What will happen after Corona?
This is a question which I ask myself a lot of times and it’s really hard for me to get an answer. I am always unsure between “Yes” Corona will change something and “No” everything will be the same or even worse after Corona. On the one hand I think, that we will change our way of thinking and we will also change our attitude of treating our planet in a better way. On the other hand I have the feeling that everything will be the same after Corona, because we are arrogant enough to continue our selfish way of living. In the same time I don’t know if we are smart enough to notice what is happening with our earth at the moment, but it is obvious, that this is the perfect break to the perfect moment. If we look at the fact, that in Venice they could see the blue water in the rivers again, that the water quality is more that 90% better, than normal, and that in China they could see the sky again it is hard to deny, that the planet needs a break of the species of human beings. The earth needs a break of us and of all the pollution and dirt we are producing without thinking just a little bit about our future and the future of our children and our niece and nephews. With this I don’t mean that we are suppose to stay at home our whole life, but flying once or twice per year, taking the train for small distances or avoid using the earth killing cruise ships would be already enough to slow down our climate change.
In the same time I see a huge problem in the fact, that our politic is connected with the economy. Due to this reason it is really hard to change something which is connected with the whole world and which result is getting less money because the goal of the economy is exactly the opposite. Getting as much money as possible in the shortest period of time. It is probably more likely for the economy to boost the economic growth again after the Corona crisis because they have/want to recover their costs.
However, there could be also hope! In the view of many sociologist, the crisis offers the opportunity to rediscover the value of commonality and solidarity. The realization that both, small and large gestures can bring people closer together could be maintained even after the epidemic. The future researcher Matthias Horx explained: “We’ve met people we’ve never met before. We have contacted old friends again more often, strengthened bonds that have become loose and loose. Families, neighbours, friends have moved closer together and even solved hidden conflicts”. I also know more and more people, who want to open their mind for new things and habits which are better for our planet. Furthermore I recognized that more and more people try to ”engage a gear” in their daily live, so that they have more time for themselves, their family and their friends. That’s why I hope, that we still could fight for our rights, our future and the survival of our planet, so that the politics notice, that they should start to act and stop talking.
To put it into a nutshell, I am kind of looking forward to the end of the crisis, because we still have the opportunity for a “Happy End”, which is unfortunately in the hands of our politicians, which is probably our only, but biggest problem.
Lynn Menke