T.C. Weber's Blog - Posts Tagged "coronavirus"

The coronavirus and resulting economic crash, as well as the unprecedented fires in Australia and other disasters, may be harbingers of much worse to come if we--all of us--don't take firm action to halt climate change. We can do it, as evidenced by the actions taken to fight the coronavirus. We just have to decide to do it.

https://www.wired.com/story/how-the-c...

https://real-leaders.com/why-dont-we-...

There are at least two possible long-term outcomes from the coronavirus. One, espoused by U.S. Attorney General William Barr (and thankfully rejected by Congress), is to suspend constitutional rights and embrace totalitarianism.

The other is far more positive, recognizing that we are all interdependent and can act together to solve serious problems.

The predictions below are partisan (when we need to move beyond partisanship), but worth reading.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020...

With gyms closed and mandatory social distancing, people have taken to walks, jogs, or bike rides in parks for exercise and to maintain their sanity. Maryland's governor, Larry Hogan, listed "outdoor exercise activities, such as walking, hiking, running, or biking" (as long as social distancing measures are taken) as an "essential activity" that people are permitted to do, alongside shopping for groceries and other supplies. I have seen a huge increase in people using local parks, following trails through the forest.

I hope we all remember this when the crisis ends. Studies in medical journals have shown that walking in forests increases both physical and mental health, with benefits like stress reduction significantly greater than walking in urban areas.

Yet natural areas are fast disappearing throughout the world. We must protect what we can. We must invest in more park land, both rural and urban, providing enough area for everyone to use without overcrowding. Public open space is not just an amenity. It is essential.

With incompetence and indifference at the federal level, the U.S. was headed for millions dead from COVID-19. Thankfully, state governors and local governments took fairly swift action, which will probably save the vast majority of those lives. It underscores the importance of having a president who cares about more than his own ego, but also underscores the strengths of decentralized power, where state and local governments have a large degree of autonomy.

Brazil is in a similar situation. Its president, Jair Bolsonaro, is a fascist who would happily see a tenth of the country die. But its state governments have imposed lockdowns and other social distancing measures, ignoring the moronic pleas of Bolsonaro to "get back to work."

The framers of the U.S. and Brazilian constitutions can rest happy that at least in this case, their decentralized systems are working.

It's humbling to consider that humanity may have been brought to its knees by a single poached pangolin.

If that isn't an argument for stopping the wildlife trade, I don't know what is.

https://www.sciencealert.com/more-evi...

The coronavirus pandemic demonstrates who the true heroes are, the essential people who keep the country going. It's not bankers or stock traders. It's not celebrities or athletes. It's not powerful politicians. It's doctors, nurses, store clerks, delivery drivers, teachers, farmers... It's "ordinary" people doing "ordinary" jobs.

We should remember this, and remember that everyone deserves a living wage and access to health care and other necessities. This isn't socialism. It's a system where everyone--not just the rich and powerful--is treated with the respect they deserve.