What 2020 is trying to tell us?

Do you remember the way you felt back in new year's eve?

The new decade meant a fresh start, hope, inspiration, and change. I was striving to learn a new language, visit new places, stick with a healthier lifestyle… you know the usual new year resolutions.

Then 2020 welcomed us with a slap in the face!

Just like everyone, all that I had been aspiring to accomplish piece by piece slipped away.

One disaster led to another, and at some point, it felt like we couldn’t catch a breath, as if 2020 has been dragging us to the bottom of the well. Or to give a more updated picture, 2020 has been kneeling on our necks. In less than 6 months, our big country, planet Earth and our big family, humanity, have gone through so many crises that it made us reconsider everything!

And I’m sure just like me, everyone got a bit philosophical at some point, wondering: Is something wrong with my priority-settings? What are the things I REALLY care about in life? Was there something I could have or should have done differently?

Let’s move backward and see what happened so far in 2020 (I’ve knocked on wood while writing, you may use your own Gri-gri while reading). Perhaps, putting things in perspective is a start to wrap up properly the year.

Burn, Burn, Burn

It may feel like ages ago, but it was just last January when planet Earth had a 3rd-degree burn, from which is still trying to recover. You surely remember the massive burnings that hit Australia in early 2020, breaking the record as the worst bushfire of all time!

More that one billion animals were killed due to these fires. One billion is a number I can’t even begin to imagine. But, I will never forget the heartbreaking footage of Koalas and Kangaroos lying down on the road with their burns, fainting from dehydration, striving for a drop of water, or just comfort. Running away from their green home, not understanding why any of this is happening. That was literally the wildlife Holocaust.

We can no longer look the other way, climate change is here to stay, threatening the wildlife, the vegetation, the oceans, and us too. We’re coping with the global warming side effects every day. Do you remember the other fires in the Amazon forest, Portugal, African forests, and California? These are not isolated cases, they’re becoming more common, and they’re getting worse in time.

It doesn’t matter where the next fire is going to hit, It’s coming after our big country, our very own home, planet Earth.

We need to protect our home. But how can we individually make a difference?

If we can raise awareness among our entourage and talk about global warming, that would be a good start. Then, there are many things we can do on a daily basis to lower our carbon footprint.

For instance, when it’s possible, we can bike more and drive less. I wouldn’t tell you to go vegan, because I have no right to tell you something I can’t do myself. Yet, as a cheese lover, I would definitely support a diet with more veggies than meat.

We can go for tap filters instead of plastic bottles. We can avoid buying fast-fashion clothes (this industry is viciously harming both our home, planet Earth, and our family, humans).

Recycling is no longer enough. The new challenge is to reduce the waste that each of us produces. But how? You can simply use eco-friendly bags, skip wrapped food in plastic, go for ethical and eco-friendly clothes, or even second-hand clothes.

These little things may seem inefficient, but wouldn't it make a difference if 7 billion people committed to living by them?

A New Era

I’d be lying if I said that this is how I imagined spending 2020, locked between 4 walls, then social distancing. The COVID-19 outbreak caught us off guard. No matter who you are or where you live, this pandemic has somehow affected your life. People lost their loved ones or their jobs. Others were at high risk of catching the virus in their working environment, so they had to socially distance themselves from their loved ones. Several people found themselves stuck abroad, and others got stuck inside their own homes.

And yet, despite the disastrous crisis, the pandemic has luckily made us second guess-our priorities. What does really matter in life? I think being stuck at home, allowed us to get some perspective, and some time to actually THINK.

Since the locked-down, many places around the world started noticing a remarkable slashing in air pollution. Several factories shut down, and many people stopped using their cars, which explains why the nitrogen dioxide emission has registered a drop of up to 40% in some countries. The entire world has been discussing the emergency of global warming and the need to reduce CO2 emissions.

Is planet Earth finding her way to cool herself?

The pandemic has created a positive impact on the ecosystem. The downturn in tourism is unfortunate for people and the economy. But on the other hand, it has widely improved the quality of wildlife. Beaches are getting cleaner thanks to the drop of cruise ship activities, animal poaching is disrupting, and the marine life is reviving.

We need to keep in mind that the pandemic is a two-edged sword. Our domestic waste has never been worse, and recycling is no longer enough. We are expected to consume plastic more than ever due to masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer bottles.

More masks than jellyfish in the Mediterranean! Said Laurent Lombard of Opération Mer Propre.

Many environmental activists are advising to use reusable masks and go for handwashing instead of gloves and tiny sanitizer bottles.

Convenience and easiness are not necessarily aligned with what's best for all of us, and we need to keep it in mind.

Time’s Up

I Can’t Breathe!

These were the last words of George Floyd, one of the many African-American victims of police brutalities. Personally, I couldn’t watch the horrendous video up to date! When the law is supposed to protect us but ends up Killing one of us, nothing makes sense anymore.

Racism comes in many shapes and shades around the world. It goes from a harmless-like comment like ‘’But, where are you REALLY from?’’, to something unspeakable such as ’’I can’t breathe’’.

This well-rooted vice has to be tackled thoroughly and as a whole. Sure, a few Instagram pictures will show where you stand, but how is it going to make a tangible change in the real world? It is no longer enough.

Systemic racism disfranchises a whole community. Education is denied to disadvantaged kids in developing countries, condemning them to never improve their living conditions. Not hiring people because of their foreign names despite their competence creates only resentment and unhealthy societies. Exploiting workers in developing countries nourishes disparities and injustice.

Racism and other forms of discrimination all over the world go beyond color. It’s about maintaining privilege in a tight circle. It’s about granting opportunities to some while denying them to others. It’s a cunning way to say: We are not the same, we’re better and deserve better because of our name, skin color, belief…

So, time’s up! The factory of discrimination has been sustaining inequalities for so long in our societies, we have to shut it down. But how?

Not being racist is a passive pattern, whereas being anti-racist is an active one.

People are speaking out against racism, denouncing it, protesting against it so the law can change. People are opening up about race to their kids, which is crucial. Overlooking racism and discrimination may not necessarily lead to racist future generations. Still, it will definitely bring up uncaring and apathetic ones, which is no better. People are supporting neglected minorities by giving them opportunities so they can move forward.

We can overcome these defects all over the world together by choosing an active pattern.

Racism is part of the history of humanity and should be taught and not forgotten. But at the same time, we need to make sure that it becomes ancient history, so our kids and the generations to come won’t have to suffer it.

To sum up,

This year has been quite chaotic. We’re diving into the unknown, and yes, it’s going to take some time to get used to.

Yet, it’s about the bigger picture. I choose to believe that we are being handed a clean slate, a second chance to do things better for our big country, planet Earth, and for each other as well. I choose to believe that every human being has power that they are not even aware of. And each one of us can ignite it, embrace it, and spread it.

2020 has taught me that human beings united as one big family (cause it’s what we genuinely are) can achieve miracles and change the world.

We aspired to hope, inspiration, and change for 2020 by new year’s eve. Well, planet Earth has made that wish come true,

HER WAY!

What do you think human beings should do differently starting from this new decade, 2020?

Tell us 3 things you believe you can commit to, and that would support both humanity and planet earth?