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  2020-06-08

  Masks save human, affect animals

  In the past weeks, I've been reading about posthumanism, according to Rosi Braidotti is "the possibility of a serious de-centering of ‘Man', the former measure of all things". Having this in mind, since the pandemic the relation between human/animal has been suffering more. The idea that the animal was the culprit of the pandemic helped to mark our superiority over other species, once more. We never thought about our relationship with the animal, the lack of harmony between different species, our footprint in nature, etc. Human survival is the center of the pandemic, and preventive care a major necessity, but the massive production of disposable masks and latex gloves has become a plastic waste problem. I chose a video from The Guardian to prove how ocean pollution from the pandemic is imminent, but you may find many sources regarding this "Covid waste". Joffrey Peltier said that “plastic isn’t the solution to protect us from Covid.” A mask has a lifespan of 450 years! We might find other alternatives like reusable masks, the reinforcement of social distancing, and leave the disposable material for doctors. We must think about how our own survival is affecting other species, we must decenter ourselves from the main discourse.