Hi Global Strays Partner,

I hope you are safe and well during these trying times.

Today, on this 50th anniversary of Earth Day, our earth is experiencing something very unique indeed. As people around the world have been instructed to stay home and many industries have come to a standstill, the earth has begun to heal from centuries of over-exploitation. We are witnessing in real time what decreased human pressure on our environment looks like. Here are some of the positive effects the current pandemic is having on our earth:

Calls to End the Wildlife Trade

With a Chinese wildlife market seen as the likely source of the novel coronavirus, there have been increased calls from animal welfare advocates, conservationists and public health experts to end the global trade in wildlife. Not only sites of horrific abuse, these markets are also breeding grounds for diseases that can easily jump from animal to human. Several governments are taking these renewed calls seriously and have moved toward legislation banning the sale and consumption of wildlife. Click here to read more.

Banning the Dog and Cat Meat Trade

Two cities in mainland China have gone a step further to include banning the sale and consumption of dog and cat meat. While the motivation behind recent legislation in Shenzhen and Zhuhai may have been more about food security and public health concerns, this is good news for those who oppose the rampant animal cruelty associated with this trade. Both bans will go into effect on May 1st. Click here to read more.

Rebounding Wildlife

As people shelter in place and practice social distancing worldwide, wildlife has been moving into spaces previously crowded by humans. Within days of a national stay-at-home order in Britain, a wild fox could be seen roaming the empty streets of London; while a puma descended from the Chilean Andes Mountains into the busy capital of Santiago; not to be outdone by a coyote spotted outside L.A.’s Dodger Stadium. Fortunately for our earth, science tells us that ecosystems can rebound fairly quickly once human intervention subsides. Click here to read more.

Blue Skies and Cleaner Air

For the first time in decades, the Himalayan Mountains are visible in parts of northern India where they were previously hidden by a haze of pollution. Satellite images are showing noticeably less smog hovering above manufacturing hubs and major cities. In Los Angeles, this has led to better air quality in March than the city has experienced in over 40 years, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Click here to read more.

The Earth is Vibrating Less

Previously bustling city streets have emptied. Highway traffic has decreased. As the world has become quieter, seismologists are seeing this reflected in a decrease of ambient seismic noise. This means that the earth’s upper crust is moving a little less, allowing scientists to detect smaller earthquakes and other seismic events that would not have been registered otherwise. Click here to read more.

Though these developments may prove to be fleeting once people return to their normal lives, it gives us a glimpse of a cleaner and less disturbed Earth. In the midst of this unprecedented global pandemic and economic crisis, let’s envision a better future for our earth and all its inhabitants, today and every day.

Warmly,

Elizabeth Shafiroff

President 

P.S. Check out this message from Dr. Jane Goodall here on our social media where she reflects on humans' impact on the world.