I hope Steve doesn’t mind that I highlight his comment here. He quoted part of my post Little Thoughts.
“… I think I am sick of the distraction. Yes, the virus is dangerous… but is it more dangerous than our industrial poisoning of rivers, destruction of forests? Is covid more dangerous than climate change? Why does the press have so much to say about the pandemic and so relatively little about climate change?”
and wrote:
Wow. I have been saying words quite similar to these for most of the SARS-CoV2 pandemic, and I either get a look of confusion (as if I have misplaced priorities) or dismissal (as if I am some sort of nutter). It’s nice to know at least ONE other person holds this view.
I don’t believe we are alone in thinking that the pandemic, while serious, is also a massive distraction. So many corporations must love that the pandemic focuses everyone’s gaze on humans and humans alone. Survival brings out self-centeredness in most of us. I see lots of people wearing disposable masks that end up in the landfill. Poisoned drinking water, industrial pollution, and other environmental disasters are all taking a backseat to humans wanting to stay alive.
All it takes is for us to widen our lens a little. Life is a team sport and this team must include everyone, and not just humans of every gender and color. Trees make the air we breathe. At least half of the cells that constitute any human are non-human.
I listened to this podcast on my morning walk today. “Why Humans Aren’t the Worst (Despite, Well, Everything Happening in the World)” is Kara Swisher’s conversation with the Dutch historian Rutger Bregman. He has a great perspective and I think you will enjoy listening to them. The link to Bregman’s website is: https://www.rutgerbregman.com
Two things I was very late to adopt, and which I thoroughly enjoy, are… you will laugh:
I bought a microwave oven three years ago.
Around the same time I also started listening to audiobooks.
I think I can listen to some books that I might not finish if I had to read them. I usually listen while I am walking and thus might be more alert than when I am reading while sitting or lying down. It has increased the range of material I can absorb. This year I consumed over 40 books – reading and listening combined.
The distraction is not the pandemic but rather the cruel political disinformation around it. If everyone would think through the situation for themselves based on scientific fact, get vaccinated and boosted, and wear masks indoors, there would be no fuss and eventually the virus spread would be handled, like so many others in the past. Myself, I have found it simple to get the vax shots and am scheduled for the booster next week. The New Mexico Dept of Health has been organized and communicative on this.
OK, I’ll always wear my cloth masks from now on.
Wait, I don’t think the desire to survive should be poo pooed. Isn’t it a naturally useful and powerful instinct? Why are we all concerned about pollution and climate change anyway. It is for the survival of humans. The planet will live out it’s natural course for it’s millions of years without our help, but we may not make it if we destroy what we need to continue living. Huh?
For me climate change and pollution is not necessarily about humans. Lots of other species suffer when we pollute and when the climate changes. Trees can’t migrate. The planet won’t care and will eventually become something, but what? In the meantime lots of suffering across many different species… because of us.
Yes,you are right, kimosabe! But the other creatures and plants will benefit from the measures we take to preserve ourselves. Likewise we benefit from improving life for the other species. Do you think we can succeed in saving life currently on Earth; is there time to fight all the fights?