On Global Climate change and the Solidarity of the Covid-19 response;
We, Switzerland, and many countries of the
world have closed down much of our economy to save the elderly, the baby
boomers, from the Covid-19 (SARS-CoV-2, Cornona) virus. I personally have also chosen more social
isolation than is required, in order to support our society handle this challenge.
We have in just a few short days taken drastic measures to slow the spread of
this virus. As the head of our Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy
and Communications, also the current Swiss president, Simonetta Sommargura put
it, “we are a rich country, we can afford it.” The actions taken will be very
costly to everyone in our society.
This sounds cold and inhuman to say saving our
parents and grandparents is going to be quite expensive. I think most people
are thinking it. I think all life is sacred and to paraphrase Penn Gillette,” I
would strangle the last extant panda with my bare hands to save the life of an itinerant
alcoholic elderly vagrant.“ This
response begs the question, now that
there is a real danger for the baby boomer generation, they call for national
solidarity, but why has there been no solidarity from them for the climate?.
The elderly are not in danger from climate
change, they will be dead before real consequences for their inaction occur. Children
and young adults have been marching for real protections for the environment and
to stem the global climate change. The answer that has always come from the baby
boomers was, ", and nothing is done.” The response to Corvid-19 shows we
can make drastic changes to save people. We have taken as a world community extraordinary
measures to save the elderly and I demand of them recompense for our children. We
are able to take extraordinary measures to combat as a society a grave threat.
Climate change is a grave threat to our children. I expect from the elderly,
after this current crisis is over, support for real change to combat climate
change and there can be no excuse, “but the cost is too high!”
