Preserving our planet: environmental disasters, reflections on environmental campaigns and sustainable development goals

Today is a fantastic day! Do you know why? Because the trees are greening, producing oxygen for you to breathe; forests absorb carbon dioxide; we have water for drinking. The ground is filled with soil, providing us with crops. Electricity charges your phone, the factories are working, and transportation allows us to commute. Fields filled with plants provide us with food. There are building materials, minerals. Air, water, accommodation, services, commodities – everything that we need for existence.

But what if I told you about another side: parched fields, undrinkable water drawn from the river, no electricity, deforestation, and a non-functional transport system, forcing people to walk to work. Do you know what I’m describing? Have you ever faced it? Well, I will say more: this is someone’s reality. In another universe, this would be absurd. How can two completely opposite worlds exist side by side on the same planet? How is it possible that two human beings live in such divergent realities simultaneously? How did we come to this?  And why hasn’t human nature learned to coexist harmoniously with the natural world?

Today, with my friend Ozzy, we’re going to take you into the WORLD of ENVIRONMENT. Meet Ozzy, a cute hamster who cares for the environment. With Ozzy’s help, children can save energy to save the planet. I encourage you to show kids the comic book, where our hamster plays the role of the main character. ‘Lightbulb’, a new comic book produced by the #EU4Energy programme to help teach children how to save energy, is the story of four friends and their pets who discover an old cabin in the woods where animals volunteer to help Professor Slate find alternative methods of generating energy in order to avoid inflicting damage to the environment.

Do you use lights bulbs? Ozzy advises you to use LED bulbs, which consume 90% less energy and work 25 times longer. Do you brush your teeth? Ozzy inspires you to save water by turning the tap off when it’s not in use. Read more of Ozzy’s tips here: https://euneighbourseast.eu/ozzy/

And now, together we are moving towards nature. Natural disasters take lives, destroy homes, cause catastrophic destruction, and damage property. As they rage, humans blame nature but seldom reflect on their own actions. I pose a simple question: what have you recently done to benefit the environment in which you live? Sometimes, we think that only grand actions by important figures can change the world, forgetting that disposing of a cup of coffee in the bin instead of littering can also positively impact the environment. Using your own reusable thermal mug that you bring to the barista doubles this effect.

Nature itself does not cause harm, nor can it pollute itself or create a foul-smelling river or air that is difficult to breathe. It is humanity’s interference with natural processes that has consequences. Every action we take from nature does not go unnoticed – it has outcomes.

Case examples of ecocides

1) On 14 June, 2024, a Netherlands-flagged ship struck a stationary vessel in Singapore, causing an oil spill that blackened the waters of the city-state’s popular beaches. One of the Marine Honour’s oil cargo tanks was ruptured, causing its contents of 400 metric tons of low-sulphur fuel oil to be released into the sea. Can you even imagine what happened to the sea world? Fuel oils can contain chemicals, including hydrocarbons and heavy metals such as nickel and vanadium. Released into the sea these substances contaminate water. Hydrocarbons as the components of fuel oil are toxic to marine organisms. They lead straight to ecosystem disruptions, and the habitats of marine world.

2) The accident at the 4th power unit of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant is considered the worst nuclear disaster in history. It occurred in Ukraine on 26 April, 1986. The release of radiation was 400 times greater than during the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. As a result of the accident, about 600,000 people suffered radioactive damage, and a 30-kilometre exclusion zone was created around Chornobyl. Let’s look at the environmental damage. The explosion and subsequent fire at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant released a large amount of radioactive isotopes, including iodine-131, cesium-137, strontium-90, and plutonium-239 into the atmosphere. These radioactive materials spread over vast areas, contaminating soil, water, plants, and wildlife, causing immediate deaths and mutations in plants and animals near the reactor, and long-term impacts on populations due to genetic damage. 

3) On 6 June, 2023, Russia caused a large-scale humanitarian and environmental disaster by blowing up the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant dam in the Kherson region, Ukraine. Environmental damage: more than 150 tons of engine oil leaked into the Dnipro River. According to the State Forestry Agency of Ukraine, approximately 55,000 hectares of forests in the Kherson region have been flooded, and the local wildlife is drowning. Wells and open water bodies in flooded areas may contain chemicals, and pathogens of infectious diseases from cemeteries, sewage treatment plants, and landfills. This inundation led to the loss of natural habitats and the annihilation of agricultural lands. It caused disruption of fish populations, affecting the overall biodiversity of rivers and lakes. 

My personal experience of participation in eco projects

In April 2024, I was a participant of the Spring School ‘EU Green Deal: current challenges and future perspectives on the way to climate neutrality’. The event was organised by the Mykhailo Drahomanov Ukrainian State University together with the Sumy National Agrarian University with the support of the National Erasmus+ Office in Ukraine as part of the implementation of the EU Erasmus+ Programme Jean Monnet project Centre of Excellence ‘European Studies of Social Innovation in Education’.

During the event, as one of the participants, I became acquainted with the European experience in supporting environmental security amidst climate change and explored the potential application of its elements in Ukraine, as well as the European climate policy system.

Olena Melnyk, senior researcher of the Climate Policy Laboratory at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Honorary Professor of the Royal Agrarian University in Cirencester, UK, and Associate Professor of the Sumy National Agrarian University in Ukraine, informed us:

“If we are going to say in numbers what damage was caused to the environment of Ukraine:

• 44% of Ukraine’s nature conservation areas are occupied or in conflict zones, which is equal to the territory of Israel;
• 150 million tons of carbon dioxide have been released into the atmosphere = Belgium;
• 3 million hectares have been damaged or burned =2/3 Switzerland;
• 250,000 square km of Ukrainian territory are contaminated with mines and munitions = Great Britain.

Thus, our team of scientists from the Royal Agricultural University (England), Sumy National Agrarian University (Ukraine) and ETH Zurich (Switzerland) launched a pilot project to provide a comprehensive assessment using modern technologies of ground truthing and remote sensing to record, digitise, and calibrate data obtained from different sources to predict the scale of damage and develop a strategy on land decontamination and remediation for four regions affected by military action, in north-eastern and southern parts of Ukraine.

In the project’s first stage, an experimental protocol was developed and tested on Salisbury Plain (a UK military site) – to assess the effects of bombing on soil chemistry and structure. Following this, 20 soil samples were taken from bomb damaged agricultural land in Ukraine and analysed simultaneously in Ukraine, England and Switzerland using XRF, ICP-OES and AAS to identify contamination by heavy metals and potentially bioavailable fractions.

In the second stage, we are collating ground and satellite results with different spatial, temporal and spectral resolutions. The GIS results also will be obtained with UAV-based surveys, data fusion techniques and collected in an application developed by ARUP. The interactive map may become a basis for developing a strategy for the post-war reconstruction of the agricultural industry in Ukraine and can be used for reparations calculations.”

Sustainable Development Goals

In June 2024, I participated in the Competence Aid for Ukraine (CAFU) project and took part in a course on ‘Sustainable Development and Decision-Making’. During the learning process, I expanded my knowledge about the Sustainable Development Goals.

The SDGs, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030. They promote a holistic approach that integrates economic, social, and environmental dimensions. There are 17 SDGs in total, and I would like to highlight those that refer specifically to the preservation of the environment:

6. Clean Water and Sanitation: This Goal targets improving water quality, reducing pollution, increasing water-use efficiency, and ensuring equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water and sanitation facilities for all. Access to clean water and adequate sanitation is crucial for human health, environmental sustainability.

7. Affordable and Clean Energy: This Goal focuses on improving energy efficiency, and enhancing international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology. Sustainable energy access is vital for combating climate change.

12. Responsible Consumption and Production: This Goal calls for reducing waste generation, increasing resource efficiency, promoting sustainable practices in industries, businesses, and households, and encouraging consumers to adopt sustainable lifestyles. It aims to minimise ecological footprint while promoting social well-being.

Remember Ozzy also encourages you to responsible consumption!

14. Life Below Water: This Goal addresses marine pollution, overfishing, ocean acidification, and protecting coastal and marine ecosystems. It aims to maintain and restore the health and resilience of marine ecosystems, which are essential for biodiversity, climate regulation.

15. Life on Land: This Goal aims to protect ecosystems, manage forests sustainably, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss. It addresses the preservation of biodiversity, and combating deforestation and habitat loss. Achieving this goal is critical for biodiversity conservation, ecosystem services provision (such as clean air and water). 

Mike Devenport, educational manager Entrepreneurship & Sustainability, Folkuniversitetet: Department of International Co-operation (Uppsala, Sweden), as one of the speakers of the project, provided us with case studies which are great examples of powerful environmental preservation.

• Denmark’s municipality of the island of Samsø has completely transformed its energy system from fossil fuels to renewable energy, becoming the world’s first renewable energy island. This was done through a series of renewable energy investments, which enabled Samsø to reach 100% net annual balance of renewable energy. Samsø has renewed its ambition and aims to become completely carbon-free by 2030. This means that no fossil fuel will be used, and all the island’s energy needs will be covered by renewable energy. The tangible results that have already been achieved: reduction in carbon emissions, economic benefits through green jobs and energy exports.
• The Eden Project in the town of Boldelva, Cornwall in the far southwest of England, which according to the legend is known as the birthplace of King Arthur,  includes several transparent biomes that house many thousands of plant species across the five-acre site, e.g. Mediterranean Biome, where visitors can also explore species from California, South Africa, and Western Australia. As an artificially constructed green area within the ancient town, this example showcases efforts in preserving biodiversity, increasing environmental awareness, and boosting economic growth through tourism.

Summing up, our planet is confronting unprecedented challenges that threaten not only the environment but also the well-being of humanity. The examples of environmental disasters such as the Chornobyl nuclear accident and the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant explosion underscore the critical need for effective environmental preservation strategies. These incidents serve as stark reminders of the devastating consequences of neglecting our natural habitats. Through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) we have a framework for addressing these challenges. These goals provide a roadmap for sustainable development, ensuring that we protect our planet’s resources for future generations. 

Through initiatives and projects offered by the European Union, we gain invaluable insights into practical steps that can promote environmental sustainability. By uniting, raising awareness, and taking concrete actions, we can make a significant impact in safeguarding our environment. Let us commit ourselves to preserving our Earth for the well-being of all.

And as was said by the late Jane Goodall, a British primatologist, ethologist and anthropologist, UN Peace Ambassador, who died last month:

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of a difference you want to make.”