r/Environmentalism

This is a video of the recent wildfires in Croatia, and it made me think about everything that lies behind a wildfire.

People being evacuated. Homes and livelihoods being destroyed. Enormous amounts of material wealth being lost. Ecosystems being damaged.

And then there are the lives we rarely see on our screens: animals whose homes are burning around them, often with nowhere to escape.

There is another layer we don't see as easily.

Wildfires release fine particulate matter and other pollutants that can harm human health. They also release enormous amounts of CO₂. Globally, wildfires emit billions of tonnes of CO₂ each year, although some of that carbon can eventually be absorbed as vegetation regrows.

Climate change is also making conditions for severe fires worse in many regions through increasing heat, drying vegetation, drought and changing weather patterns.

So we become better at fighting fires. We evacuate people faster. We build better firefighting systems. We rescue animals. We rebuild homes.

All of that is necessary.

But if we keep treating only the symptoms, how far will we get?

At some point, we have to look upstream: at our consumption, our demand for more, the energy we use, the forests and land we transform, and the enormous material footprint of the way we live.

Climate change isn't some distant environmental problem happening somewhere else. It is increasingly showing up as heat, fire, smoke, displacement, destroyed ecosystems and enormous economic loss.

And perhaps this is where the real question begins.

We are the ones consuming. We are the ones demanding more. Now is the time we need to look at ourselves that what is it within us that keeps pushing us to consume endlessly, even when we can see the consequences?

Perhaps the environmental crisis is also a crisis within us.

If we don't understand ourselves (the ego) that constantly demands more, we may keep treating the symptoms while leaving the disease untouched.

Treating the symptoms can save lives today. But understanding the disease is what can change tomorrow.

I am trying to buy the First Real-Time Air Quality Monitor for Temirtau, Kazakhstan.

Temirtau is widely recognized as one of the most polluted cities in Kazakhstan. Despite this, the city currently has no publicly accessible, community-operated real-time air quality monitor connected to the global IQAir network. Residents mostly rely on satellite-derived model estimates rather than direct measurements.

I'm raising funds to install an IQAir AirVisual Outdoor Monitor (432$) in the center of Temirtau. The monitor will provide continuous, hyper-local measurements of PM2.5, PM10, and other environmental data, with readings available online 24/7.

buymeacoffee.com/air.temirtau/help-bring-first-real-time-air-quality-monitor-temirtau-kazakhstan

Iranian conservationists go above and beyond for there animals but I think many people overlook Iranian conservationists a bit(not that people dont know about Iranian Asiatic Cheetah and there struggles).But there is a struggle of people who are trying to save them too.

Irans wildlife isnt just Asiatic Cheetah but a whole network of bio-diversity:Wild Ass/Deer/Bear/Wild Boar/Antilopes/Persian Leopard and many more.The habitats can be very diverse.From deserts to grasslands and more elevated places.Many herbivores and carnivores inhabit these places.

From the first picture(Top row from left:Niloufar Bayani;Taher Ghadirian;Houman Jowkar and Sepideh Kashani.Bottom row from left:Amirhossein Khaleghi Hamidi;Abdolreza Kouhpayeh;Sam Radjabi and Morad Tahbaz)/Kavous Seyed Emami(in the second picture)/his son Ramin Emami(in the third picture).And many others are some of the most caring and deeply devoted to nature conservationists there are.

They where working in Persian Wildlife Foundation(while it was still running)with many other conservationists.

To protect the wildlife of Iran.

Protecting Asiatic Cheetahs from the road Meyami-Sabzevar between there protected areas.Making wildlife crossings between the road and adding fences to protect the Cheetahs(guide them to not go near unprotected road parts).

Going to Africa and seeing how there captive-release Cheetah program works.Captivley breeding Cheetahs.Tracking and monitoring Cheetahs and working with local people for less poaching.Making first successes in captively breeding Asiatic Cheetahs(even tho all 3 cubs did die eventually before reaching adulthood..).

Monitoring a lot of species and a lot of critically endangered ones like Asian Black Bear(Ursus thibetanus gedrosianus)going and raising awarness about them.

Helping herbivores with grasslands and monitoring Persian Leopards.

But the challenges they face are unlike most conservationists have to deal with

All of the conservationists I mentioned(except Ramin Emami)have been arrested because of the suspction that they where using the camera traps to film Iran illegally and sell data to USA and Israel in 2018.Of course the charges didnt actually have much proof behind them(the cause wasnt exactly determined either.Looking back many journalists bring up the Panthera USA based organisation for it.Cause it did help the Persian WildLife Foundation.And its CEO was a millionare who was working against Iran Thomas Kaplan).Whatever the reason may be the charges stuck(everyone was convicted in 2019.Not by papers but verbally.Again journalist point to foul play in the system).Kavous Seyed Emami died in prison shortly after his arrest(the cause told by the government and not further investigated upon.His sons doubt this claim).

The rest where released around 2024(after serving for a crime that again wasnt propely pointed out to them what they did wrong).There families where told by government to not further speak about the events.The eight conservationists after being released still cant continue there work(cause of 2 year ban after serving there sentences).

The problems for conservationists dont just stop there.War and sanctions prohibit other conservationists that wherent charged with anything from taking good camera-traps for monitoring population numbers.The cars people use for conservation are also not so awailable anymore.Satellite pictures are a out of the question too.

Up to 60% of places are out of jobs for conservationists in many protected areas.

Not to mention conservationist ranger cars can be mistaken for war cars and be struck down by heavy weaponry in a war.Leading to deaths of conservationists.

But people in Iran never give up even if they cant get funding from the other nations do to sanctions and even with these problems.They never give up.

Because they see hope in nature.In Asiatic Cheetah as symbol of hope and many other animals.They care for wildlife enough to die for it.And I think thats some of the most devoted conservation work I have ever seen(just like how people climb to trees to stop them from being cut).

Lets celebrate these amazing people and how they protect there animals!!!

(also sorry if I messed up any of there names...I had to fit a lot of text here..).

Will link all articles about these events down in the comments(cant fit it all here).

Texas’ first national park, Big Bend, currently has bulldozers inside the park! Already devastating the landscape!
I made these banners to get the word out & educate about what could be lost if we don’t do something!