DEAR READERS: The U.S. presidential election highlighted how divided states have become as they confront a global pandemic, along with an unsustainable global economy based on polluting, climate-changing fossil fuels and petrochemicals. These conflicts -- jobs versus closedowns, capitalism versus socialism, nationalism versus internationalism -- are microcosms of our collective harming of person and planet from greed, ignorance and science denial.

There can be no return to “business as usual.” The entire economic basis of our existence must be radically and quickly transformed. This must be incentivized by the climate, environmental and public health benefits of carbon-sequestering industries, especially in the energy, agricultural and transportation sectors. Collectively reducing pollution and restoring natural biodiversity are ethical imperatives for society since we, along with other endangered species and the planet, are in crisis.

As Robin Chazdon, professor of biology at the University of Connecticut, asserts, “The world is invested in destruction.” Chazdon is a contributor to the Campaign for Nature report, which calculates 55% of farmland, globally, could -- and should -- be returned to nature without reducing current food production levels. The report offers new evidence that nature conservation drives economic growth, delivers key non-monetary benefits and is a net contributor to a resilient global economy and the reduction of climate change.

Several other reports offering solutions for governments and the public to embrace revolve around food production methods, consumer choices, and the cessation of government subsidies to unsustainable farming practices and inhumane animal factories. Major changes in how food is produced are needed if we want to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

We do not all have to turn vegan overnight, but we can contribute to the greater good by consuming with conscience. We can choose certified organic and humanely produced foods, and support local farmers markets and community agriculture initiatives. Indeed, becoming “locavores” means less food transportation, which means less fuel use, pollution and waste.

But above all, we must redefine what it means to be human and accept our responsibilities for planet Earth and for all our relations, plant and animal, whose well-being is ultimately inseparable from our own. Healing this great divide must take precedence over the short-term interests of the global industrial biotechnocracy and its harmful consequences, as I documented in my book “Bringing Life to Ethics: Global Bioethics for a Humane Society.”

Science without ethics is potentially dangerous, and ethics without science is limited. Bioethics is the healing bridge, as first proposed by Dr. Van Rensselaer Potter in his seminal 1971 book, “Bioethics: Bridge to the Future.” It enables a cognitive shift from the egocentric to the ecocentric -- supported by the creation-centered spirituality and Golden Rule principles in the teachings of all the world’s major religions.

DEAR DR. FOX: Your recent column was spot-on: The causes of the crises we face today are spiritual in nature. The answer is love for the environment, wildlife and our fellow man. Only then will we attain progress. Keep up your good work. -- B.C., Nassau, Bahamas

DEAR B.C.: Thanks for emphasizing the spiritual nature of true love. N. Scott Momaday makes this very clear in his new book, “Earth Keeper,” stating, “We humans must revere the earth, for it is our well-being. ... If we treat the earth with kindness, it will treat us kindly.”

In our evolution, such love -- including familial bonds, philopatry (our native attachment to place) and biophilia (our tendency to connect with other living creatures) -- was essential to our survival. In realizing our biological and ecological affinities and relationships with other species, we discover the roots of our spiritual and ethical connections of interdependence. And in the universal links of empathy, we experience the power of love that some call God. Awe and wonder, joy and grief arise from that deep heart’s core of our humanity.

Nature heals. Researchers have recently reported the mental health benefits for the elderly of experiencing a sense of awe through focused attention in natural surroundings. For the young, brain development is harmed by frequent use of computers, smartphones and tablets. Rather than more time with electronics, I would advocate an hour a day at least in the great outdoors -- best of all with a rescued dog! More time on Zoom will spell our doom, as we substitute virtual reality from the existential “now.”

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)

DEAR READERS: Below are two troubling reports from wildlife organizations.

First, from the Center for Biological Diversity, via Newsweek:

“The United States imported more than 30,000 whole bats and bat body parts from China over a recent five-year period, the nonprofit conservation group Center for Biological Diversity told Newsweek. The nonprofit has published a report -- which analyzed U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service data -- documenting a ‘massive’ wildlife trade that they say is fueling the risk of global pandemics. The report found that the U.S. imported nearly 23 million whole animals, animal body parts, animal samples and products made from bats, primates and rodents between the years 2010 and 2014 -- the most recent five-year period for which data is available.”

Next, from the World Wide Fund for Nature (known in the U.S. as the World Wildlife Fund): According to the group’s Living Planet 2020 report, there has been an average 68% decline in the world’s mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish since 1970.

INVESTIGATION BRINGS DOWN FLYING SQUIRREL TRAFFICKERS

Acting on a tip from a concerned citizen, wildlife investigators uncovered a flying squirrel-trafficking scheme that involved a dealer in Bushnell, Florida, who claimed that illegally trapped squirrels had been bred in captivity. The man was among seven people charged in the scheme, in which some 3,600 flying squirrels and other protected species were illegally trapped and exported to Asia for the pet trade, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. (Full story: NBC News, Oct. 20)

SALMONELLA OUTBREAKS LINKED TO EXOTIC PETS

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating salmonella infections in 13 people from eight states, 10 of whom said they had been in contact with a bearded dragon. Also under investigation is an outbreak of another strain of salmonella, which has infected 32 people in 17 states. Twenty-three of the 32 infected people were interviewed, and of those, 16 reported contact with a pet hedgehog. (Full story: CNN, Oct. 1)

DEAR DR. FOX: Here is a follow-up email I received from my vet, after we discussed my K-9 dog Zeke’s bad reaction to Simparica. What do you think about his response? -- Lt. Michael J. Collins, Perry Village Police Department, Perry, Ohio

“Hi Mike, I have discussed this with the Zoetis (manufacturer of Simparica) professional service veterinarian and the other doctors in my group. None of us can make any connection between the bite event and Simparica, nor the GI issues. I wish there were medical facts that we could share with you that would ultimately lead to a cause-and-effect scenario so that this could be properly addressed, but unfortunately, there are none that we know of. ... I am concerned that Zeke is not currently using Simparica because Lyme disease is rampant in NE Ohio. Fall and winter is when the adult blacklegged tick is most active, and the risk right now is at its peak. I would encourage you to be sure to use something monthly. The only real effective tick products on the market today are the once-a-month chewables, all of which are chemically related to sarolaner (Simparica).”

DEAR M.J.C.: Thank you for sharing this letter from your veterinarian, who spoke with someone from Zoetis. The company must have a data file on adverse reactions reported by attending veterinarians and pet owners using Simparica, and it should be opened. Having a list of possible side effects on product packaging is simply not enough. And there are safe and effective alternatives to these products, which your veterinarian should learn about.

DISPELLING BLACK CAT MYTHS

Studies suggest black cats are less likely to be adopted, tend to remain in shelters longer, are perceived as less friendly and tend to evoke superstitions. But pet owners like Tracey Lenac, who runs Black Cat Holistic Rescue, know they can be just as sweet as any other cats. In fact, in some other countries, black cats are thought to be symbols of luck, prosperity, protection -- and even the owner’s ability to attract suitors! (Full story: Psychology Today, Oct. 25)

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)

DEAR READERS: Some people think it is great to own an exotic or wild animal, until they learn it will never become a true “pet.”

These animals often die in captivity, with no local veterinary expertise available. Others escape, are deliberately released or are surrendered to animal sanctuaries when they become too difficult to properly care for. This is especially true for notably long-lived parrots and snakes, and for various monkeys and wild cats -- including lions, which are still legal to own in some states. Animals that are released can spread diseases to indigenous species, out-compete with them for food and disrupt natural ecosystems.

The market for these animals, blindly sustained by people wanting to feel closer to nature, is actually destroying nature: Natural ecosystems are plundered by wildlife poachers and “legal” collectors for the international market, rendering targeted species even more endangered -- and often, extinct. America’s wild turtles and tortoises are notably in peril from collectors and from habitat reduction and degradation.

The international wildlife trade, tied in with human- and drug-trafficking cartels, is a Pandora’s box of potential zoonotic (animal-to-human) diseases. The captive breeding of reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals for this trade, often erroneously classified as “species conservation,” should be outlawed.

National and international prohibition is unlikely, considering this is a multibillion-dollar industry enjoying government sanction and support from many countries. It is therefore up to us citizens to “vote with our dollars” and refuse to purchase an “exotic” or wild animal. In the United States, these include the serval and genet cats, squirrel monkey, fennec fox, hedgehog, kinkajou, sugar glider, capybara, anteater, piranha, axolotl, chinchilla, hyacinth macaw, wallaby, alligator and ball python, to name a few.

I wish that every state and national veterinary association would emulate the British Veterinary Association’s efforts to discourage owning wild and exotic animals, and also provide information about the basic needs and proper care -- too often lacking -- of domesticated caged pets such as gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs and rabbits. To argue that there are educational benefits for children in purchasing wild and exotic animals is another rationalization for consumerism devoid of compassion and understanding. Instead, check out your local animal shelters for animals waiting to be adopted into loving homes.

WORLD FAILS TO MEET EVERY U.N. BIODIVERSITY GOAL

According to the recent Global Biodiversity Outlook report, the world has not met any of the 20 United Nations biodiversity targets agreed on by almost 200 nations in 2010 in Aichi, Japan. As summarized by Nature.com:

“There are hopeful signs to build on: In the last 10 years, the rate of deforestation has fallen globally by about a third, and good fisheries-management policies have paid dividends. And 44% of key biodiversity areas are now protected, compared with 29% 20 years ago. These must inspire us to make ‘a significant shift away from business-as-usual.’ ... One area that is ripe for reform is government subsidies for harmful agriculture, fossil fuels and fishing practices. ‘We are still seeing so much more public money invested in things that harm biodiversity than in things that support biodiversity,’ says David Cooper, the report’s lead author.”

VETERINARIANS: GET HELP FOR CLIENTS FACING HARDSHIP

A note from the American Veterinary Medical Foundation:

“The Veterinary Care Charitable Fund, operated by the AVMA, provides veterinarians with a simple and effective way to offer charitable veterinary services to animals in need -- especially those who are victims of abuse or neglect, injured or abandoned, or whose owners are experiencing medical challenges or financial hardships. The AVMF will serve as your charitable ‘umbrella,’ capable of accepting donations and dispersing payments directly to you for the charitable care you provide.”

Visit vccfund.org to learn more.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)