Global COVID-19 Effort Shows The Way On Climate

Coronavirus should give us hope that we are able to tackle the climate crisis

David Comerford, March 9, 2020 (UK Conversation)

Coronavirus has disrupted everyday life throughout the world …More than 10 million Italians have been banned from travelling, and all public events cancelled. In China, 30 million people are still under lockdown…The Japanese prime minister has requested that all schools close for the entire month of March…But coronavirus is not the only global crisis…[and the climate crisis] is expected to be more devastating…[but] the response to the two crises is starkly different…Both are characterised by an escalating probability of disaster…Tackling either problem will disrupt our lifestyles…In both cases there is a coordination problem…And in both cases, authorities acknowledge the urgency of acting…

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[But COVID-19] impresses as a clear and present danger that requires action now…[The threat of climate change seems to be] a vague problem that will be encountered in the future… [Advocacy and lobby groups must link consumer behaviour, carbon emissions and a changing climate to] facilitate a sense of responsibility and agency…[C]limate change is universal…If we get the messaging right, this universality should motivate even greater coordination than we have seen in response to coronavirus…[Also, controlling coronavirus is always costly, but climate change mitigation offers economic and health] opportunities …[One final lesson from coronavirus: People] can still work together to do the right thing…” click here for more

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