L R AS Published on Monday 30 March 2020 - n° 315 - Categories:the prices
The virus and climate change according to pvXchange
The author draws a parallel between the virus on the one hand and the evolution of climate change on the other. The only difference is the way they are treated: To contain the epidemic, heads of state are imposing increasingly drastic measures. To fight the climate crisis, it is hoped that something will prevent or reverse the pre-crisis situation!
Containment has already changed the perception of the environment. The population has already started to limit its movements, to stay in its region. Slightly higher prices are strengthening the local economy. On the whole, people appreciate the friendly interaction in the office or on the streets and the emission-free fresh air.
This would not be a utopia if one can draw conclusions from the current crisis. The epidemic would thus be more effective than a youth movement and the climate would encourage!
It is now possible to implement measures that would have been impossible before. We realise that the consequences of climate change and water and air pollution are causing people to die more silently than the virus!
The current situation seems to be a foretaste of what we could cope with if the climate crisis were to worsen; a kind of dress rehearsal, if you like. Our civilisation has been caught off guard by the coronavirus epidemic. The scale and scope of the response needed has long been underestimated. The countermeasures came suddenly and inevitably led to chaotic conditions. We are witnessing a demonstration of the fragility of our economic system and how quickly it can be disrupted by an unexpected event, provoking an irrational response from people and markets. Nobody seemed prepared for such a crisis; the initial panic and chaos is understandable; after all, our jobs, consumption, social contacts - in short, our very freedom and prosperity - are probably at stake!
Now, I hope that we will learn a lesson, that we will make a real new start after the pandemic and that we will not completely revert to old behaviours and our resource-destroying way of life. We can learn a lot from the current crisis; all we need is the courage to do the right thing and let something new, more resilient and sustainable emerge from it.
pvXchange of 18 March
