Parashat Vaera recounts the first seven of the ten plagues that devastated the Land of Egypt, wreaking havoc on its water source, its cattle, its people and the land itself. Indeed, the plagues described in this week’s parashah closely mirror many plagues that affect our world today, from pollution of land and water to public health crises to natural disasters—many of which are related to global climate change. By taking a close look at exactly who was affected by the biblical plagues we can shed light on this pressing contemporary environmental issue—who it harms, who is responsible and how we can mitigate its impact.