WHEN YOU
LOOK
Western Bluebird
The Sickness in our Society
When you look at this Western Malaria Mosquito, you see the disregard of the privileged.
Where Malaria Occurs
Malaria mosquitoes have a disproportionate effect on countries disadvantaged by their climate. The survival of the mosquito relies on sufficient warmth and humidity, so the climate of some counties is more hospitable to malaria than others. However, greenhouse gas emissions make much of the globe hotter and wetter, exposing vast new portions of the globe to the threat of malaria. In fact, 90% of the projected global population will be exposed to malaria by 2080, and malaria-free countries have five times greater economic growth than countries with malaria. This specimen is now a climate justice issue, especially considering how poor malaria-endemic areas often cannot afford the bed nets, healthcare, or housing needed to protect them from mosquitoes. Our general uncaring, indifferent, and neglectful mindset causes us to turn our backs on the most vulnerable countries by continuing to burn fossil fuels.
Apathetic internationalism is partially caused by a failure in risk perception. Different people perceive climate change as a threat for varied reasons, so climate change becomes less of a threat if people do not view mosquitoes as a threat. That is why “part of this [global sustainability] challenge is to make the work of the biosphere visible in society” (Folke et al., 2011). Imagine No Malaria, a comprehensive campaign that assists impoverished countries with malaria, inspires me in its efforts to raise awareness about the changing environmental conditions. I have my own personal experience distributing nets and vaccines with them, but the work I have done only treats the symptoms and does not fight the root cause. Modern civilization has aimed for us to dismiss this, constructing our uninterested views towards the environment and other communities.
Anopheles freeborni, the Western Malaria Mosquito
The sickness in our society is the disregard by the privileged. Being indifferent to climate change means we are indifferent to equity, to health, to life. Environmentalism, therefore, must be equated with social justice. Apathetic internationalism takes root in our relationship with the Western Malaria Mosquito, but I am hopeful that by understanding the role this species plays in climate catastrophe, mitigation to climate change can be more of a process and less of an outcome. The efforts of Imagine No Malaria, as a community, inspire me to dream big. The endless frontier of imagination makes me cautiously optimistic for the future, because as Picasso once said, “Everything you can imagine is real."
We Are Greater Than Malaria