Shearwater, the Mullumbimby Steiner School
Ph (02) 6684 3223
349 Left Bank Road, Mullumbimby, NSW 2482
  • Home
  • About
    • Welcome
    • Our Mission
    • Our Community
    • Our Board
    • Why Shearwater?
    • Working at Shearwater
  • Information
    • School announcements
    • COVID-19 FAQs
    • Calendar
    • Parent Study Group
    • Student Wellbeing
    • The School Year
    • The School Day
    • Communication
    • School Policies
    • Safe on Social Media
    • Annual Report
    • Strategic Plan
  • Education
    • Early Childhood >
      • Playgroup
      • Preschool
      • Kindergarten
    • Primary School
    • High School
    • Senior Studies
    • Eurythmy
  • Enrolments
    • Enrolling your Child
    • Early Childhood Enrolments
    • Student Exits
    • Enrolment Forms
  • Fees
    • 2022 Fees
    • Paying Fees
    • Financial Assistance Program
  • Noticeboard
  • Events
    • Shearwater Wearable Arts
  • Contact
    • School contact details
  • Library
  • Blog

Looking on the sunny side

9/4/2020

 
Picture
Is having humans in lock-down doing great things for our environment? While we may be struggling to adjust to our new lifestyles, perhaps this is just what our struggling planet needs. At the end of 2019, tensions across the world rose as did temperatures and sea levels, while the reality of global warming started to hit home. A young Greta Thunberg called on global leaders to take action and protesters took to the streets. But our cries for the planet seemed to fall on deaf ears. Then along came COVID-19, forcing us all to make the changes that climate activists had been crying out for for decades. Planes were grounded, cars stayed put in garages, unnecessary travel has become illegal and factories have ground to a halt. So what’s the upside in all of this for the planet?

On a positive note, since the pandemic has changed the way we are living, the environment is flourishing, the water is clearer and the skyies are bluer. The shutdown of factories in the Chinese city of Hubei has increased the percentage of good quality air days by more than 20 per cent compared to the same time last year. It’s not only Hubei, in major Chinese cities between January and February, the visible cloud of toxic gas hanging over industrial power houses has almost disappeared. Hong Kong's air quality has improved with the shut down of the city. Transport makes up 23 per cent of the world's global carbon emissions but due to travel being cancelled, flights are now at a minimum and car traffic in some parts of the world is scarce. This has reduced carbon emissions significantly.

The effect of the world going into lock down has been extraordinary for the environment. In India, along the coast of Odisha, over 475,000 endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles have come to shore to lay their eggs for the first time in seven years. Although Italy may be experiencing a huge human toll, canals are full of fish and sea animals along with crystal clear water, the likes of which hasn't been seen in living memory. In Wuhan, China the skies are clearer than ever and some people are seeing the stars for the first time. Animals have been seen in places they are never normally seen and others spotted roaming around in deserted towns. It isn't all bad news with COVID-19.

While it’s important to not play down the seriousness of the crisis on human life and the extraordinary impact this pandemic will have on societies and economies around the world, there is a silver lining on these dark clouds. Let’s make it a challenge to maintain as many of the positive impacts for the planet that we can, once the world goes back to “normal”.

Indigo Goss
Year 12

Comments are closed.

    Categories

    All
    Alumni
    Art
    Ask The Board
    Camps
    Early Childhood
    Environment
    Eurythmy
    Festivals
    High School
    Library
    Performance
    Pet Day
    P&F
    Primary School
    Sport
    The Farm

    Archives

    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    June 2016
    September 2015
    September 2014

    RSS Feed

© Shearwater The Mullumbimby Steiner School