What coronavirus teaches us about addressing climate change
As countries around the world implemented stay-at-home orders to fight the deadly Covid-19 virus, the world watched our skies and water clear. How wonderful to see a brief glimpse into what a future world might look like that is based on green government policies, decarbonization and a transition to more sustainable lifestyles.
But let’s not think this brief reduction in emissions changes the trajectory of climate change. It doesn’t. Bold, urgent, global government action accompanied by sustainable lifestyle choices are necessary to reverse climate change.
Scientists have warned us for decades of the pending threat of new pandemics and climate change. Science deniers tenaciously promoted a “seed of doubt” message about such warnings and effectively squelched government action. Let us hope that Professor Adam Frank is right when he says “The pandemic has awakened us from our slumber. It is letting us see the real consequences of denial.”
The role that science has played in addressing the Covid-19 pandemic has restored America’s confidence in science. Hopefully this confidence will transfer to the science of climate change as well and we will recognize that Covid -19 is our fire drill for climate change.
There are parallels between Covid-19 and climate change, as well as lessons to be learned. Both are global crises threatening our survival. International cooperation is needed to address both crises. Governments ignored early warnings and delayed action on Covid-19, allowing it to spread around the globe before taking bold action.
The world learned that a crisis must be “grave and immediate” to inspire strong government response. Climate change looms dangerously close. It is equally as grave a threat as Covid-19, yet we fail to recognize it as an immediate threat. We learned with Covid-19 that delayed action exacerbates the crisis. This is also true for climate change. Will we act in time?
Covid-19 taught us the fragility of our global and national infrastructures and economies. We lacked crucial supplies and preparation to fight the enemy. Medical and food supply chains collapsed. The same will happen with climate change unless we develop and implement global plans and policies now!
The Covid-19 crisis shows that we are capable of developing large scale intervention when political will exists. The crisis has created a unique worldwide opportunity, where every nation needs to create stimulus plans to rebuild their economies. Will we learn our lesson from Covid-19? Will we be smart enough to unite our efforts and implement plans that support a rapid transition to clean energy and sustainable living? What will it take to create the global political will to address climate change?
Gail Powell
This post is inspired by the following article and podcast, which we encourage you to explore:
- COVID-19 pandemic a ‘fire drill’ for climate change – Adam Frank, University of Rochester
- What coronavirus teaches us about addressing climate change – Brookings Institute podcast with Bill Burke-White (UPenn Law School) and Todd Stern (Brookings Institute)
You also might be interested in this report from Canada’s national news network:
