Covid and the Environment. The Overlooked Connection.

Dr Gary Robertshaw

Listening to the depressing news about the Coronavirus pandemic and the havoc it has wreaked on lives and economies around the globe, its easy to think that it was unavoidable. Certainly, none of the mainstream media give any meaningful acknowledgement of the association between pandemics and the way we treat the planet. Parallels are often drawn with the Spanish Influenza of 1918 and the cyclical nature of pandemics. However, such parallels are misleading. Whilst pandemics are cyclical, both the probability and frequency of pandemics occurring are inextricably linked to the destructive impact of human overpopulation and environmental degradation.

According to the New Scientist [1], for every star in the known universe, there are at least 10 million viruses on Earth! Viruses are so small that more than 100 million can fit on a pinhead. Compared to viruses, humans are thus massively outnumbered. There is an undeniable relationship between virus transmission and the number of humans on the planet, increased globalisation and human impingement on virus-harbouring wildlife habitats.

As the human population grows inexorably upwards, deforestation, hunting, wildlife trade and conversion of land for agriculture are exposing more people to zoonotic diseases whereby viruses spread from animals to humans. According to a study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society [2], the causes of wildlife population declines have facilitated the transmission of animal viruses to humans. The UN has also warned that up to one million species are at risk of extinction due to human activity. The stakes could not be higher.

When we destroy Nature we destroy ourselves. Global markets and the stampede to foster economic growth ignore this simple yet powerful tenet. As we have seen, markets are defenceless in the face of a rapidly spreading virus. Another pandemic involving a more virulent virus in the next few years would result in economic collapse.

Wherever overpopulation occurs, Nature will always seek to redress the balance. Human overpopulation and destruction of wildlife habitats present viruses with greater transmission opportunities. As James Lovelock, originator of the Gaia theory, has said "We are an opportunity for the virus... If you go on building up the population, it's almost inevitable." Cruel and dirty factory farming of animals for meat production is also providing a reservoir for antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and is a ticking timebomb. Reducing meat consumption, reducing family sizes, cutting carbon emissions and buying sustainable products from eco friendly companies can all have a positive impact.

In today's civilised societies, we are shielded from carnivorous predators and our legal and security services seek to protect us from harming each other. We feel safe and separated from the ravages of Nature. Yet this is an illusion. We are part of a vast eco-system, only the predators now are different.

Nature is vastly more powerful than all human ingenuity and technology combined. We can change our destructive ways and look to build a more sustainable future, or Nature can make the changes herself. The choice is ours.

[1] Read more: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24833104-300-the-race-to-find-and-stop-viruses-that-could-cause-the-next-pandemic/#ixzz6ez5Obcer

[2] Global shifts in mammalian population trends reveal key predictors of virus spillover risk, https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.2736

[3] James Lovelock: Gaia theory creator on coronavirus and turning 101 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/science-environment-53644147

The great River Taff cleanup project

A few short decades ago, the River Taff drained some of the largest coal mines in South Wales. Tributaries ran black with coal dust, and there were plenty of other contaminants flowing into the Taff and on into Cardiff Bay and the Bristol Channel. Along with large reaches of the Ebbw, the Rhymney, the Ely, and the Rhondda, the lower waters of the Taff were too toxic to support much life. It's estimated that the river once received about 100,000 tonnes of mining waste per year.
30 years ago the Taff was considered unfishable below the industrial works around Merthyr Tydfil. It now plays host to international fly fishing championships. Salmon can be seen leaping the weirs just a mile from Cardiff city centre, and waterbirds, insects, and amphibians have all returned to the lower reaches. It made a recent Environment Agency list of the 10 most improved rivers in the UK.
While the cleanup began with the closure of the mines it would be a mistake to assume that the Taff returned to a healthy state on its own. Huge efforts have gone into restoring it, including everything from small tributaries like the Taff Bargoed, which flows past the site of Merthyr Vale Colliery, to the artificial banks put in place to protect Cardiff suburbs from flooding. Sewerage treatment works have been improved and the remaining industrial outflow points more tightly controlled. The weirs have been modified to allow salmon to pass more easily and wetlands re-established to provide vital habitat for other species.
The efforts to clean up South Wales rivers have delivered immense benefits to the local community as well as the environment. A 55 mile cycle path winds down the Taff valley now, and country parks have been built on the Taff Bargoed and the Rhondda. The rivers are now used for fishing, birdwatching, kayaking, and rowing rather than draining industrial waste.
Volunteers, angling and watersports clubs, environmental campaigners, and local and national authorities all played a part in the tremendous recovery of the Taff and other South Wales rivers, and they should all have a share of the credit. However, the work is far from over. Out the 6114 rivers in England and Wales only five are pristine. Just over a quarter are considered to be in good condition.
Under EU regulations that figure ought to be 95%. Cleaning up Britain's rivers is a formidable task, but it can be done. All it takes is a short walk by the Taff so see that it's not only possible to return heavily polluted rivers to sound condition but also get some idea of the potential benefits. The clean Taff now has a tremendous value to local people as well as flora and fauna.

Jess Spate lives less than a mile from the River Taff and has been lucky enough to see the salmon running there. She has cycled beside it, enjoyed the wading birds in the wetlands, and kayaked reaches that were toxic not so long ago.

Forget oil. Population growth and water supply, the Arab worlds real challenge

Rapid population growth, spreading water shortages and growing food insecurity are already plaguing many Arab nations. For example, grain production has started to fall as aquifers (underground water-bearing rocks) have become depleted. Saudi Arabia used to be self-sufficient in wheat production but has now phased this out as its aquifers have been bled dry. As a result it will become totally dependent on imported grain to feed its growing population. Realising that its population cannot eat oil, the Saudis have started to buy or lease land countries such as Ethiopia and Sudan. The problem is that these countries often have real problems feeding their own people, let alone trying to support the food needs of other countries [read more]