Save the planet by saving ourselves

LETTER | The novel coronavirus has virtually crippled human movement the world over and is costing governments both money and human capital duress. 

Right-minded and value-centric citizens globally will readily sympathise with China as they combat this scourge that has hit their citizens over the auspicious Chinese New Year period.

However, putting aside emotions and political correctness in this time of global concerns and near pandemonium, there are lessons to be learnt from the global virus attack.

As we read of emerging reports about the causes and how this virus is being spread — through the highly ambulant, contemporary world of human activity —one thing that seems true to dismiss from the table of public debate is the fact that humans have failed to put hygiene and health standards on par with their economic, financial and material pursuits.

Today, in many countries, citizens who are the product of universities and economic liberation are lacking in health and hygiene standards.

Either they are ignorant or careless about personal hygiene and nutrition. Perhaps, they have left it to others to worry about it.

We have succumbed to the materialistic dream or have gone astray in its opposite tension of religious extremism harbouring on fanaticism, throwing essential hygiene and cleanliness to the wind.

Just look at how many nations like China prepare and consume food. Just take stock of how many citizens in numerous countries treat and maintain their public toilets. Just ask the people around you how much they know about nutrition.

China, like several other nations, keep chasing after economic global supremacy and leave billions of their people behind in terms of hygiene and health awareness. 

Public health awareness, however, should commensurate with their endlessly rising mortars and gleaming cities.

Humanity may be losing the sacred, age-old knowledge of balance and right living.

We have abandoned the science of health, food nutrition and hygiene while we chase after the next dollar to be made and enjoyed.

Perhaps it is time that governments and leaders of third world and developing nations convene to deliberate on how to recalibrate their chase for power and, instead, put hygiene, personal cleanliness, well-being and healthy living as core measures of political success in their respective nations they govern.

Perhaps it is also time superpowers seriously review the post industrialised world that is now racing into Industry 5.0 standards. 

The process of profiteering and making the most money out of an economic enterprise should go hand-in-hand or even forced to implement a commendable measure of responsibility to ensure hygiene and nutritional knowledge are promoted aggressively among consumers. 

The world can be a better place for humanity, including nature, if we put hygiene, health and nutrition as a fundamental political, economic and governmental barometer. 

We should not let politics and economics be solely dictated by financial and economic pursuits.

A healthier, cleaner and more hygiene-conscious humanity will ensure the preservation of civilisation.

We now badly need a global culture that promotes, upholds and showcases hygiene, cleanliness and nutritional knowledge.

We can save the planet by saving ourselves.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.