While COVID-19 continues to demonstrate new mutations of interest with a summer bump in hospitalizations, the pandemic that rocked the world for the better part of three years is no longer a primary driver. Local disaster, escalating impacts of climate change and geopolitical instability seem to have followed in its wake.
We now bear the brunt of the greatest devastation in the islands since Hurricane Iniki. The layers of pain, grief and questions about the road to renewal weigh heavily upon us. Like so many, one of my closest friends was awakened by a neighbor banging on his window. He ran out of the house with his dog and what he was wearing. Through the night he was trapped under a nearby overpass as he watched Lahaina burn to the ground. I plan to be there to provide urgent medical services most of this week. Our psychologists are already offering counseling for Lahaina victims.
Neglected aina infested by invasive plants lay ready for any spark to become an inferno in the 80-knot winds. Like the great California fires in recent years, ire is directed at the utility, the silent sirens and lack of water pressure in the hydrants. Aid has offered some respite, but neither the chaos nor the suffering has yet settled. One friend is leveraging his PV company to bring in solar power, another is offering free acupuncture in shelters and treating first responders, while a mortician and reverend I know is providing grief counseling and funerals at minimal cost.
There is little question but that we are currently living through the tempest of climate change. A warmer planet is one with more energy that disrupts the patterns of nature. Drought, heat, hurricanes and floods continue to mount as sea levels rise. This time Lahaina took the hit. The greater post-pandemic world continues to be shaped by Russia’s attack on Ukraine, which has emerged as a front-line feature in defining the world order and galvanizing NATO, especially its European members. This theater has been carefully observed throughout the globe for lessons on future conflict. The role of air and sea drones continues to expand. The outcome remains in the balance, but it is clear that the sheen of feared Russian strength is indelibly blemished.
China’s crisis in confidence is intense and will not be short-lived. A pervasive collapse in its property market and its assault on large technology companies are part of a great weakening.
Unemployment now exceeds 20% of young adults, and job prospects are also poor for college graduates flooding the market. GDP has slowed. Recent attempts to curb the trend occurred at the recent BRICS meeting (Brazil, Russian, India, China, South Africa) with offers to join for Indonesia, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina, Saudi Arabia and Iran.
There is reason for geopolitical concern in several other regions: Europe’s economy is at risk of a hard landing. Germany, its largest economy, is notably weak. Coups across the Sahel in Africa result in widespread instability, and Israel’s most right-wing government in history is seeking to weaken the judiciary amidst unprecedented internal protests.
Continuing aid and inching toward renewal for Lahaina is clearly the local priority. Yet, as we look over our shoulder, the post-pandemic world has become more unpredictable and fraught with greater risk. This makes it even more vital that we take care of what ails us here in our island community. Lahaina will be a long time healing.
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Ira Zunin is a practicing physician and medical director of Manakai o Malama Integrative Healthcare Group and Rehabilitation Center: manakaiomalama.com. Submit questions to info@manakaiomalama.com. His column appears the first Wednesday each month.
