We don’t have a new crisis with COVID-19, we have an additional one. And the two are connected.

Scientific American asks “What Could Warming Mean For Pathogens Like Coronavirus?”

Part of the answer:

As the Earth continues to warm, many scientists expect to see changes in the timing, geography and intensity of disease outbreaks around the world. And some experts believe climate change, along with other environmental disturbances, could help facilitate the rise of more brand-new diseases, like COVID-19.

That is, as a friend of mine puts it, “Not good.”

Deutsche Welle, a German news organization, agrees, in an article called “Coronavirus and climate change: A tale of two crises”:

Transmitting person-to-person and sending economic tremors across six continents, coronavirus has highlighted how closely interconnected our global community is. The ripple effect through supply chains also reveals our collective responsibility for emissions, as China’s factories supply businesses and consumers in the West. 

Neglecting that responsibility could mean crashes and crises far more painful than anything we’ve seen yet.

But the article also points out:

…(R)ecent weeks at least suggest that when a crisis is deemed urgent enough, the world can act big and fast.

Let’s continue to act big and fast. People over profits. Earth over executive bonuses.

A WRITING PROMPT FROM ME TO YOU: Write about something or someone big and fast.

MA