DEAR DR. FOX: You hit it out of the park with your recent column, "The Spirituality of Nature, Animal Personhood and our Existential Crisis." When people see parts of themselves in nature, and God in all of nature, things can and will change.

I thank you from the bottom of my heart for eloquently stating what you did. I hope it touches the hearts of all. -- B.C., Nassau, Bahamas

DEAR B.C.: I am glad that you appreciated my column discussing how we and planet Earth are at a tipping point. We must do more than try to adapt to climate change -- we must evolve in terms of how we relate to all life on Earth. Just as it is bad medicine to address only the consequences of disease and not its causes, it is likewise bad politics to focus only on the consequences of climate change rather than on its causes.

Since its early origins, the human species has fabricated various gods out of awe, respect and fear of natural processes and events, as well as various plants and animals, plus the sun, moon and stars. Then came the deification of kings and emperors, followed by the rise of monotheistic religions with a male God. Now, with the separation of church, state and society from nature, we have rational materialism and objectification, both of which have "disgodded" the world.

So now, we face the consequences of not respecting the numinous: the divine presence in other sentient life-forms. The poisoned wastelands and cruel animal factory farms of industrial agriculture are testament to this state of mind and stage of human evolution. Some regard the climate crisis as nature’s -- or their God's -- retribution.

Humans and nature are one, and when we harm one, we harm the other. Revering the last of the ancient old-growth forests as temples of spiritual healing power and saving endangered species are acts of affirmation, contrition and redemption.

We all have agency and the power to use love to make whole all that we embrace as holy. We can sanctify these things in reverential respect and justice, creating the empathosphere: a boundless circle of compassion. The power of universal love arises from the heart of an evolved humanity, where the love of one is the love of all, and the suffering of one is the suffering of all. Demonizing others -- human and nonhuman alike -- leads to justifications for war, terrorism, authoritarianism, genocide, species extinction and ecocide. But these will all become things of the past as we evolve.

For a deeper dive into this issue, see my book "For All Our Relations: Poetic Visions and Vexations of a Veterinarian."

GLIMMER OF HOPE FOR RHINOS, BUT MORE WILDLIFE AT RISK

Hundreds of rhinos are killed each year for their horns, a common component of traditional Chinese medicine. Only around 40 Sumatran rhinos remain, and black rhinos are at risk from poachers. To combat poaching, a university in South Africa, which has the world’s largest rhino population, recently launched a project to inject their horns with radioactive isotopes that are harmless to the animals, but detectable by customs officials at airports and borders.

Wildlife poaching, international trafficking and “wet markets” for bush meat are decimating populations of many species in areas of Africa, South America and Asia. Every government should prohibit these practices and employ wildlife rangers and protection forces.

The COVID-19 pandemic, and future pandemics from infective wildlife, confirm the global risk of such wildlife exploitation. When we protect them, we protect ourselves. But U.S. cuts to foreign aid have weakened anti-poaching efforts in Africa, with Mexican cartels and Chinese triads ramping up their presence in the illegal trade. According to the Financial Times, around $23 billion in illegal wildlife -- much of it used for traditional medicine in East Asia -- is traded each year.

Many governments and conservation agencies formerly relied on USAID to fund their anti-trafficking efforts, but the sudden shuttering of the aid agency earlier this year has led to a free-for-all.

“The traffickers are loving it,” a conservationist told the Financial Times. “With fewer restrictions, they think: 'No one will catch us, so let’s go for it.'”

Veterinary and public health organizations around the world need to address the issues of poaching and wildlife markets. Such exploitation creates a perfect interface for the spillover of viruses with pandemic potential, as asserted by Dr. Christian Walzer with the Wildlife Conservation Society. For details, and to provide support, visit oneworldonehealth.wcs.org.

RODENT POISON TURNS FAT OF FERAL PIGS BLUE

According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, a study in 2018 found that about 8.3% of wild pigs tested had traces of the anticoagulant diphacinone rodenticide. The fat of these pigs turned bright blue, which was linked to their consumption of rat bait poison and the consumption of rodents poisoned with this anticoagulant. As a result, prohibition of diphacinone was introduced in 2024 as part of a law aimed at protecting wildlife from exposure to the poison.

This issue illustrates the pervasive consequences of this class of rodent poisons, which can put other nontarget species at risk. For details, see: dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-15009965/urgent-warning-meat-eaters-pigs-blue-flesh.html.

(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: With the development of herbicide-tolerant soybeans, corn and cotton in 1996, the use of glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides has increased dramatically -- and globally. It is also used as a pre-harvest desiccant on crops like wheat, barley, oats, soybeans, sorghum and beans to accelerate drying and make harvesting easier.

There is considerable published research on how this herbicide affects the nutritive value of treated crops by binding some essential nutrients such as calcium, manganese, magnesium, zinc and iron. Glyphosate is a chelating agent that has the potential to impact the uptake of lithium by binding to lithium ions. Low levels of lithium are associated with higher rates of depression, anxiety and insomnia; sensitivity to stress; chronic pain; and a decline in natural healing processes, memory and learning ability.

Glyphosate may also play a role in cardiovascular disease associated with low levels of magnesium. It reduces perinatal health and has been linked to metabolic dysfunction associated with fatty liver disease. Glyphosate can disrupt hormonal systems, leading to reduced fertility in animal tests. It has been linked to lower birth weights in humans, and has been implicated in neurobehavioral abnormalities in laboratory animal studies.

Glyphosate is thought to suppress cytochrome P450 enzymes, which play a crucial role in activating vitamin D within the liver and kidneys, converting it into its active form (calcitriol). Thus, inhibition of these enzymes could lead to impaired vitamin D activation and potentially deficiency. Glyphosate can disrupt the balance of bacteria in the gut (dysbiosis). A healthy gut microbiome is essential for various bodily functions, including nutrient absorption and immune system regulation. Some research suggests that alterations in gut bacteria might impact vitamin D metabolism or its effects on the immune system.

A 2023 analysis of several research studies of the carcinogenic potential of glyphosate states: “Our findings strengthen the mechanistic evidence that glyphosate is a probable human carcinogen and provide biological plausibility for previously reported cancer associations in humans, such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma.” (See the study "Mapping the key characteristics of carcinogens for glyphosate and its formulations: A systematic review" by Iemaan Rana et al., published in Chemosphere in 2023.)

It would therefore be advisable to consume USDA organically certified foods, since glyphosate is prohibited under organic standards, and organic soils are less nutrient-deficient than conventional. But recently, the USDA permitted hydroponic food producers to spray crops with glyphosate, putting their produce out of the "truly organic" category. (For more information, see realorganicproject.org.)

Feeding racehorses and breeding stock only organically certified dietary ingredients, or at least non-GMO feed tested for glyphosate, might help reduce racetrack deaths and injuries. Laminitis and gastric ulcer syndrome have also been associated with glyphosate-contaminated horse foods.

Glyphosate has been detected in high-fiber/high-cereal-content cat and dog foods. The prevalence of lymphoma and other cancers in companion animals, along with metabolic syndrome, intestinal dysbiosis and associated dermatological problems, may be related to this herbicide contaminant in their food.

Glyphosate contamination of streams and lakes allows toxic algae to proliferate, putting people and animals at risk. Homeowners and municipalities should cease and desist from using this herbicide to prevent runoff and environmental contamination.

For a deep dive into this and other products approved by the government, go to: midwesterndoctor.com/p/the-deadly-campaign-to-shield-all. And for supportive reference citations, see my post here: drfoxonehealth.com/post/farming-and-consuming-with-less-harm-and-the-the-glyphosate-saga.

(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: Please see the following post from the Union of Concerned Scientists:

“President Trump’s second administration has targeted the public science that we all depend on: from weather forecasts to public health, from cancer research to climate science. This administration has made quick work of gutting scientific expertise, halting science and innovation, ignoring public input, cutting out independent experts, and censoring and suppressing scientific information.

"These actions are not normal. They are part of an illegal power grab that violates our democratic systems. UCS wrote a comprehensive and illuminating report on the administration’s attacks because we cannot improve what we do not measure. And improve we must; our future demands it.”

For more, see this interview with UCS Analyst Dr. Jules Barbati-Dajches: blog.ucs.org/guest-commentary/ask-a-scientist-how-does-documenting-attacks-on-science-stop-authoritarians.

I wonder, in President Trump's vociferous attacks against “wokeness,” what he is afraid of, exactly? This word, arising from the Black community concerning social justice, is now also linked with economic and environmental justice. It literally means being awake -- open to reality and to the truth. That is the quest of science.

But now that quest has been politicized in this polarized society, where any interference with making money is taboo -- regardless of scientifically documented adverse socioenvironmental consequences. This is probably why funds for maintaining NASA's climate-monitoring satellites may soon be curtailed. (See npr.org/2025/08/04/nx-s1-5453731/nasa-carbon-dioxide-satellite-mission-threatened.) Trump also signed a bill in July canceling approximately $1.1 billion in previously approved funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the entity that provides federal funding to NPR, PBS and local public stations. This is because of concerns about perceived liberal bias in news coverage.

Money rules us, and will be the ruination of the planet.

The recent global summit in Geneva, where representatives from 184 countries met to address plastic pollution, fell flat because the U.S., Saudi Arabia and other oil-producing countries opposed any limits on the production of plastics. These are toxic petrochemicals, some 400 million tons of which are manufactured every year.

Trump’s military deployment to selected cities to "fight crime" is more than just another step toward authoritarianism. It is also a distraction from the deeper concerns and existential crises in America and around the world.

There is crime and violence across the country, along with escalating deaths from drug overdoses and rising rates of mental health issues in adolescents and children. Much of this is a consequence of generations of oppression, racism, sexism, injustice and socioeconomic inequality. This existential and spiritual crisis surely calls for compassionate action and empathic understanding -- the antithesis of deploying the military. This is evidence of empathy-deficit disorder and an abuse of power.

Many of the federal agencies dealing with these societal issues, and their related environmental counterparts, have been decimated by executive order and must be restored for the common good.

REIMAGINING STATE FAIRS

Every summer, agricultural states hold their state fairs, which often include exhibits with poultry, sheep, cows and pigs. At the very least, these events should be held in the fall, during cooler weather. Many of these animals suffer in the heat and during transportation to and from the fairs.

The risk of poultry and livestock infecting people at state fairs with any number of bacteria and viruses -- notably swine and avian influenza, fecal E. coli, listeria and salmonella -- is ever-present and considerable, especially for the young and the immunocompromised. Veterinary health checks give no guarantee of biosecurity, which can be breached when visitors are reaching out to pet the animals and breathing the same air (perhaps carrying airborne pathogens).

One would hope, for reasons of compassion, that displays of cows, sheep and pigs giving birth in "miracle of life" centers will soon become things of the past. All birthing animals prefer seclusion, and being transported to fairs while heavily pregnant is an added stress that cannot be justified on the grounds of public education. Where is the empathy?

With tragic irony, while an estimated 2 million people attended the Minnesota State Fair and likely consumed some $40 million worth of food and beverages over 12 days, there is a concurrent humanitarian crisis in the Middle East, about which the U.S. government has remained relatively silent. Children and babies are dying from starvation, disease, chronic malnutrition and injuries from military weapons. This involves some 7.3 million Palestinians.

Many believed a humanitarian crisis of this magnitude could never happen again after the genocidal holocausts of the Jews under Germany’s Nazi fascism, Armenians under the Ottoman Turks, Cambodians under the Khmer Rouge, and Ukrainians under Russia’s Stalin.

How can this cycle of inhumanity be broken? It surely lies in our restoring the circles that connect us all, and in extending the golden rule to embrace all sentient beings. Living simply so that others may simply live is a good beginning, but to little avail if governments and industries continue to ignore reality and act in discord rather than concord.

(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.)