There’s No Lesson To Be Learned, If There’s No One Left To Learn It


Greed, that one of man’s original sins, that has driven us all into this situation, where we are now. This may become — or will be — for all of us the new normal, whether we like it or not. What have we learned? Others are easy to blame and addres,s even though the common answer is found in the mirror. Meaning, me and you! Can the planet earth and its ecosystems withstand the current load and our navel-gazing? Do we finally have to make difficult choices, so that our children can enjoy our planet without constant fear of diseases, natural disasters, and living normal life without masks?

If you want to show one scapegoat to zoonoses, viruses as well as bats and other wildlife will fall away. There is a man left. The world’s population has grown from 2.5 billion in the 1950s to almost eight, recalls Thomas Lilley.

Wallius, Anniina. 2020. Yle uutiset – Lepakkojen virus aiheutti ihmisille pandemian mutta lepakot eivät sairastu – evoluutio on hyvittänyt kömpelö’ä lentäjää erikoisella immuunijärjestelmällä. 16. 04.
Consulted on 7.7.2020

Ecosystems are inherently resilient and adaptable and, by supporting diverse species, they help to regulate diseases.  The more biodiverse an ecosystem is, the more difficult it is for one pathogen to spread rapidly or dominate. Human action, however, has modified wildlife population structures and reduced biodiversity at an unprecedented rate, producing conditions that favour particular hosts, vectors and/or pathogens.

Robinson, Doreen. 2020. UN Enviroment, Coronaviruses: Are they here to stay? 03. 04.
Consulted on 7.7.2020

To prevent further outbreaks, the experts said, both global heating and the destruction of the natural world for farming, mining and housing have to end, as both drive wildlife into contact with people. They also urged authorities to put an end to live animal markets – which they called an “ideal mixing bowl” for disease – and the illegal global animal trade.

Carrington, Damian. 2020. The Guardian. Coronavirus: ‘Nature is sending us a message’, says UN environment chief.
Consulted on 30.6.2020

Aaron Bernstein, at the Harvard School of Public Health in the US, said the destruction of natural places drives wildlife to live close to people and that climate change was also forcing animals to move: “That creates an opportunity for pathogens to get into new hosts.” “We’ve had Sars, Mers, Covid-19, HIV. We need to see what nature is trying to tell us here. We need to recognise that we’re playing with fire,” he said.

Carrington, Damian. 2020. The Guardian. Coronavirus: ‘Nature is sending us a message’, says UN environment chief.
Consulted on 30.6.2020

For a country to defend itself against the emergence and spread of infectious diseases, it must have a surveillance system to detect emergent and re-emergent infections, responsive healthcare systems and laboratories, vector control, and education programmes to inform the population of how to avoid infections. (Soto 2009)

Soto, S. M. 2009. ”Human migration and infectious diseases.” European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases 26-28.

“The separation of health and environmental policy is a ​dangerous delusion. Our health entirely depends on the climate and the other organisms we share the planet with.”

Carrington, Damian. 2020. The Guardian. Coronavirus: ‘Nature is sending us a message’, says UN environment chief.
Consulted on 30.6.2020

“We are intimately interconnected with nature, whether we like it or not. If we don’t take care of nature, we can’t take care of ourselves.” UNEP Executive Director, Inger Andersen.

Carrington, Damian. 2020. The Guardian. Coronavirus: ‘Nature is sending us a message’, says UN environment chief.
Consulted on 30.6.2020

COVID-19 is not the last “disease X”; the experts are in complete agreement. ” Disease X “is a term introduced by the World Health Organization three years ago. It refers to a future serious international epidemic caused by an as yet unknown pathogen.

Wallius, Anniina. 2020. Yle uutiset – Lepakkojen virus aiheutti ihmisille pandemian mutta lepakot eivät sairastu – evoluutio on hyvittänyt kömpelö’ä lentäjää erikoisella immuunijärjestelmällä. 16. 04.Consulted on 7.7.2020

Writer’s final notes.

As you read in the above text, there is a wide range of perspectives to consider and understand when we are talking about biological pathogens, and possible pandemic threats, including their the consequences. Even if not always, sometimes we all have to think and act “out of box”. Old information cannot always be applied into new situations.  We should not always refrain from old opinions and positions, because on that basis people would still live in caves, without being able to use fire or other helping tools.
In all researches, results and news must serve as a reminder of their starting points, who conducted it, or who funded those investigations. All news and researches have always influenced society and aimed at goals (good – neutral – bad). Fake news are strongly influencing! Remember media literacy. Nothing is black and white.

This New Normal saga’s blogs headers belong to the lyrics of a song. The first one who guesses it and its performer, will win a facemask and a bottle hand disinfectant! Write in the comments section your response.

The views and opinions expressed in Bertin Environics Blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Environics Oy. Any content provided by the authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual, neither they serve as a scientific statement.

Author

Toni Leikas

Training Manager

I am Toni, a CBRN professional with over 20-year experience in training and educating Security and CBRN matters. I have trained operators from over 50 different nationalities, from a wide range of occupational areas from First Responders to Scientists.

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