Covid-19 was a dress rehearsal for global climate change. And it didn’t go well


According to the IPCC report, we should expect more devastating heat waves and out-of-control fires like this in Greece, and other “extreme events unprecedented in the observational record.” — Bloomberg

COVID-19 is a nightmare that has left more than 600,000 people dead in the United States alone. But from the very start it was also a clear dress rehearsal for the looming global catastrophe of climate change, which is barreling toward us and likely to wreak more damage than the pandemic.

Early on, it seemed like Covid-19 might sober us up, and teach us some useful lessons for that other great and imminent threat. Perhaps the coronavirus would force us to acknowledge that there really are invisible dangers in the world, and that there really are experts who know more than we do. Perhaps it would show us that if we don’t act to avert crises sooner rather than later, the problems only get worse.

Celebrate Merdeka with 50% Off!
T&C applies.

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month
RM6.95 only

Billed as RM6.95 for the 1st month then RM13.90 thereafters.

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month
RM6.17/month

Billed as RM78 for the 1st year then RM148 thereafters.

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In Focus

‘Shame must change sides’
We can learn from ‘Black Myth: Wukong’
Editorial: Vaccination pauses in fighting in Gaza should lead to ceasefire
A systematic barbarism
Green and anxious
Why are Bhutanese start-ups not taking off?
Speeding up connectivity
The right to network
Decoding digital literacy
Right brew to rebuild a broken town

Others Also Read