Pandemic learnings ?

What can we learn from the global pandemic to support us fighting climate change?

With all technological advances, developments and possibilities we see in these modern times, humanity is not immune to the impacts of misusing, overusing and even abusing our natural ecosystem and the defacing of our natural resources, such as our biosphere and our wildlife. -How can we be healthy in an unhealthy world?-

We now have experienced over the last year how a tiny small virus can have an immense and impactful influence on humanity. Not only to survive these kind of pandemics, but generally for humanity to survive in the future, we need a healthy planet and we still have the time and the means to change our behaviour towards this goal.

The pandemic-induced lockdown measured all around the globe, slowed down our human activity and forced us all to start thinking differently. Self-sufficiency became more than just a hobby, but we need a global change towards a more resourceful handling with our ecosystem. A natural regeneration of our resources can help us towards a healthier ecosystem, in other words to a healthier planet. Investing in biodiversity, local growing and focusing on healthier diets with a decreasing CO2 footprint is the way forward, and should be the learnings we take from this global pandemic.

A sustainable world can only be achieved when humanity itself thrives this, so we ourselves are responsible for a change towards a healthier planet, and the pandemic has shown us that we are able to go this way with many impactful but not necessarily life changing modifications.

Small amendments and adjustments in our daily life such as less plastics usage, local instead of global and a seasonal approach can be very impactful, especially if all of us supports this.

It will not only improve the planets health, but also its populations health and wellbeing.

With modifying our old humanities approach of jeopardising the regenerating capacity of our planet, the outcome for our future planet will and can be much less disastrous and these modifications are not rocket science, as we have experienced during this pandemic, were we proved already we can make changes if we really have to.

Many global development goals and agreements are supporting our approach and progress towards a more sustainable future and a healthier planet,

but: TIME IS RUNNING OUT.

We can't afford waiting any longer before taking action. All of us are called to start shaking up the status quo and thrive with innovation in all shapes and forms, directing towards a healthier planet and healthier lifestyles to create wellbeing for all live on our planet, including the planet itself and the pandemic has shown us some of these opportunities.

The COVIG-19 pandemic has exposed many weak links in our food system, showing us that we haven't designed sufficient resilience for a pandemic or a disrupted climate change.

Many impactful modifications for a healthier lifestyle and a healthier planet although have erupted automatically from our adaptions and reactions to pandemic associated actions.

The main focus of our food system before COVID was prioritising and facilitating affordable animal proteins and inexpensive industrial processed foods. During the COVID period with diminishing logistical opportunities caused by global lockdowns, and less available money to spend, animal protein production has decreased and the availability of plant sourced, minimally processed foods, fruits, vegetables, legumes, pulses and nuts, whole grains and plant proteins have increased. The accessibility to more local, fresh, seasonal and often less expensive foods and also the increased available time for cooking at home, have shown a positive impact on our planet, because using foods that use less resources have increased noticeable.

Also supported by social media, focusing on more widely distributed culinary skills on how to make these foods truly appealing to everyone, had a positive impact on the usage of these foods.

This widespread pandemic infused adoption of plant-forward dietary patterns helped to prevent, and not simply mitigate, the negative predicted impacts on our global climate change. Changing our dietary habits towards more plant based diets are not only helping our planets health, but simultaneously also supports all peoples health and is a big step against climate change. This is definitely a lesson we can learn from this pandemic.

Many of us are hoping that with decreasing infection numbers and increasing vaccinations this pandemic will soon be over and we can return back to normal.

But what is normal? or what are our expectations of the new normal, are we thinking of the pre COVID normal, or should we focus on a new post COVID normal.

Our path before the pandemic was heading into a future that would have been disastrous for our offspring, a degraded planet, inhabited by an unhealthy population, abusing nearly all possible resources for an unknown future.

The pandemic influence on our lives, during the last year, definitely had a big impact on our freedom of movement, but simultaneously, the by the pandemic caused lockdowns, also had a very positive impact on our global climate change. Cleaner water and cleaner air only 2 examples to mention.

All together we, the earths population, have the knowledge, creativity and skills to take learnings of this pandemic and create a post COVID "New Normal", a future that is far healthier, more sustainable and much better than we experienced during the pre COVID era.

As i mentioned earlier" time is running out" and we now have to take the time and the learnings of the pandemic to even double our efforts to fight climate change and create a better "New Normal" so our children and grandchildren can enjoy our beautiful planet the way we did and carry it in their memories the way we want it to be.

Lets start today..............

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