The international response to coronavirus shows that the world can mobilize for an imminent threat.
The Los Angeles Times interviewed 8 people, who are scientists, or activists, or experts, and asked them to think what it would be like if we acted on climate the same way we are acting on coronavirus. It is a very thought inspiring article, and can give us all ideas to work on now, and again when the coronavirus crisis is over. Because climate is also a true emergency, it’s just at a slower pace than an infectious disease.
For example, one of the interviewees said: the coronavirus act (CARES) included medical supplies, but also income support for people laid off, sick leave, and stopping evictions. For climate, we need a similar multipronged approach: not just reducing emissions, but helping communities that are most impacted by climate, helping coal and oil workers who are laid off, etc.
Another interviewee talked about the multigenerational aspect of coronavirus, and how schools are being closed to keep grandparents from dying from the virus. And with climate, it’s also multigenerational – parent and grandparents acting to give the children of today a liveable world.
We need to work on mitigation, adapation, and justice, together as a country, and all at the same time. We can’t do any of them without the other.
