Greenresearch alert as of January 26, 2020
Our organization, Greenresearch echoes the Joint Statement made by nineteen Chinese academicians and scholars in response to the outbreak of the new coronavirus1: Ban and severely crack down on illegal wildlife markets and trade! Excerpts from this joint statement issued on January 24, 2020:
“We solemnly call for an end to the illegal trade and consumption of wild animals and control of major public health risks from the source.
It is hoped that the competent government departments, academics and the general public will work together to transform the crisis into actions to protect ecology and public safety in a timely and effective manner!”
Greenresearch also agrees with the analysis made by the EcoHealth Alliance (global environmental health non-profit organization):
“The market for wild animals and animal products comes with a significant risk to wildlife worldwide due to extinction, spread of disease and the introduction of invasive species into delicate ecosystems.”
The above-mentioned Joint Statement and EcoHealth Alliance’s stance emphasized that banning illegal wildlife trade and even eliminating wild animal food should be done not only in order to promote ecological balance or integrity, but also to ensure public health risk control.
EcoHealth Alliance recommended:
“expanded investment in prevention when it comes to infectious diseases as well, so that we can work to stop diseases like this one before they start making people sick. This investment could be into better sanitation in markets, working to educate people on the risk of hunting, butchering and eating wildlife, better long term health surveillance for farmers and market workers in emerging disease hotspots, and better surveillance for unknown viruses in wildlife.”
Amidst this potential major global pandemic or plague related to the mysterious virus and illegal wildlife trade, Greenresearch also calls attention to papal encyclical, Laudato Si’: On the Care for Our Common Home and its insight about the need to promote an “integral ecology” – a recognition of the interconnection of all Creation.3 Excerpts from Pope Francis encyclical:
“We must be grateful
for the praiseworthy efforts made by scientists and engineers dedicated to
finding solutions and to man-man problems. But a sober look at our world shows
that the degree of human intervention, often in the service of business
interests and consumerism, is actually making our earth less rich and
beautiful, ever more limited and grey, even as technological advances and
consumer goods continue to abound limitlessly.”
(Laudato Si, No. 34)
We hope and pray that our Philippine government agencies, academe and other civil society organizations will immediately and effectively synergize to prevent the spread of this deathly 2019-nCoV in our motherland.
***
ENDNOTES:
1 Link to the Joint Statement: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/T81AxgAkHIvRwdslPQ574g
2 More information about the Ecohealth Alliance can be found in their website: https://www.ecohealthalliance.org/program/global-wildlife-trade
3 Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ of the Hoy Father Francis on the Care for Our Common Home (2015)
4 Photo taken from the following article: “Eating of Wild Animals like Bat, Rat, and Wolves in China seen as one cause of the Virus Outbreak” http://www.pinoyformosa.com/2020/01/eating-of-wild-animals-like-bat-rat-and.html?m=1
5 Greenresearch also recommends the following video from Alternative Media Television: https://www.amtvmedia.com/watch-this-it-could-save-your-life.
