W7i7

This post is in continuation to my previous post. ←Back to Page 1 --- COVID-19 has shaken all of us. And while many of us want to help, we may find ourselves locked down and isolated. Let's try to channelize the isolation to make constructive observations regarding how we deal with crises. This is an important exercise and the corona crisis could teach us important ways to think about the climate crisis. 4  Think global, act local There are some universal aspects to the corona crisis -- such as how the virus is transmitted and how it operates within the body. There are some regional aspects to the pandemic -- such as how the people of a specific demography develop immunity to it, how aware a community is regarding diseases and pandemics and how the local healthcare system is equipped to deal with the outbreak. Like the corona crisis, the climate crisis has some universal aspects -- such as rising global temperatures and more extreme weather events. Some aspects ...

COVID-19 has changed our lives. And while there are some changes we all hope to reverse as soon as possible, there are a few thoughts and habits that I wish we would consciously take forward from this crisis. 1   Prevention is better than cure When facing the unknown, it's wiser to err on the side of caution. Like the corona crisis, the climate crisis today is also unprecedented. Human societies have never faced CO 2 levels like we see today -- and keep in mind that the levels are still rising. CO 2  stays in the atmosphere for a very long time, and some of our emissions will still be around millennia later. The Earth is reaching tipping points, which means that we will start seeing dramatic changes that may be beyond our ability to manage. Rather than scrambling to find solutions tomorrow, it is far better that emissions be brought down today. Simply put, the sooner the world becomes carbon neutral, the closer we will be to solving the climate crisis. 2  ...

At the behest of her Prime Minister, India recently participated in a community activity of lighting a candle or a diya for 9 minutes at 9 PM on the 5th of April. This is part of a wider effort towards preventing the spread of the Coronavirus -- such communal activities are intended to maintain citizen compliance of the national lockdown in a harmonious way. Despite the use of diya s, I do not mean "communal" in a negative sense here. I mean it in the sense of an activity which unites people and brings them together in a shared quest. Activities that reinforce the strength of a community (the sum is greater than the parts!) are helpful in times of social isolation. My problem is not with the lighting of a candle or a diya I do not have a problem with anyone lighting a candle or a diya . It is your candle or diya , you light it with your own matchsticks and in your own homes. It is hardly a matter of cost, I would not mind if you lit my candles or diya s with my m...