As Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 broke the news, thousands of tweets, pictures, videos and memes flooded massively in social media. Celebrities like Milla Jovovich and Hayden Panettiere shared an emotional reaction in a lengthy Instagram post. Stand-up Comedy, concert, and other performances are played as acts of charity to collect donation for Victims in Ukraine. Others changed their profile picture with blue yellow border or added Ukrainian Flag emojis on the username to tribute Ukraine.
The world sees, hears and speaks about the war between two countries. The trauma we have suffered through the history of Vietnam War-that resulted the death tally at just fewer than 3.2 million lives and World War II-that was not only resulting in lives lost but also caused damage in every continent and ocean, taught us important lesson: War must Stop.
The end of the war is more than death or economic collapse. It fatally kills the intellectual property and culture that need years of recovery or even permanent loss which disadvantages everybody.
Missing Link
It was one of the most majestic objects in Paläontologisches Museum München. Found by a German paleontologist, Ernst Stromer in a great Egypt expedition. With its length reached 16 to 16 meters and weight of 6.4 to 7.5 metric tons, Spinosaurus aegyptiacus was highly semiaquatic, and lived both on land and in water make it one of the apex predators that prowled the massive river deltas of North Africa 100 million years ago. Only to be destroyed during the night of 24 April 1944 in a British bombing raid of Munich that damaged most building including Paläontologisches Museum München. Although the detailed drawings and descriptions of the specimen remain, the bones are broken into pieces. The pivotal key that might lead to new finding to evolution study, is forever gone in a war.
End of Circle of Life
Meanwhile, young Hypotaenidia wakensis or Wake Island rail is a defenseless target of Polynesian rat and Hermit crab. Like Kiwis, this rail is flightless thus its inability to migrate combined with the bird’s inquisitiveness and lack of fear of humans, the fate of Wake Island rail is like Dodo, is classified as extinct as the result of extensive aerial bombardment by the Japanese and US during World War II. Naturally, the extinction impacts on imbalance population of mollusks, insects, worms and seeds which what the Wake Island rail fed on. Also to the Polynesian rat and Hermit crab which are the rail’s predator. The war affected on the food chain which might lead to the change in natural ecosystem.
Leaving a Carbon Footprint
Forbes Data Journalist, Niall McCarthy reported the US Military Emits More CO2 than Many Industrialized Nations. Military vehicles, aircraft, weapons and vessels consume energy during war and military training. The dust, debris, smokes produced from the hazardous nuclear and chemical weapons contributed to environmental problems. The natural ecosystem is already destroyed as explained on the previous section. The pollutions from post-war itself were not immediately reduced as the surplus munitions were dumped at sea. The Carbon Footprint is permanently marked on our planet Earth.
Will the circle be unbroken?
Once a country declares war, the entire world will feel the effect. Things become more expensive. Mountain and buildings are destroyed. People are hungrier. Air feels hotter. Art, books, and music are missing. More crises and Cries.
So let’s make peace.