There is no doubt the virus is a terrible catastrophe that kills, sickens, forces people into isolation and throws a spanner in the works of the economy and daily life. Yet some of the habits and patterns on everyday life require a shock to the system to return to the drawing board.
Consider for instance emission levels of commuting daily to and from work, or flying to the other end of the world for a meeting that does not actually require anyone’s physical presence (creating, for instance, some elbow room for other that actually do).
Or how after weeks of isolation, we may come to enjoy company anew but also, for the first time, recalibrate our friendships towards something more meaningful.
Last, but not least, consider the role of science and how, as always, it steps in to take over and save the day, writes McKibben.
Read the full article at the New Yorker here:
