by Stephen Thirlwall
A growing number of people around the world have been expecting a major environmental calamity clearly linked to inappropriate human actions on our environment. We wanted someone else to blame and to fix it. This is not the case with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Its appearance doesn’t have clear links to human activities, and there is no one to blame for its start; it is something beyond us. But its spread does follow the paths of our individual and collective human behaviours. So that is where we can have the greatest effect in curbing its spread–by curbing our behaviours, at least temporarily, and perhaps some of them permanently.
Vaccines and treatments would help immensely, but take a long time to develop and properly test, let alone to implement worldwide. Personal actions, such as quarantine and personal distancing, will slow the spread until new technologies can fully come into play.
Where we can use technology now is in keeping ourselves informed and keeping in touch with and assisting others–without necessarily being with them. Radio, telephone, television, Internet, cars, masks, gloves, and many other technologies can keep us connected, allow relatively safe travelling and shopping when necessary for essentials, while minimizing direct interpersonal contact. Group chats on the Internet are invaluable.
The collectivity of our response is of extreme importance. Inappropriate actions of a few cause the spread of the virus to many. Any of us can unconsciously become centres of outbreak. So far all levels of government have followed the advice of global medical experts and cooperated. Gradually, other institutions, businesses, social groups, and most individuals have followed suit. The response was phased in step by step, day by day. There had to be a recognition of the severity of the situation, an acceptance that strict actions were necessary and time for our bodies and minds to adjust to the new conditions. We want to feel unrestricted yet we know this is no longer possible. Ignoring or denying the problem means putting yourself and others at risk.
For a few days, I felt somewhat depressed at staying at home all day, until I was able to accept things and realize that there was still so much I could do within the new confines. At present, it is possible to go outside for short periods because most streets are empty: the symbols of this time are empty streets and closed shops and businesses. The only other times that come close to this are the mornings of Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Each day, we learn. We discover that panicking is not good for anyone. Hoarding upsets otherwise functional supply chains and endangers everyone. Profiteering, reselling products at many times their price is not acceptable behaviour at this or any time. Industry needs to quickly produce as many ventilators as possible. We can acclimatize ourselves to use of gloves and face masks and regularly washing our hands and face with soap. More learning is still to come.
For decades humanity has been following two main courses in its development. One has been towards greater globalization through relationships, collective associations, travel, and media exposure. Huge numbers of people have moved from one part of the world to another, increasing diversity everywhere. The world is now interconnected whether we like this or not, and we can’t turn back.
Fighting the pandemic requires all countries to collaborate. The pandemic itself is pushing us in this direction.
At the same time, individuals and groups wish to establish their own unique identity, a process that seems to lead towards fragmenting into smaller and smaller groups. Every group has subgroups. But in parallel with this trend is a growing concern for strong neighbourhoods where people care for one another and where diversity is accepted, respected and even encouraged.
These two opposing processes could come together eventually, as a deeper understanding of diversity, unity and equality of peoples is achieved. This pandemic is giving the world’s population a chance to step aside from our normal activites and reflect on what society means today and where it can go in the future. This is the first time in human history in which countries and territories around the world have all actively worked together on such a grand scale to contain the spread of a virus within and between all localities, while putting this concern ahead of the daily politics, commerce, and social activity.
One could say this coronavirus is (depending on what we believe) a reminder from God, from Nature, or from some accidental sequence, which lets us know humans have limitations in the grand scheme of existence.
We are connected directly or indirectly with everything else around us and depend on everything.
And everything also depends on us. Human survival and development rely on our acceptance of both our diversity and oneness, and our ability to adapt and work peacefully together in new ways.
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