By Joanne Pannone • Central Jersey Group
These conflicts in Iran and Ukraine aren’t good for the health of our planet. What happens to our environmental cleanup progress when we have a war? Our ability to limit climate pollution that harms our health and our economy unravels with every boom. As I write this, Russian oil refineries are ablaze and sending toxic smoke into cities and an oil slick into the Black Sea. For four years Russia has been attacking Ukraine. And now there is the war in the Persian Gulf.
The United States not only attacked Iran but brought havoc on trans people, the Kennedy Center, diversity and equity, education, wind turbines, and free speech, just to name a few. China is seizing the moment to supply the world with clean technologies. “China is leaving America in the dust… since the United States has abandoned leadership on the energy transition,” Steve Curwood, host and executive producer of “Living on Earth,” said in February.
All over the world, birds are disappearing by the billions and our access to a clean healthy sustainable environment as a universal human right also is moving out of sight (and costing billions in cleanup and health problems).
The ‘70s brought about the landmark Clean Air and Clean Water Acts. Now, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is under attack by its own administrator, Lee Zeldin. The EPA mission isn’t his priority.
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative was inaugurated in 2005 as a cooperative effort to reduce power sector CO2 emissions while creating a fund for environmental sustainability. How will mega data centers affect energy affordability, public health, and the environment? This is a new battle.
Widespread conflict in the Gulf is destroying infrastructure that may not be rebuilt with a focus on renewable energy and sustainable practices. Pollution from war is adding to the destruction of our biosphere. However, our continued dependence on fossil fuels is causing the larger share of problems. Agriculture and fishing are challenged. Whether these problems are from droughts, rising temperatures, drone attacks, tornadoes, hurricanes, PFAS, or bombs, we see the potential for a humanitarian crisis.
We are losing species—possibly daily. It should be our goal to align with nature. Government cuts are robbing us of the scientific-discovery workforce that is needed to protect people’s health and to preserve our natural world.
With every conflict we lose biotic and abiotic (conditions for life) components in air, water, and land. These ecosystems are vital for life, health, and economic well-being.
We need to stop the bombs and protect the planet. We Sierra Club members, as defenders of clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment, need to be loud enough to be heard above all the distractions (such as the ballroom). We must organize and encourage our members to vote in November for candidates who share our vision for a healthy planet. If we allow this unprecedented pressure on our world to continue, there may be no future.