How are Covid 19, the economy, Climate change and us all connected?
For the last seven years I have been working on climate change issues as a volunteer with two different organizations. I love the work. Better yet, I love the people that I have met and work with along the way. They’re talented, devoted, high energy people. Hard not to like that. Together we bring solutions to serious climate change problems and it’s satisfying to know that we are making a difference in terms of reaching our goals.
And then Covid 19 came along and it is causing incredible hardship, pain and grief for millions of people on this planet. It has wreaked havoc on the economy: loss of jobs, income, businesses and much more. Prolonged lock down situations, no doubt necessary to flatten the curve, has badly affected the mental health of many people.
And it has seriously limited what we can do as environmental activists, at least for a while.
I just turned 86 a few days ago and I know that I will most probably not see whether we have reached our 2030 GHG reduction targets. So, do I just pass the baton on to others now and try to enjoy the last of my waning days? I don’t think so. Actually, I have been attending many Zoom meetings with other climate change activists and I find the experience rewarding in terms of knowledge and emotional commitment gained. I’m also reading a lot of serious material relating to the environment or to the geo-political scene.
I’ve just finished reading Fareed Zakaria’s latest book “Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World.” I usually watch his Sunday morning CNN show “The Global Public Square.” He is an incredibly good journalist. The book describes in detail our present world as it is affected by the Covid 19 pandemic. More importantly he describes the forces worldwide that are developing and how we humans are responding to them. He urges enlightened leaders to “recognize that the only real solution to problems like pandemics – and climate change and cyberwar – is to look outward, toward more and better cooperation.” (p.239) Thus, he is countering the isolationist ‘Think America First’ movement. In a post-pandemic world he urges countries not to return to ‘Business As Usual’ but rather to embrace a ‘New Normal’ characterized by change and reform.
I was enlightened and encouraged by the book. All my readings and virtual meetings have helped me to think globally in terms of climate change activism. But they have also convinced me that real, longer-lasting change occurs locally and that is worth fighting for.