This year marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. While we can’t all go outside and make a stand for climate action, we can take a moment to reflect on the lessons of the past few months.
The COVID-19 virus, which has been wreaking havoc on populations around the world, has also caused a major disruption to business as normal. Automobiles are off the roads in many cities, airplanes aren’t flying, ships aren’t sailing, and in many places the air and water are rebounding. People around the world are finding different ways to keep in touch with one another, whether it be by writing letters, making phone calls, or embracing new methods of online communication that are helping to make the world a smaller place. The truth is that people are incredibly adaptive and so is the earth and our environment.
People are also waking up and demanding change. There have been organized calls for a worldwide ceasefire and an end to sanctions. There are calls to release prisoners, to include Julian Assange who is still being detained in Belmarsh Prison. There have been renewed calls for increased support of the National Healthcare System. There have been calls for a redistribution of wealth to include a universal basic income. Among our demands should be a lasting change in our sustainable habits and laws that regulate pollution and carbon emissions.
COVID-19 makes plain what many of us have known all along – that we need to be different. We need to learn how to live a peaceful, respectful existence with each other and with the world around us. However, decision makers are trying to roll back environmental protections and unleashing industries to dump waste and chemicals that will do long term damage to the climate and public health. These same decision makers have also persisted in going forward with military exercises and arms trades – despite that the money could be put to better use helping society and our planet deal with COVID-19 and all forms of environmental damage. It is our job to help ensure that all the pieces are put together – to include the environmental impacts of war and militarism.
To join the Earth Optimism Digital Summit – From 22 April through 26 April 2020, visit HERE. If you have not yet signed up to be on VFP UK Zoom calls about this and other important topics, please contact us at adrienne@veteransforpeace.org.
Save the world, save humanity! #EarthDay2020
Veterans For Peace UK 
If there are any paid up members of the conspiracy theorist’s club you might like to watch this :-
It’s one big psychological operation to take us into the new world order. fake pandemic.Happy clapping like performing seals on a Thursday night.
A fake pretext to take away our freedoms.
Wake up peeps before it’s too late
I am a paid up member of the Corbett report and of ‘media monarchy’, the latter by Mr Pilato. ( one dollar a month or 89p)
More truth than any other news outlets out there.
Good one Gerry .
I would be hopeful that people will learn valuable lessons from this, but I think Jeff is right.. people will easily slip back in to their old selfish patterns.
The earth and it’s waters are definitely feeling the healing from human pollution. Dolphins are swimming up the River Foyle in my home town of Derry. It’s beautiful to see.
I hold out hope that lessons can be learned. And as Gerry has said, how do we hold to account the parliaments, the government and it’s idiotic narcissistic leader.
And of course the money being pumped in to protecting and expanding the nuclear haul for wars not even yet created. Put that money in to the NHS and get the countries it serves back on their feet.
I wish you wellness of health both physical and mental in these strange times. Beánnacht Dia agaibh.
The most important lesson remains the same.
No matter what the issue we will not hear the truth.
The COVID19 story carries as much logic and sense as the World Trade Centre attack story.
The £40B defence spending has provided zero defence against virus.
Tax revenues to fund the NHS have been stolen and now the call is for charity to make up for parliament’s theft.
How do you hold parliament to account? ? ? ? ?
The long process of building on Mr Corbyn’s brave attempt to revive the Labour Party must begin today- it will probably take a decade, and many disappointments, but is the only foreseeable way towards peace, a cleaner environment and a country where solidarity is no longer a dirty word . Organised people vs. organised money, as the Bernie Sanders campaign put it.
I try and run every morning. I noticed very early on , in the lockdown , that the air quality was much improved. I know that lessons could be learned but we have become a consumer society so deeply that I fear things will get back to the sad old ways very quickly.
I feel that we have the wrong leadership to learn the right lessons.
Resistance to the Great and Good is clearly vital, as no one can seriously believe they will have learnt that THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE – in the simplest terms, Greed is not Good, and co-operation is always better than conflict. Especially when that word is used to disguise aggressive war.