If there’s one thing that restricting communities from getting out and about during the pandemic it’s this: It has helped in no small way to allow wild bird populations around the world to take a deep breath of undiluted air, spread their wings and fly higher – without the hassle of colliding with pesky planes, earth bound wild life has been able to amble happily across roads without being knocked over by impatient commuters, and marine creatures have been able to swim peacefully in a noiseless fairly pollution free ocean. According to author Eric Stockstad in sciencemag.org, the standstill in tourism is affecting wildlife positively in popular destinations such as national parks and marine reserves. Coral reefs are slowly recovering thanks to there being less pollution from wastewater from tourist resorts in coastal areas. Ecologists have noted that the COVED 19 pandemic “represents a once in a lifetime opportunity to better understand the links between humans and coral reefs.”
This is all encouraging news. In David Attenborough’s book “A Life On Our Planet” he points out that by 2020 the remaining areas of wilderness in the world had been reduced to a mere 35% – from 64 % in 1954. He paints a sobering picture of how, within the lifespan of someone born today, our species is predicted to take our planet through a series of one-way doors that bring irreversible change and commit us to losing the security and stability of the Holocene, our Garden of Eden. In such a future, we will bring about nothing less than the collapse of the living world, the very thing that our civilisation relies on. Says Attenborough “to restore stability to our planet, we must restore its biodiversity, the very thing we have removed. It is the only way out of this crisis that we have created. We must REWILD THE WORLD. We need to start a new revolution. THE SUSTAINABILITY REVOLUTION!”
The sustainability revolution would be the next wave of innovation. Following on from Industrial revolutions that centred on textile manufacturing and the innovation of the steel engine, steel production, the advent of the automobile, electricity, space expeditions, telecommunications, computers and smart technology.
Says Attenborough “The Sustainability revolution will see innovators and entrepreneurs make fortunes by devising products and services that reduce our impact on the planet. We are already seeing a start to this with low energy light bulbs, cheaper solar power, plant burgers that taste like meat, energy saving appliances and sustainable investments.”
Every nation has a journey to make to reduce fossil fuel consumption and through the use of renewable energy become prosperous and good for its people. “The scaling up of solar and wind power has already brought the price of renewable generation per kw down to levels that outcompete coal, hydro and nuclear power. Renewables are much cheaper to manage than other power sources. Over the next thirty years it is estimated that a renewable-dominated energy sector would save trillions of dollars in operational costs.” Attenborough points out.
If we all embrace the concept of the Sustainability Revolution, we would make the difference that is needed to bring our planet back to normalcy. From small things like recycling our waste to purchasing energy saving appliances. Founder of appliance retail giant Hirsch’s, Allan Hirsch says we need to start with energy reduction in the home. This can be so easily done. Switching off lights and plugs not in use, purchasing energy saving appliances (Triple A rated) for instance. 2020 has shown us that if we look after ourselves, we can survive. If we look after our planet, it too will survive. We can do this. We can all make a difference.
ENDS. Glenda Thompson. Get U Noticed. www.getunoticed.co.za
