Going out and about these days there is a feeling of ‘end of the world’ Everyone is living as if there is no tomorrow A reaction to be slightly freer ? A fear of being locked again soon ? Definitely the chorus of the famous REM song comes to mind ‘it’s the end of the world as we know it’ they sang. Yes. Seems definitely like that going out on a Friday night or reading the news on Monday after a weekend of ‘parties like there’s no tomorrow’.
As if it wasn’t enough, the climate is being crazy. Don’t tell me that we ‘environmentalists’ see climate change where there isn’t. It has always been warm in summer, right ? Yes, but summer really struggled to arrive, with a cooler than average May and then boom, 40 degrees forecasted at the end of June... Not quite right. Leaving aside the impacts of it on nature, the impacts on production: our bodies are not adapted yet. It will be a struggling weekend, I recommend plenty of ice in the freezer and cold water baths on the ankles and wrists at least. Maybe something we should get used to, at least until it all ends... Maybe, though, acting as if it’s the end of the world will actually bring the end of humans sooner. I was talking to a friend who had a very clear view of us humans as just little mosquitos: yes we are annoying Earth right now, but Earth will soon be fine again after us. Perhaps he is right and even thinking that us humans are that important to cause some huge damage is very anthropocentric. Talking about anthropocentric views, I have recently read this paper portraying humans as both threats and custodians of the environment. The article primarily referred to the effects of lockdown - and criticised the news for only showing the ‘return of nature in cities’ . Yes the Venice canals were clearer, yes there were deers in the motorways, and birds nesting in previously very busy areas .. but they say that because humans were unable to guard parks due to being locked down, illegal hunting occurred and therefore nature suffered the absence of humans . But actually , I see a big loophole in this discourse : yes if guards had been there maybe no illegal hunting (or less) would have occurred . But who does the illegal hunting ? Humans ! So just by means of logic, without humans nature would have been just fine .. maybe it will undergo some transitions (that scientists will not be there to witness ) in order to restore the balance but then , well, it will return to equilibrium So, if we want to be less selfish and perhaps a little pessimistic: let’s just go out , drink like there is no tomorrow and leave the planet to restore itself sooner Or , since there still is a tomorrow , why not leave those beers and spritzes down , and do something useful with our time to find a solution , stop the pandemic sooner (yes we have vaccines but we still don’t really know what to do with them and are leaving politics to decide what to do which is truly not the best choice in my opinion), and really halt emissions and do the best to balance them so we don’t have to deal with a climate catastrophe? Your choice but don’t say you weren’t warned.
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