The moral of the pandemic story

This time last year, climate scientists, policymakers, and activists around the world were gearing up for what they had hoped would be a linchpin year in securing meaningful climate action. As the pandemic consumed the world’s attention, climate scientists marched on, including many of the modelers featured in this week’s cover story. But like so many things, momentum for climate action came to a virtual standstill.

Something else happened as the world confronted COVID-19. We caught a glimpse of what a global effort can accomplish in a shared crisis. Almost immediately, the rigid walls of scientific publication came crashing down, if only temporarily, as journals and institutions rushed to share what they were learning about the new coronavirus. The message was clear: We were all in this together. 

This democratization of scientific knowledge put the latest thinking at the fingertips of not just public health officials and policymakers, but ordinary citizens, too. The evolution of scientific knowledge in real time led to some confusion about the best way to mitigate risk. But as the months wore on and the science improved, it offered context for communities and individuals to make informed decisions. And it enabled scientists and vaccine-makers to build upon and advance each other’s work at an unprecedented pace. 

The handling of the pandemic was not perfect. Crucial mistakes have already been identified, and more will undoubtedly come to light. But it is undeniable that this experience has been a scientific triumph, a testament to the power of human ingenuity.

There are many morals to the coronavirus story. How much we value face-to-face interaction with each other is most certainly one. But for me, one of the biggest takeaways has been finding new life for the old adage “where there’s a will there’s a way.”

So much of what happened in 2020 seemed impossible just months before. Flights were grounded. Businesses shuttered. Conferences, weddings, major international summits – all canceled. The closures were devastating for economies and our collective psyche. But in a way, they were also liberating. Lockdowns shattered the illusion that society, institutions, and “the way things are” are fixed entities incapable of radical change. 

That liberation sparked hopes in climate circles that change is possible. It had been a long-accepted fact that millions of workers needed to slog through commuter traffic to work together in the same space. Executives simply had to fly around the world to put in face time at meetings. The associated emissions were  the cost of doing business in a globally interconnected world.

The plunge in global emissions during the height of lockdowns last spring was but a blip in the grand scheme of greenhouse gas pollution. But it became a powerful symbol for the idea that we get to decide what kind of a world we want to live in. The pandemic has taken many things from the world, but perhaps that lesson is its greatest gift.

The Monitor is looking for stories of climate action, adaptation, and resilience. Send us your comments and tips. Email me at swann@csmonitor.com.