INFERNO...
...in real time.
Jaguar in the Pantanal, image by Leonardo Ramos, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. ‡
Inferno— where wicked and indifferent humans get to spend eternity. Inferno— where innocent wildlife suffers devastation in real time, from human activity.
Humanity continues to inflict heavy damage on the environment, and we have a rebirth of urgency to protect its fragility. Many lowland and swampy areas have been drained worldwide. Global warming is now increasing the damage from human encroachment on wetlands.
The Pantanal, the world’s largest wetland, 80% located in Brazil, twenty times larger than the Florida Everglades, is caught in an inferno caused by humanity. Jaguar cubs incinerated, nests of rare birds reduced to smoke and ashes, giant anteaters, lowland tapirs, marsh deer, macaws and caimans, and many more species, injured and killed. Even agile mature jaguars that swim are unable to escape the flames. What happens to slower creatures? In 2020 fires there killed some 17 million animals and burned 1/3 of the Pantanal. Projections are for a worse outcome under the current emergency
Why are we doing this to our planet? Could it be greed and indifference? Could it be our human driven increasing carbon footprint that drives global warming and enables these conflagrations? Could expanding deforestation to open land to other uses be behind this growing inferno? What do you think?
The devastation to the Pantanal is described in some detail here.
Should we be concerned and mobilize to save the Pantanal, a big chunk of the planet’s lungs and freshwater reservoir?
Powerful interests are hard to confront, but we can achieve a positive cumulative effect— there are 8 billion of us. We can conduct our activities to minimize global warming, water use, energy use, and waste. Many people are showing increased interest in the environmental, social and governance aspects of investments. A few years ago, divesting from investments that harmed the environment, that increased misery in human beings, or that obfuscated noxious corporate practices to the detriment of investors was a monumental task. Today we have seen significant progress, and many corporate concerns adhere to ESG principles.
There is no perfection, but what seemed impossible years ago (moral, judicious decision making by the companies that populate our 401(k)s, Roth IRAs and retirement plans) is now improving. It is possible to direct your investments into ESG- compliant investments.
Decades ago, citizens took action to save The Florida Everglades and progress has been made. It is up to us— all 8 billion of us. Choose your public officials and investments wisely. Vote accordingly.
If donald trump is elected—we’re ALL going to perish! The ‘man’ is Satan’s right hand fool, sop and fop. We must imprison this evil entity for the good of our humanity! Then, pressure the incoming president Kamala Harris et al to take action. Thanks!
Manuel- Positive cumulative effect is something everyone always underestimates with explanations like “it cannot be done.” But to your point: together, we can.