We often hear it said, in certain circles, that the current #COVIDー19 crisis would be "good for the climate and the environment," or that we ought "to apply the same measures against climate change." Here is why I think this is wrong. 1/..
Not only is this utterly insensitive to the ordeal many families are living through right now, not to mention the staff on the front line, but it& #39;s also completely wrong and stupid. On the contrary, I think that in the long run this crisis will be a disaster for the #climate. 2/
Of course there are short-term effects on the environment: a substantial drop in air pollution, a fall in greenhouse gas emissions, etc. But in the long term, these temporary effects will probably be insignificant, and here& #39;s why: 3/..
While the price of a barrel of oil is at the lowest and the recovery plan could be an opportunity to plan a low-carbon economy, we risk doing exactly the opposite and offering a lifeline to the carbon economy. https://twitter.com/ericvidalenc/status/1242348937765404672?s=20">https://twitter.com/ericvidal...
4. Above all, the current lockdown measures are likely to encourage the idea that the fight against climate change requires a complete shutdown of the economy. Later, I seriously doubt that we& #39;ll look back on the lockdown period as a blessed time... 8/..
We won& #39;t say "of course it was a bit painful, but it was great for the climate." There is a real risk of the massive rejection of climate change measures if it is said, as some activists are saying right now, that we should "do the same for the climate." 9/..
So watch out for this widespread rhetoric: "climate change requires the same measures as we& #39;re applying to COVID-19," or "the epidemic is a rehearsal for climate change." It& #39;s dangerous: this crisis and climate change do have a lot of common, but they are fundamentally different.
a. For now, the pandemic mainly affects the industrialized countries (China, Europe, the United States). It& #39;s the other way around with climate change! We cannot expect immediate benefits for ourselves.
b. Above all, climate change is not a "crisis": it is an irreversible transformation. There will be no going back to normal, no vaccine. There is a need for structural measures, not short-term ones.
So watch out for quasi-religious formulas of the type: "Nature is reclaiming its rights," or "the Earth is taking its revenge." After all, epidemics existed before climate change, and above all that& #39;s not how we& #39;re going to think rationally what comes after the crisis. END
PS: Many many thanks to @laurakurgan and her husband for the translation! And who knows? Maybe this will change the outcome of the US presidential election. *That* would be good news for climate change.
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