COVID 19 changed our lives in an unprecedented way with unexpected speed. The world economy is not the only aspect where we can see the change. The everyday social life and emotional state of most people in the world are affected by the Virus. We are all surprised. Most of our leaders are now focused on containing the virus and the ordinary people rightly occupied on how to cope with the events.
This concept paper, however, would like to place the “COVID 19” phenomena in the context of a 10-year warning of mass extinction by the environmentalists. I believe that it will be a disservice to humanity if we forget the context, Climate Change, in the confusion and panic over the virus. It may be a blessing in disguise the lockdowns and economic meltdowns due to COVID 19 is easing the pressure of carbon dioxide on the earth. It ironic that in the midst of humanity’s suffering the earth is healing. But we must not lose sight of the long-term future of humanity beyond the havoc of COVID 19. Bluntly, with the worst scenario of a third of the human population exterminated by the virus, we still need to think of the two thirds that will need to face the Climate Crisis and pandemics by other viruses.
Pilgrimage to Paradise
The book “Pilgrimage to Paradise” says on page 35 “our cramped consumer-based urban settings are vulnerable to the outbreak of diseases and viruses due to rising temperatures. The health system that is too dependent on cures pushed by multinational pharmaceutical companies must be replaced by community-based preventive health programs that have home remedies researched and cultivated proximate to the human habitats. The design of a more permanent habitat that is self-sufficient, sustainable, and easily replicable is needed to replace the polluting habitat that we now have. Before we can do this, we must presuppose a change in our cultural values. By giving more importance to conservation against innovation, to prevention more than cure, we will be able to strike a balanced and healthy speed of development.”
And also, on page 93 “One of the most serious impacts of climate change is on the health of our population. The vector of new diseases and viruses that can be attributed already to global warming is increasing steadily. A big part of our effort to create new habitats is the integration of home remedies and research facilities for alternative medicine. A “Green Architecture System,” abiding by nature’s pace of evolution, can redirect humanity’s irrational rush to “progress.” Indeed, with human habitation designed for a peaceful life, we can make the big change in society that we need in order to slow down our surge to “Progress”.”
CARE-Communes as a Radical Solution to Pandemic Problems
With these quotes from a book on Climate Change Adaptation, I would like to bring back on the discussion the creation of CARE-Communes as a radical solution to the pandemic problems without disregarding our Climate Problem.
- Covid 19 is not the only virus that will threaten humanity. There are more viruses lurking to be hosted by humans in a heating planet. CARE-Communes that are carefully calculated to be the home of a limited number of people per unit area, will also create a low impact lifestyle that will be more peaceful, slow, and spiritually productive. COVID 19 should prepare the human population to be emotionally and spiritually strong as more disasters face us.
- Over-connectedness of the human population that created one world culture is dangerous in the event of a pandemic as a single homogenous modern culture tends to eliminate other ways of inhabiting the earth. If there is a global problem, it is better to have many solutions to select from than being confined to just one solution like a vaccine. Therefore, we need to prepare by changing the size of our cities and towns that are breeding grounds for outbreaks. Having many CARE-Communes on the planet can facilitate the development of solutions to human problems outside the box of modern technological culture.
- Finally, we need to produce food the healthy way. If there is anything this virus thought us, it is the value of human health. We are more likely to survive any viral attack if our immune system is healthy. Organic food production will not only care for the earth but also assure the human population of a natural shield from diseases.
With these three points, I invite some people to focus on Creating small self-sufficient communities isolated from cities and towns as we allow the competent authorities to deal with the pandemic.
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