Neo-Justice: "Let us Justify our Earth.”

Our environment matters. This is not an understatement; it is a true statement. Consider the universe, an expanse of gigantic proportion, and within it, as of today, on Plant Earth has been found with conditions that support life. In short, we have a small plant on a leash, and for reasons presented below it ought not only to be protected, but defended.

1. Ecology is a universal panacea: The environment in one place is the environment everywhere. Regardless of where you live on the planet, behaviors and actions undertaken in one area affect you wherever you may go. To remain silent when the earth is being violated in one part of the earth is to slowly be inviting trouble on your immediate environment. Because it will be in trouble sooner rather than later. 

2. Eco-justice is human justice: Humans cannot afford to live in a dilapidated, unhygienic and diseased environment. But someone might say, “How does environmental justice affect humanity?” In every way. Remember that if the environment is not protected, it is not the environment only that will suffer, the human race will as well. When there is no clean earth (no clean water, no clear air and no fauna and flora thriving and growing naturally), it is human life that will eventually dissipate. 

3. Health environment is health human life: Think about what is happening to the environment as if it is happening to human body, because it is. When the environment is polluted, it is human who would eventually breathe in and out the polluted air, and the same is true with water pollution. The impact would be the sickening of the human body. When earth dies, humans may die, too.

What can you do to help protect the environment?

1. Be a responsible citizen, don’t litter around, recycle and reuse and the environment will be happy.

2. Support causes like Eco-Justice (https://ecojustice.ca/), Friends of the Earth (https://foecanada.org/), Eco Project (https://www.ecologyproject.org/), and etc.

3. Join the fight to defend the earth. You can achieve this through very simple, innocuous means, such as information sharing, brining awareness to your closest friends, family members, classmates or co-workers. The little you do the more it adds up. 

Neo-Justice – “Let us Justify our Earth.”

An animal in Africa, one of its kind in the world. There are others in Asia, but the focus of this brief write-up is the African Pangolin, also known as the Ground Pangolin, found in sub-Saharan Africa. It is the only animal covered by overlapping layers of scales. The scales are made of keratin – the same material elements as are on human fingernails and toes. When they are young, the scales are soft and delicate but as they grow older, the scales get hardened. In length, they range from 12 cm to about 40 cm.  

The Ground Pangolin is nocturnal and feeds mostly on termites and other insects. It has a well-developed sense of small, which it uses to fetch for insects.  

The Ground Pangolin is highly vulnerable or near endangered because of its scale’s value for medicine. It’s prey to humans, first and foremost, then to leopards, lions and other animas which hunt it for its meant.   

Ground Pangolins don’t go down easily. To defend themselves, they curl into a ball, with their protruding scales pointed outside, but it is only the scales on their tails that can cut or wound their predators. They may also emit noxious skunk-like acid which is located near their anus in order to ward off their killers. When all is done and danger is still looming, 

Ground Pangolins may discharge their sharp-edged tails while hissing and puffing. But this is only carried out as a last resort.  The Ground Pangolin is more than just vulnerable; it may be undergoing extinction right in front of our eyes. Can we do something about it?