A return to the past after the Coronavirus or a different future?

What is the path to return after the coronavirus? The response in a concise text by Ioli Christopoulou, posted on the special project of the Ethical Ode website titled “The Day after the Coronavirus Era…”.

The piece was published on 11.05.2020

“The Day after the Coronavirus Era…”.

The full text follows:

The first positive step was taken. This week, in Greece at least, we witnessed the first wave of the lifting of restrictions. The path of return, of course, is long… But is going back what we really want? Or do we, perhaps, want to seek a different future?

Remember? We had already begun planning such a future before the pandemic erupted. When? Then, when Greta and thousands of other children were taking to the streets calling upon us to listen to the scientists. Then, when Australia was engulfed in flames, revealing to us that the climate crisis is not a future scenario, but a reality. Then, when politicians (at least in Europe) heard and prepared to chart a new course.

Remember? In December 2019, the European Commission announced the European Green Deal. This is a new development strategy having as a central objective the transformation of the European economy in order to achieve climate neutrality and biodiversity conservation and ensure health and well-being, without leaving anyone behind. A few weeks later, a new investment plan was announced that would mobilize 1 trillion euros to finance this transition and ensure that it would be just and supportive to those most affected.

Suddenly – pause. A pandemic which showed us how vulnerable we are. A pandemic that has an enormous human and economic cost.

And now, we are called to plan the day after the coronavirus. On the path to recovery, we must choose our compass. Will it be the past that led us to a state of climate emergency or the goals we set for a green, healthy, sustainable and just future?

The answer is obvious, isn’t it?