I have been challenged by many people who say it is impossible to predict what the post-coronavirus world will look like. Somehow, I am not satisfied with simply letting things unfold without direction. I am an intentional person. I need, at least, to set a vision for the future so that I have something to work towards.
In this time of lockdown, several things have tugged at my consciousness. I’m aware that the current trajectory of the World is negative. We are using too many non-renewable resources. We consume and throw away without giving our actions a second thought. The old practices of preservation and conservation have been supplanted by disposal and waste. Built-in obsolescence is par for the course.
As if telling us this cannot go on, the Earth is pushing back. I welcome this wake-up call, notwithstanding the high cost in human lives. If the rampant consumerism were left unchecked, our natural environment would be raped and left Baron. Our food security would be threatened. Our lives and those of our grandchildren would become impoverished on account of the irreparable damage done to the things we hold dear.
Others may be willing to wait and see what happens when The chaos of the coronavirus pandemic and associated lockdown subside, but I want to set my intention for the future. I foresee a world in which traditional values compliment technology and scientific knowledge. In the past, traditional values such as family togetherness, working the land, sharing the fruit of one’s labours and nurturing community spirit couldn't produce the kind of world we desired because there was insufficient knowledge of how systems worked. Thanks to the internet, the past two or three decades have seen an unprecedented accumulation and exchange of knowledge which has become accessible to those of us who are interested in making a difference. We now have the ability, for example, to produce food without pesticides because we understand how plants benefit from growing alongside different plants and in soil which is alive with microorganisms. This spread of knowledge has made it possible for farmers and urban dwellers alike to produce food, and food which is healthy and nutritious.
Furthermore, access to stories shared online by ordinary people have opened our eyes to fresh and alarming perspectives. Overcrowding in cities has set up the perfect conditions for mass infection, starvation and fighting over resources. We have become overly-reliant on supermarkets, meaning we've allowed agriculture to become a faceless industry instead of a meaningful part of our lives. In many instances, we've lost the basic skills associated with producing the food we eat. The internet also provides examples of people who are making alternative life choices and we can learn from their experiences I find it interesting that,in the last month, the sale of chickens has gone through the roof in the United States as people turn to home egg production. Likewise, here in South Africa, there has been a sharp increase in the number of people buying aquaponics equipment and home composting units, signalling a growing interest in switching over to a more self-sustainable lifestyle.
I foresee a world in which people appreciate the importance of living closer to the Earth and growing things. There will be less commuting through city traffic to attend to desk jobs in windowless, air-conditioned offices. The lockdown has shown them an alternative — working remotely in closer proximity to family and the place they call home. Uncomfortable with mass gatherings of strangers from across the country and the world, they're going to favour congregating in local communities. This, combined with the preference for living in less densely-populated areas, will necessitate cooperation, thereby fostering neighbourliness. If such neighbourliness replaces the alienation and loneliness that was eating society's innards just a few months ago, we could well see a more content, if socially distant, way of being.
As I said, I believe it is necessary for us to be intentional about what we want. Only then can we realise a better world. Do we want to keep mindlessly consuming resources if it means living in lifeless landscapes and relying on factories for our food? Or do we want to be producers who creatively interact with our environment and cooperate with our neighbours to build a thriving, abundant society where nature supports our desire for a fulfilled life ?
This vision for the future doesn't mean I have to transform myself into a ful-time gardener. Much as I love the idea of producing all my own fruit, vegetables, eggs and bread, it's just not going to happen. I have to accept this along with the fact that I can't drive or read a newspaper. But I can do something. My lemon trees are prolific, so I have lots to share with neighbours and friends, while my pumpkins and tomatoes have consistently borne more fruit than we can consume at home. Along with the fact that I return all organic matter to the soil and welcome wild birds and insects into my garden, this makes me a participant in the bigger ecosystem.
And it is the study of ecosystems that persuades me a better world is possible. In nature, wherever imbalance occurs as a result of pestilence, fire, earthquake or flood, vegetation quickly covers the affected area. Left to itself, the land is first overrun with tough weeds, and secondly, populated with opportunistic bushes. It can take decades to regain its former splendour. However, if properly managed with thoughtful consideration and intentional action, the same land can be transformed into a veritable paradise where plants, animals and human beings all flourish.
If COVID-19 disrupted the old structure of our world, we are not obliged to yield to whatever aggressive forces present themselves. We can chart a more optimal course. Essentially, we can bring consciousness to the process of adapting to change. Rather than letting things unfold without intention, we can preserve the life-giving practices of the past, fold in the tremendous technological benefits of the present, and create a whole new version of prosperity for our children to inherit.
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