WHAT a year 2020 has solutions, and a higher regard for been, we aren’t going to our green spaces. forget this one in a hurry. The good news is at last things Despite the pandemic, there seems are starting to look up, there’s encouraging news about RNA vaccines, and their effectiveness.
We have got better at fighting the infection and now know what medicines lower the virus’s lethality. There’s good news about how long immunity to the disease lasts, and whilst lockdown measures have been difficult there’s been plenty of opportunity to assess what we treasure in life, and what our priorities are. We have a clearer idea of the societal and business impact of the pandemic, and have some idea of how to live alongside Covid-19 in 2021. As we go to press, we are still in the second lockdown, and the winter is likely to be tough for us all. Next year should see lockdowns and forced business closures easing, and the next summer, like the last, is sure to be easier to navigate.
We are also starting to make some progress in regards to the bigger problem coming down the line, the one of climate breakdown. More people are looking at rewilding, reforestation, and nature restoration. Devon has this year seen the reintroduction of beavers to some of our rivers to help with flood prevention, and other species are also being considered to increase biodiversity. Attention has turned to maritime pollution and increasing the wildlife around our coasts. Renewable energy is at the forefront of power generation, and recycling and reusing are becoming economically sensible watch words.
We are finally moving away from the pollution of fossil fuels – with electric vehicles and the promotion of walking and cycling. The first lockdown did much to reset our thinking and whilst the economic impact will be huge – sustainability and localism have been given more impetus.
We are considering what we eat more, how we spend our time, and re-evaluating the importance of the natural world.
Healthy living and mental wellbeing are finally being given a platform, particularly mental health thanks to lockdown, and people are realising how much we all need each other. Agriculture has the potential to be moving away from monoculture, and considering soils and wildlife more.
Net Zero is still a long way off, technology is being invented and harnessed to help us, and the goal of fixing the planet is now the agenda across the world. The work started by Extinction Rebellion will see our towns going greener, more natural climate solutions, and a higher regard for our green spaces.
Despite the pandemic, there seems to have been a reset, we are starting to plan for a better future. Politically and socially we are seeing a bit of a sea change to a more inclusive and equal society. I think the change in the White House will see a great improvement in the way the natural world is viewed and some major global initiatives to stabilise our planet. Countries across the globe are starting to think about what plans for a greener planet might look like. Technological powerhouses like China, Japan and South Korea have announced net zero targets, and are researching technology to get us all there.
We still have to deal with a lot of paranoia and negativity about how we solve our problems. The international political landscape and our own communities appear to share a common goal now – one of climate repair – and that should bring us all together. I’m cautiously optimistic this time it’s a real global movement in the right direction.
Being a greenie for decades has at times left me depleted and feeling my own efforts are a drop in a vast river that’s going the opposite way. I’m reminded of those beavers, who get on with the task in hand, with little thought at all of how their small actions solve big problems. One beaver released into the Forder Valley in Plymouth for the first time in over 400 years spending energy on a small-scale project. A project that is a tiny contribution to the world’s problems is actually helping to solve them at the same time.
That makes me think small things are worth trying. Like the beaver if I focus on the process itself, I can see myself as someone who is doing something rather than nothing.
We all know ways we can contribute, and that will help us to come together. We finally have a way of engaging with the world that takes us out of ourselves and into something bigger. We have a moment of connection to each other, and to a priority that isn’t solely ours, all born out of a time when our world was set up to keep us isolated and disconnected.
We can all make a little positive difference in the world in 2021. Suddenly, the small things that require a lot of work are worth trying, it’s all a little less daunting.
For my part I’ve applied to be a parish wildlife warden (see article on page 17). I’ve seen the benefits of letting my garden go a bit wild, I’m a big fan of ‘untidy’ wildlife gardening and I’m keen to help get my parish’s nature back on track. All the best for 2021.
The good living and community magazine for Exeter, Plymouth and across South Devon
