Mother Nature's reset button

As the global population engages in a painful, agonizing retreat into their homes to confront a threat unlike any the world has seen, the initial signs of nature’s response hold out hope for the reset button to be activated to restore a sense of equilibrium between humans and the environment.

While most lament the huge, yet unknown socio-economic fallout from this invasion by a microscopic organism, there is an opportunity for the world to take stock of our state of existence; the level to which we have evolved as a species, yet at the same time how vulnerable we are.

Covid19 has once again provided the scientific community with an opportunity to hopefully conquer the smallest known organism that once again threatens human existence. It has forced us to reassess the things we take for granted and truly prioritise that which is important in our individual and collective lives.

Families have been given a chance to communicate and bond with each other - face to face - minus the rat race that essentially defined life for the average person. Political enemies have been forced to put aside selfish agendas and collaborate in the interest of the public.

Dolphins have returned to Italy’s coast, otters now roam freely in Singapore’s parks, swans have returned to the canals of Venice, large cities now have cleaner air; nature seems to be thriving in times of human quarantine.

The absence of vehicles on the roads and aircrafts in the air for a few months will be a big boost in the fight against global warming and climate change. Two of the world’s biggest consumers of resources who also happen to be the world’s biggest polluters have seen their economies come to a screeching halt, notwithstanding their refusal in the past to embrace concrete efforts to substantially reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Factories have been forced to shut as consumer demand is slashed thanks to a virus. Powerful humans have been humbled by an entity that continues to defy and baffle conventional science. The world has been given an opportunity to rethink its economic model of development.

Sustainable development, a maxim given lip service by the most industrialized nations in the past, now takes on new prominence. The rate at which the world’s resources have been consumed with concomitant negative impact on other species must be given renewed focus as we navigate this quagmire.

Our refusal to take note of the signs of disequilibrium brought about by excessive consumption may have forced mother nature to give us a rude wake-up call to spend time in our homes with loved ones and introspect. Naturally occurring systems always tend toward balance and equilibrium.

Covid19 has also shown its utter contempt and disregard for race, colour, religion, class, geographic location, age, gender, wealth or power. Its wrath can only be repelled by global human collaboration on a scale and magnitude that is unprecedented.

Our collective will to survive as a species has always prevailed and this time will be no exception. However, hopefully post covid19 will ensure the global population is kept in check, habitats of other species are not destroyed, by man’s collective and individual greed, and that we extract resources wthout jeopardizing the existence of other species or future generations.

We have the option of seeing this pandemic as another "black plague" and the catastrophic negative impact it will undoubtedly have on society, or as an opportunity to restore harmony in and with nature, activating a reset button that will reflect true sustainable development.

On a personal level it’s an opportunity for us to reflect on those simple things we take for granted - clear blue skies, clean waterways and seas. It’s a reminder of the extent to which our arrogance, greed and selfishness can easily lead to our demise as a species.

The social distancing and confinement to small groups should help to remind us of the extent to which we need each other. The enforcement of basic hygiene practices is a stark reminder of the ease with which we can be conquered despite our perceived intelligence and sophistication.

Certainly, restrictions on our mobility will have significant positive impact on the environment; something we have been very reluctant to do despite its devastating consequences on the environment.