04/05/2020
There have been some positives to come out of lockdown. Welfare rates have been raised in some countries, others have given out universal basic income. People are growing food and baking sourdough, and we're all wondering why attending meetings in person seemed preferable to chatting online in our pyjamas. Celebrities are clammering for attention as we ignore them in favour of our new heroes: health workers, cleaners, delivery drivers and teachers.
As lockdown is relaxed in many countries, there's talk of going back to normal. But what was really normal about the old way? Do we want to sit in rush hour traffic on our daily commute again? Do we need the skies to be crowded with aircraft? Does industry have to ramp up to the unsustainable levels it was operating at? Does GDP have to stay as the one and only measure of success?
I'm keen for a world of less stuff and more quiet, of less work travel and more quality time with family. Covid has showed us what's really of value in our lives, and we don't have to give that up. Let's move toward a new normal, one that's better for the earth as well as for us.
