Help Wildlife and Prevent Future Pandemics This Earth Day
Dear John,
As we observe Earth Day this year from home, we are facing a situation that is unpredictable, scary, and--for the vast majority of us--unprecedented. The spread of COVID-19 has transformed our society and our lives, and we are all struggling to make sense of this new reality.
However, one thing is certain--we must do everything in our power to avoid triggering another pandemic. That's why this is such a vital moment to address the root causes of COVID-19 and other emerging infectious diseases.
Incidents of emerging zoonotic diseases (those transmitted from animals to humans) have increased significantly since 1940, a trend that strongly correlates with accelerating exploitation of natural resources. These activities, including the wildlife trade and destruction of habitat, have brought humans into much closer contact with wildlife, increasing the risk of pathogen transmission.
In fact, 60 percent of infectious diseases are considered zoonotic, and of these, more than 70 percent originate with wildlife. In just the past 40 years, the worst pandemics and epidemics (SARS, Ebola, HIV/AIDS, swine flu, avian flu) have all originated with the trade and consumption of wild animals and habitat loss. Experts believe COVID-19 was transmitted to humans at a market selling live wildlife.
Unless we curtail the rate of environmental decline due to human activity, it is inevitable that global pandemics will continue to emerge at an escalating rate. We must curb wildlife exploitation to reduce disease risk. Protecting nature is more important now than ever.