Mother Earth Will Survive! And Humans…?

https://www.soldemedianochenews.org/mother-earth-will-survive-and-humans.html

The month of April is known and celebrated as Mother Earth. In the Quechua and Aymara languages, “Pachamama” literally means “mother of the universe” or “mother of the world.” Pachamama is considered the goddess of fertility, the earth, and abundance, and is credited with caring for nature and human beings. She is also known as Mother Nature, Gaia, or Terra Mater according to ancient mythologies.

Indigenous and Alaska Native communities around the world show us how ancestrally there is an understanding that Mother Earth and human beings are infinitely interconnected. And that we humans are totally dependent on her. From the air we breathe and what we eat to the roof of our homes and the fabrics we wear; all of this is a gift from Mother Earth.

We currently live in times where the climate crisis is the news of the day, every day. At the same time, we witness a government that increasingly resembles fascism rather than the democracy it so loudly proclaims to the world. We silently witness one of the greatest threats facing Mother Earth: plastic and microplastic (MP) pollution on planet Earth.

MP are extremely small particles that come from the disintegration of plastics such as water bottles, soft drinks, packaging for personal products, medicines, electronics, and food, among others. We already know they are everywhere. Scientific evidence shows they are found in the brain, in the placenta, which is the baby’s first habitat, and in the world’s oceans, especially highly accumulated in the Arctic. They are also found in marine animals, fish, and even in the air we breathe.

At the same time, we know that plastic recycling initiatives are part of the chemical industry’s strategies to justify and perpetuate oil and, consequently, plastic production around the world. The Arctic Ocean is one of the places with the highest concentrations of MP pollution on the planet. It is also a region where Indigenous and Alaska Native communities practice traditional foods and live in close connection with Mother Earth. Many traditional foods have been found to be contaminated with a significant amount of MP and other contaminants, causing serious food insecurity. Furthermore, it has created and exacerbated chronic health conditions, including problems with the thyroid, reproductive system, and infant and child development. You might think, “This is a massive problem!” And it is! But there are always possibilities for every problem. Starting to make changes locally and setting an example of what is possible.

Currently, the Alaska legislature is reviewing a bill (HB25) that would prohibit businesses and restaurants from using polystyrene (Styrofoam). Some options to replace Styrofoam include bamboo, cardboard, corn, mushrooms, and other biodegradable materials. Contact your legislator and ask them to support these types of initiatives that protect health and justice, and to support human rights movements. We know this is the first step in the right direction toward eliminating unnecessary and polluting plastics from our daily use.

For more information, I invite you to read the latest report prepared by Alaska Community Action on Toxics (ACAT), titled The Arctic Plastic Crisis: Toxic Threats from the Petrochemical Industry to Health, Human Rights, and Indigenous Lands.

https://www.akaction.org/publications/the-arctics-plastic-crisis/

Dr. Samarys Seguinot-Medina is Boricua & the Environmental Health Director at ACAT. Sama resides in Dena’ Ina lands, Alaska.