The Covid-19 crisis has emerged as the single event in the 21st century that has flummoxed all and sundry across the globe. Interestingly, the ensuing blame game has also bewildered all. The experts are blaming the common people for not taking the necessary precautions that could have prevented the spread of the virus. The common people on their part are blaming their governments for not providing adequate resources - vaccines and oxygen cylinders - to mitigate the crisis. The governments are blaming China for starting the crisis, and China blames the rest of the world for making it the scapegoat.

While none of the allegations are baseless and no one is at fault for blaming the other party, it is also true that in the last fifty years all (read: nations and their people) have contributed to the circumstances for which everyone is suffering today.

As the world celebrated yet another International Environment Day on June 5, it is imperative to understand the role of the environment in the current crisis, plus the solutions we can offer, both individually and collectively, to prevail over it.

Environmental Causes

An environmental crisis generally has three primary causes - deforestation, global warming and killing of species. However, in the case of coronavirus, they are playing a role beyond their cursory definitions. For example, to most people deforestation means cutting down of trees, causing less oxygen supply. However, trees do much more than being mere oxygen suppliers. Reduction in green cover restricts the movements of various fauna species to smaller areas allowing microbes to move easily from one animal to the other.

These animals, in turn, when they interact with human beings, transmit the microbes as well. Clearly, a larger green cover implies that animals, including human beings, have more opportunity to maintain ‘social distancing’ from each other.

Secondly, the killing of species does not only have ethical ramifications but also biological consequences. If the theory of Survival of the Fittest is applied, then it implies that all those species that survive the onslaught of viruses, themselves become the host of pathogens that may not be harmful to them but could be harmful to other species.

Thirdly, the melting of ice caps due to global warming increases the water levels of seas and oceans and releases those viruses that had gone dormant since the Ice Age. This pandemic has indeed created a common destiny by invoking a common enemy. Hence the solution also lies in setting up a common front against it both collectively and individually.

Solutions

Individual solutions lie in bringing changes in one’s dietary habits, like adopting a more vegan-based lifestyle, eating less processed food, and actively encouraging reduction in food wastage. It is no doubt that the more vegan-based diets are adopted, the lesser will be the scope for growing the food to serve as fodder for the animal turning into the meat.

Another aspect is to encourage the emancipation of women by encouraging them into the workforce. The more women join the labor force, the more emancipated they become; and they would be more empowered to choose the quantity and quality of life for their children.

On a similar note, less utilization of single-use plastic, encouraging an ambiance replete with the chirping of birds and buzzing of bees rather than an over-fixation with internet speed, as well as assimilating non-fossil fuels of energy in one’s lifestyle - are also a few solutions that could be embraced at the individual level.

As far as collective solutions are concerned, the citizens need to join in unison in rooting for a ban on wildlife trade, especially those that are encouraged between nations with the connivance of officials and governments to gain trade benefits.

The previous year China’s Wuhan wet market was blamed as the source of the virus and this year the theories on lab leaks from China are gaining ground.  In this aspect, caveats of the international environmental laws should be brought into question.

The International Environment Law asserts that ‘States must ensure that activities within their jurisdiction do not cause significant cross-boundary damage”. While the coronavirus combined destinies of nations by turning into a common global enemy, as yet there is no strong evidence to prove what and which country or event became the aggressor of this pandemic. Hence, no country legally can be blamed currently for this crisis.

Similarly, the clause of ‘erga omnes’, which identifies the intentions of a state to harm other states, cannot be invoked until the intentions of a country are determined. https://www.orfonline.org/research/chinas-state-responsibility-for-the-global-spread-of-covid19-68322/.

Sustained investigation into pandemic

Perhaps, the need of the hour is to advocate a sustained investigation into the pandemic without any prejudice and bias, as well as strengthening the international environmental law whose provisions are binding on all countries and would take into account the interdependence of countries on each other.

This pandemic has awakened us up to the reality that no nation is safe, whether powerful or weak when nature unleashes its fury. However, it also presents an opportunity where no citizen of any nation is weak if they are determined to live in a better and cleaner environment.

Let us not forget that humanity has witnessed a threat to civilization almost in every other century. In the 16th and 17th century when newer worlds were being explored, there were clashes between civilizations giving rise to the question of who should survive.

The next two centuries, which suffered the onslaught of forcible colonizations, raised the question of who is more civilized. The last century has primarily been about the basic theme of who shall thrive with rapid technological development and economic advancement.

However, the present century is more complicated - replete with theories about Artificial Intelligence, robots, zombies. What if nature too is interested in experimenting with newer forms of life to counteract growing pollution-resulting human activities? What if the process has already begun? What if 'who can arrive’ becomes the basic premise of this century?

(The writer is an assistant professor in Buddhist Indic Studies, Sanchi University, Madhya Pradesh, India. The views expressed are personal. She can be contacted at 28.prachi@gmail.com)