COVID-19 and the Climate Crisis, Part I
By: John A. Lanier
The COVID-19 virus was not caused by climate change. But this virus probably isn’t the last one that will spill over into the human population. It’s entirely possible that the next one will have that direct link to climate.
Hello COVID-19, here I am again, back for more. I can’t seem to think about anything else. My wife and I spent a lovely, candlelit, device-free evening last Saturday to recognize Earth Hour, and we STILL couldn’t avoid talking about this pandemic (it was a deep and thoughtful conversation though). Oh well, I guess I might as well accept the reality of the coronavirus’s vice-grip on my mind and start a three-part series exploring the linkages between this virus and the climate crisis.
There are some surprising connections between the two, which might not be apparent at first glance. Next week I will discuss the decarbonization opportunities that will be available when the long-term economic recovery from this pandemic begins. The following week I will consider what analogical lessons we can learn from COVID-19 and apply to climate action. For this week though, I want to be more direct and explore the linkage between climate and the cause of this disease.
I’ll take this in two steps, first discussing what we know is NOT true, and then discussing what we know IS true. As to the former, let me be as clear as possible: there is no evidence that climate change caused the outbreak of this novel coronavirus. Maybe you are thinking, “Duh, why did he even need to say that?” It’s because some have tried to argue that link exists.
A Quiet War: Using Biomimicry in the Time of Coronavirus
Reprinted from Biomimicry Institute Blog
Active participation in an effort to help others is one way to temporarily alleviate some of the emotions we are all feeling about COVID-19. Biomimics have a valuable role to play in this moment.
Read MoreJohn Lanier is Guest on Green Building Matters Podcast
“We need as many people understanding the intricacies, the nuances of what it takes to solve sustainability challenges as possible, and that requires people being willing to read and listen to podcasts like this and go deep on these issues. Becoming experts in as many different areas within sustainability as possible. It's hard work. It takes time, but it's a rewarding journey.” John A. Lanier
Read More100,000 Students to Join Dialogue about Clean Power on April 7th
Georgia Tech, The University of Georgia, Emory University and Georgia State University
Several local universities will participate in a nationwide series of Power Dialogs on April 7th, 2020. The project will engage more than 100,000 students in critical conversations about Power as clean energy, but also about Power through engaged citizen action. Open to the Public.
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