitation to change- these are the important reflections of entering into the era of Ecological Civilization.
Original Chinese article:
http://www.cbcgdf.org/NewsShow/4854/11276.html
By / Wang Yanqing