Sustainable Humanity beyond the COVID-19 Crisis
2021; Medknow; Volume: 9; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
10.4103/amhs.amhs_118_21
ISSN2321-6085
Autores Tópico(s)COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts
ResumoAll differences in this world are of degree, and not of kind, because oneness is the secret of everything.–Swami Vivekananda I have always been un-tethering my soul to seek answers to the mysteries of man, of nature and the vast expanse of our universe. The COVID-19 pandemic has only reinforced my understanding of human-nature relationships and human-Earth systems. This pandemic has led to an existential crisis and has presented as the greatest challenge we have faced since the Second World War. The pandemic is the consequence of a planetary dysbiosis, and indeed is a critical decade for humanity on Planet Earth. Unlike the plague, the COVID-19 is now visualized with a broader perspective as a 'Syndemic'. This 'Syndemic approach'[1] does factor in several synergistic and co-occurring determinants, such as biological (race, gender, genetics and ethnicity), ecological, non-communicable disorders (NCDs), socio-economic, and the politico-cultural context. This interconnectedness ultimately will define the outcome of SARS CoV-2 infection. The COVID-19 crisis has magnified the COVID 19 ethics of social and health inequities, fragmented healthcare systems, and disparities in racial and ethnic health, human worth and social justice issues. Thus, the collective global wreckage during this COVID-19 syndemic is indeed a 'black hole' in our hearts that has inflicted unfathomable pain. In India, the B.1.617.2 [B.1.617.1-kappa variant, B.1.617.2-delta variant, and B.617.3 sub-lineages], the 'highly transmissible' variant, is causing the second surge of COVID-19. India does accounts for half of the COVID-19 cases and 30% of deaths worldwide. As of May, the strain has already reached 48 countries, and the WHO has called the B.1.617 a 'Variant of Global concern'. From the frying pan to fire, the Indian subcontinent is also combating COVID-19 associated rhino-orbital–cerebral mucormycosis superinfections in epidemic proportions. Thus, the COVID-19 crisis seems to be turning out to be a formidable nemesis for humanity on Planet Earth. A crisis on this scale could reorder our society in dramatic ways, and I would pledge such a change to be for the better, rather than the worse. Human survival is at stake in every sense of the word. To me, our world seems to be in a catastrophic dereliction of moral duty to safeguard our sustainable future on Planet Earth. I ask "Shouldn't Science work on the bedrock of human values, moral realism, naturalistic realism, and meta-ethics?" Thus, Man as a part of the Human Earth systems, needs to work towards 'a rebirth of humanism' to evoke a harmonious inner transformation of the mind for 'Universal Oneness' to achieve sustainable humanity. In the context of the COVID-19 humanitarian crisis and the declaration of 'Planetary Emergency' in July 2019 by the members of the Club of Rome, there is an absolute and dire need for emboldening a crusading faith through the collectivistic 'Universal oneness' ideology for Earth democracy, Planetary health, and an Educational movement that would be capable of saving Mankind. We need a holistic long-term renewed consciousness and strategic plan that will save our planet Earth, the cradle of humanity. Many a time, I have felt that our ancestors have made a great contribution to humanity. We need to drive across a moral consciousness enabling humanity to enter a social contract with nature to ensure sustainability. The disturbing thought that chokes my mind now is "What will we, in the 21st century, do for our next generation?" To me, as an Earth citizen, it is my moralistic responsibility to galvanize my mindfulness to critically think about the future of humankind. This editorial is more of a compelling story that revolves around the fundamental human unease within me, emotional nuances from the soul about the human imperfections in the world around me, and a narrative that transcends facts. The COVID-19 pandemic is undoubtedly a humanitarian crisis now posing a monumental challenge to humanity in the 21st century. How can we reshape and create a shared future in a fractured world of ours for the greater good of sustainable humanity? The answer to this question lies in the interdisciplinary areas of philosophy, social anthropology, social and health sciences, social and critical psychology, behavioural sciences, environmental humanities, and an 'education for sustainable human development. My deluge of thoughts reflected in this narrative is perhaps in tandem with the Native American Proverb "Tell me the facts and I'll learn. Tell me the truth and I'll believe. But tell me a story and it will live in the heart forever." THE BLUE MARBLE (EARTH): THE CRADLE OF HUMANITY "Man must rise above Earth to the top of the atmosphere and beyond, for only then will he fully understand the world in which he lives." – Socrates (469–399 BC) "The Earth is a fine place and worth fighting for." – Ernest Hemingway From Apollo 17 that was launched into space in 1972, we could see and appreciate the photographs of the earth, the indescribable beauty of the "Blue Marble" floating in the void of space, an enigma. The small Blue Marble is an image of Earth taken on December 7, 1972, from a distance of about 29,000 kilometres from the planet's surface. It was taken by the crew of the Apollo 17 spacecraft on its way to the Moon and is one of the most reproduced images in history. Perhaps, this Blue marble is the only planet that sustains all kinds of life, fauna, and flora, with inbuilt sustainable healthy ecosystems. No other planet sustains life, like Earth. With the decades of space exploration, we know that we are one among billions of worlds in the Milky Way galaxy. Our intricately tangled web of geology, ecology, and biology has certainly made this "Blue marble" the only one in reach that is perfectly habitable for humans. Apollo 17's photographs of the beautiful blue marble in the Cosmos do indeed underscore the enigma of Earth systems. There is really no place like Earth, our home. "Bhumi Mata, Putro Eham Prithvya" in Atharva Veda, Vedic Hymn to the Earth, is unquestionably the oldest and the most evocative environmental invocation and a sworn allegiance of humankind to Mother Earth. This translates to "Earth is my mother, I am her son." This also resonates with what His Holiness the Dalai Lama reiterated on the Golden Jubilee of International Earth day, "Our mother earth is teaching us a lesson in universal responsibility. This blue planet is a delightful habitat. Its life is our life; its future, our future. Indeed, the earth acts like a mother to us all; as her children, we are dependent on her." Such a breathtaking view in the Cosmos does certainly open a spiritual window into the collective consciousness of the human race recognizing the enigma of the floating Blue Marble, a majestic universe of lights in the blackness of space, the seat of human civilization. Perhaps, this spiritual amazement, overwhelming emotion, and reckoning must have led to the genesis of an "Earth Anthem" penned by Indian Poet-Diplomat Abhay Kumar in 2008 that eulogizes and exalts the spectacular wonder of a habitable planet, and at the same time delivers a sacred message to mankind to preserve our Terra Madre. I would also reiterate that as we learn to celebrate the Blue Marble, its incomprehensible splendour, and Earth's resilience, we need to be mindful of the limits to Earth's fragility in the Anthropocene. May I arouse the readers the collective consciousness through the spirituality window by reminiscing poignant earth quotes? Perhaps, it was Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, who nudged us to rethink how we need to balance ecological health and human well-being for sustainable humanity and a sustainable nature in the future. Indeed, reiterating that there really is no place like home, a cosmic oasis. EARTH QUOTES - UNFORGETTABLE LESSONS FOR SHARED HUMANITY "Orbiting Earth in the spaceship, I saw how beautiful our planet is. People, let us preserve and increase this beauty, not destroy it!"– Yuri Gagarin, 1961 "I realized up there that our planet is not infinite. It's fragile. That may not be obvious to a lot of folks, and it's tough that people are fighting each other here on earth instead of trying to get together and live on this planet. We look pretty vulnerable in the darkness of space." – Alan Shepard (Apollo 14) "20 min after I got into space on that first flight, I happened to stare out the window, by accident almost, and I saw something on the horizon that I didn't recognize. I had no idea what it was. I turned to the commander of the Space Shuttle, and I said, 'What the hell is that?' and he says, 'That's the surprise.' As the Sun came up, I was absolutely blown away by how incredibly beautiful our Planet Earth is. Absolutely breathtaking. Like someone took the most brilliant blue paint and painted a mural right in front of my eyes. I knew right then and there that I would never, ever see anything as beautiful as planet Earth again." – Scott Kelly, Former NASA Astronaut "The Earth was small, light blue, and so touchingly alone, our home that must be defended like a holy relic. The Earth was absolutely round. I believe I never knew what the word round meant until I saw Earth from space." – Aleksei Leonov, Russian Cosmonaut "As we begin to comprehend that the earth itself is a kind of manned spaceship hurtling through the infinity of space—it will seem increasingly absurd that we have not better organized the life of the human family." – Hubert H. Humphrey, Vice President of the United States "In the future, I would like to be more of an advocate for animal conservation. Every single part of the Earth reacts with every other part. It's one thing. Every little animal is important in that ecosystem. (Seeing the planet from above) makes you realize that and makes you want to be a little more proactive in keeping it that way. If I could get every Earthling to do one circle of the Earth, I think things would run a little differently." – Karen Nyberg (50th Woman in Space, NASA Astronaut) Meditating on these quotes I could visualize a global consciousness of Earth as a perspective from the universe. It is indeed an utter disappointment and dissatisfaction to realize what "anthropogenic chaos" we are responsible for that ruins this beautiful, sustainable blue marble, our home. Here, it is so relevant to reminisce and have deeper insights into what Mahatma Gandhi once said, "Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed." Where is the humanity in our fellow humans in preserving this habitable heaven? I certainly have always resonated with the sayings of George Bernard Shaw, "Now that we have learned to fly in the air like birds and dive in the sea like fish, only one thing remains - to learn to live on the earth like humans." Human beings have become so narrow-minded, launched satellites into outer space, and achieved an unsettling discovery of a human dive in a submarine nearly 35,853 feet (10,927 m) to a point in the Pacific Ocean's Mariana Trench that is the deepest place on Earth. However, it is a tragedy and misfortune that man has inhabited Earth set in motion the destruction of Mother Earth. We do not think that we are so lucky to have this habitable paradise. What is to become of our planet, I wonder? Seeing the splendid nature of Mother Earth, I ask "Isn't it time for man to change his philosophy for Sustainable Planetary Health, Earth Stewardship for a Universal 'One Health' of all beings on Planet Earth, the concept of Biospheric Egalitarianism and Bio (Eco) centrism?" THE "TOWER OF BABEL" REVISITED: MEANING FOR SUSTAINABLE HUMANITY "Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name." With these words, the inhabitants of Babel began their ascent into the heavens, both physically and metaphorically. – Genesis 11:4 The ongoing health crisis is akin to fighting a common 'invisible enemy', the SARS CoV-2 virus. Looking at man's hubristic ideologies, it seems to me, that the true enemy lies within us. The enemy within us is the lack of social solidarity, lack of collective human consciousness, our human depravity, and the lack of shared responsibility. Man being a techno-optimist, there is now a crisis in humanism. His flawed strategies, his free will and his trajectory of omnipotence have now led to a crisis of human civilization. A few of these man-made problems does include lack of eco-literacy, climate crisis, lack of shared humanity, health inequities, wars and military conflicts, terrorism and horrorism, culture wars, war crimes and crimes against humanity, genocidal war and genocide, biological warfare, postulated biological weaponization of human coronaviruses, creation of biologically enhanced military 'super soldiers', cyberterrorism, cyber warfare, and various geopolitical crisis. Although, the SARS CoV-2 virus in this pandemic is the 'invisible enemy', it would not be too wrong of me to reiterate that Man's worst enemy is himself. The enemy within is man's hubristic ideologies, his lack of social solidarity, his lack of collective human consciousness, our human depravity, and the lack of shared responsibility. I quote His Holiness, The Dalai Lama, "The Planet does not need more successful people. The planet desperately needs more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of all kinds." In a similar vein, I use a fantastic metaphorical and allegorical narrative from the Book of Genesis which is the "Tower of Babel" – a narrative depicting the division of humankind into separate spheres and even competing spheres of control. What does the allegory of Tower of Babel mean for us today in the modern context? What does the Tower of Babel symbolize in our modern human civilization? According to the Biblical narrative in Genesis 11:1-19, King Nimrod's hubris led to the building of the Tower of Babel up to the heavens. This is a testimony of Human's wickedness and contempt of God. This reiterates that Modern science is premised on the claim that human can and should use his/her knowledge, science, and technological advancements, to attain a God-like intelligence and security that eventually vault human beings into the heavens. I would state that these human vices and foibles and hubris for the attainment of superhuman heavenly abode merely depict the depth of human parochialism. Human's hubristic mindset is now setting a faster pace for making the Modern Tower of Babel taller to reach the heavens. The bricks have now become precious than human life. When a brick slips and falls, a man weeps; however, when a worker falls and dies, we do not pay attention. The modern Tower of Babel needs to grow in height with a disregard for human values and human life. Should we stop building this Tower of Babel? The story of the Tower of Babel is perhaps symbolic of the delusion of humans reaching the heavens. This endeavor not only unravels existential threats instead jeopardizes humanity into a crisis and perhaps human annihilation.[2] We must prepare before limitless power of human ingenuity, runaway science, and human egos that transcend our ethics. There is one truth; every attempt to go against "the common good of humanity" would lead to a tragic end, just like the fate of the Tower of Babel story. There must be an oneness in our "voice of humanity" for the harmony of Heaven, Earth, and Human. This will pave the way for harmony of civilizations and our sustainable future. The Tower of Babel in our Modern world does seem to explain worldwide diversity, and at the same time, the lack of a Universal Oneness, and an inclusive and cohesive collectivistic ideology. As opposed to the "Towel of Babel" narrative, what is needed is common humanity, a common human enterprise, a more global cooperation, or global governance to be competent to thwart imminent existential threats. The Tower of Babel is a symbol of humanity's vanity, frailty, and hubristic supremacy, all seeming to convey a notion of doom and gloom for humanity. Therefore, I pose another question: "Can there be sustainable human development if humans absolutely engage themselves in understanding and capturing the material world?" Or, "Should not there be a reawakening of collective emotional intelligence to envision a collaborative 'global pro bono-pro humanity' charter to safeguard a habitat for sustainable humanity on Planet Earth?" The whole world must have one language with little ambiguity, one speech, and a collectivistic human mindset to unify all human races without the current "the Babel of Tongues." This, to my mind, will undoubtedly be pivotal for galvanizing social solidarity and represent the torch for sustainable humanity. Harmonizing the individual agency, societies, and the collective has been one of the most challenging problems human societies have had to tackle. To my mind, the individual agency is the collective, and the collective is the individual. Therefore, we have to defend our future from impending catastrophes by oneness, a massification and unanimity with one singular language, one commandment, a shared responsibility, and a universal pledge for our sustainable future on Planet Earth. This new language of a common "Universal oneness" for goodness and earth democracy would unify all of the human races and certainly pave the way forward for safeguarding the cradle of humanity on Planet Earth. Rethinking human behavior is quintessential as the collective consciousness of humanity needs to be prepared for a marathon, but not a short-term sprint in combating COVID-19 pandemic. "The Babel of Tongues" in today's world would need a transformation to an "ideology of singularity" for the collective voice of human consciousness to pledge for social solidarity. This language of universal oneness will indeed symbolize a shared pledge for achieving a harmonious philosophy of "One planet, One health, One future" for sustainable humanity. SPACE EXPLORATION: THE NEXT CRADLE OF HUMANITY? "Man is the most insane species. He worships an invisible God and destroys a visible Nature. Unaware that the Nature he is destroying is the God he is worshipping" – Hubert Reeves Since the beginning of civilization, humanity has wondered whether we are alone in the universe. To be human is to live with the uncertainty of whether there are intelligent extraterrestrial life or advanced civilizations in the star systems or exoplanet. Our universe may seem like a lonely place in the Milky Way galaxy. However, as we know today, our planet is alive and habitable. The 100–400 billion stars in the Milky galaxy and the 100 billion galaxies in the observable universe may not be inhabitable. We sometimes tend to forget that our planet Earth is the only home we have. We take our planet Earth for granted its fragile ecosystems. The Mars rover, Perseverance, landed on Mars on February 2020 in an attempt to hunt for signs of ancient life forms. So far, there is no scientific evidence for or against the existence of life beyond Earth. Back in the seventies, I was fascinated with the idea of space exploration while watching "Space 1999" and "Star Trek" science-fiction television programs. Where will humans live if Earth becomes uninhabitable? Is it that it will be a reason to go somewhere else to set up permanent human colonies (space colonization) in other planets (Terraforming of Mars) if earth becomes unsustainable? Could we have Eagle Transporter spacecraft of Space 1999's lunar colony (Moonbase Alpha) or the gigantic starship, like The Enterprise, with heroic captains, like Captain Kirk for human travel to distant stars and intergalactic travel? Indeed, this is an open question based on the presumed innate human drive to explore and discover. Does the human race need to be able to move to another planet? There is a conflict whether space exploration should awaken humanity's soul to be kinder to Mother Earth and Earth Ecosystems or envision humankind's zeal for a new horizon for humanity in other planets. Is space exploration an essence of the curiosity of human existence or that because of all the planetary degradation of Planet Earth, the only beacon of hope for humanity in space exploration and space colonization? Are we destined to say farewell to Mother Earth, and as her children forsake her by our doings, in search of other habitable planets? Will this be the destiny of our Terra Madre that supported the human civilization and humanity's evolutionary history since antiquity, beginning with the Palaeolithic Era? The answer to this lies perhaps in another question – "Isn't it dangerous delusion to think that space will offer an escape from Earth's problems, since there may never be a Planet B?" In this context, I reflect on the words of Swiss Nobel laureate (2019) Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz that it will be almost impossible to migrate to a habitable planet outside of the Earth's solar system since it would too far, perhaps anywhere between 12 to 1000 light-years away. Are humans unique and alone in the vast universe? Are there extraterrestrial life and extraterrestrial civilizations in the vast cosmic arena? The answer to our search for extraterrestrial life revolves around the optimistic science of the Drake equation, which proposes the high probability of detectable civilizations in our galaxy. On the contrary is the pessimism of the lack of such evidence, the so-called Fermi Paradox. Therefore, for a half-century, the search for extra-terrestrial life and intelligent and/or advanced life forms in extrasolar (exoplanet) has been one of the most intractable and uncertain in science to date. Even if we find nothing, we will be discovering the truth, i.e., "The most obvious is that we are alone. Humanity may be the only intelligent life in our Galaxy or even Universe." Another uncoiling question that vexes my mind is, "Are we humans making plans or destined to abandon this Blue Marble after destroying its Ecosystems and set goals on space exploration, extraterrestrial space colonization, perhaps on Mars?" Is it true that "Either we must leave the Earth or we will perish?" Will the tales of HG Wells, almost 100 years ago, the Shakespeare of Sci-Fi, based on his novel "First men in Moon" become a reality for space travel and space colonization? To my mind, Human space exploration is science's quest for knowledge to address fundamental questions about humanity's place in the Universe, the origins of the Earth, and the history of our Solar system. Space exploration missions must be for the progress of humankind and to foster tangible improvements for the Earth and its inhabitants. To my constructivist mind, the study of Mars should be to expand and have a better understanding of Planet Earth on which we live in. I would also envision Space research (Space industry) to be galvanized as a "technology generator" for human development and well-being on Earth. Space Industrial Revolution would address crucial issues faced by the humanity in renewable energy (Space-based solar power, Moon-based solar power stations for earth, and Deep Space industries for space mining/asteroid mining resources), environment, water, and minerals. To my mind, the future of space exploration should be for human development on Mother Earth ultimately for sustainable development and sustainable humanity. This sentiment was echoed by Apollo astronaut Alfred Worden, "Now I know why I'm here. Not for a closer look at the moon, but to look back at our home, the Earth. We should be grateful to live on Earth." Is my argumentation right to be supportive of Yuri Gagarin's sentiment, "When I orbited the Earth in a spaceship, I saw for the first time how beautiful our planet is? Mankind, let us preserve and increase this beauty, and not destroy it!" On the contrary, is it acceptable to let the doomsday of ecosystems degradation tick, as a human fallibility? Should we abide by Konstantin Tsiolkovsky's (Russian rocket scientist) prediction of humanity "The Earth is the cradle of humanity, but mankind cannot stay in the cradle forever?" Yet another argumentation for Human to escape from Planet Earth tenable with human prediction of the "Sixth Extinction" (Anthropocene extinction)? This prediction may be due to various global catastrophic risks (Nuclear war and nuclear winter, Biowarfare, Supervolcanic threats, Global warming, Catastrophic climate change, Pandemics, and Ecosystem collapse) and/or an existential astronomical threats (asteroid impact, cosmic threats, solar storms, solar flares, and alien invasion) to Planet Earth. Does this theory of cataclysmic events with a probability to annihilate humanity from the face of Earth, necessarily mandate humanity to be sapce-faring civilization? In this respect, the Distinguished Professor in Physics and Astronomy (University of New Mexico) Carlton Caves has opined the following verdict, "I would say that the odds are good for our survival. Even the big threats—nuclear warfare or an ecological catastrophe, perhaps following from climate change—aren't existential in the sense that they would wipe us out entirely." Perhaps, it is wise of me to end this debate on "Catastrophism/Sixth Extinction Theory for Human Annihilation" by reminiscing Charles Darwin's quote - "So profound is our ignorance, and so high our presumption, that we marvel when we hear of the extinction of an organic being; and as we do not see the cause, we invoke cataclysms to desolate the world." With the decades of human space exploration, we know that we are the one among billions of worlds in the Milky Way galaxy. Our intricately entangled web of geology, ecology, and biology, integrated human–earth systems, has certainly made this "Blue Marble" the only planet in reach that is perfectly habitable for humans. There really may be no place as Earth, as our home. The collective consciousness of humanity must have a "singular voice" as enshrined in the ancient Indian philosophy of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam." This also will awaken the consciousness of eco-spirituality. Eco-spirituality is a fundamental belief in the sacredness of nature, Earth, Man and the Universe. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam philosophy and the concept of Eco-spirituality will be instrumental in the fabric of human consciousness, the Universal Mind, as the hope for humanity over Armageddon. What matters is that the collective human consciousness and self-realization can certainly recourse the world from the pangs of an artificial ecosystem collapse and human extinction into a sustainable future for humanity. HUMANITY AT CROSS ROADS - RETHINKING SUSTAINABLE HUMANITY "This we know: the earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites us all. Man did not weave the web of life; he is but a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself"– Chief Seattle This message by the Native American Chief Seattle of the Duwamish Tribe to Franklin Pierce, President of the United States in 1855 does indeed reinforce the wisdom of a worldwide Eco-spirituality. I would reiterate that the narrative of humanity's past civilization, humanity and the current modernity seems to be in a violent collision. There seems to be bankruptcy in our emotional intelligence, social morality, and eco-spirituality. To me, there is a decoupling of human intelligence and human collective consciousness and human spirituality. There must be an awakening of the Universal Mind by powering Consciousness and Human thoughts (human and social morality) for development and sustainable humanity. A wholesome attitudinal change in the collective human consciousness is quintessential to restore sustainable humanity. As far as the environmental crisis is concerned, there is a gap between consciousness, mindfulness and ecological spirituality. In an era defined by human impact, I wonder, "Can the human being be an enemy of all humanity?" We, humans, used the Atomic Bomb against our own people. "Aren't such acts an intolerable threat to humanity?" "Aren't the wars and other "dehumanized violence" in today's world a betrayal of humanity?" Philosopher and thinker Erich Fromm laments the fact that despite the man being aware of the risks and dangers of his/her existence, insufficient defences, uncertainty, and fragmentary knowledge, he/she hardly works toward "a rebirth of humanism." The collective humanity needs to attain an inner transformation of mind with a more matured sense of responsibility toward each other. This is the need of the hour for sustainable humanity. Sustainability denotes "…development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." There must be a balance of modern medicine and technology that is harmonious with nature and its ecosystem health. Only this can take us a long way toward this new vision of sustainable human development. From the epidemiology of civilization of the human race, we have ignored lessons reiterating Bernard Shaw's reflection, "We learn from history that we learn nothing from history." I pose another question "Will humanity's inability to learn its lessons from a history of pushing the boundaries of our 'finite' ecosystems to yet another apocalyptic pandemic triggering 'human annihilation' from Mother Nature?" Does human civilization suffer from an inability to conceptualize our future on this planet? Will this tiny SARS-CoV-2 virus empower Human's search for a renewed meaning of "One planet, One health, One future" universal voice of singularity for sustainable humanity? Do we need a new wave of collective consciousness, or will it need a new world to adopt a different way for sustainable Humanity? Human overexploitation of Earth Systems and catastrophic fragmentation of its biodiversity in un
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