Lockdown #1

March 31st, 2020 (published on April 1st, due to technical problems – we’re all adjusting…)

Well, it’s a week today since ‘lockdown’ in the UK.

It’s very tempting to simply ‘isolate’ here in the countryside (we’re so lucky) with our grandson and family, and ignore the world…

I’m determined, however, to continue with this campaign I started 9 months ago – I’m still (even more so, interacting with our precious ‘baby’ every day now) wanting to change the world for the future, if only slightly…?!

And even if this health crisis lasts for months, even a year, we have almost a decade to make a difference in the climate emergency … we need to use the time wisely…

I’ll adapt my approach to these different family circumstances – I intend to work in ‘fits and starts’, using moments in between the life-affirming time of being with a child.

So, my first move, yesterday, was to write to my contact at General Motors, congratulating them/her about how some of their factories are now producing incubators and face masks (compelled by Trump, but that’s another story..). And suggesting that in the future, could they produce more electric cars etc to help a ‘brave new world’…(they’ve shown how quickly they can adapt..)?!

Also, Formula One engineers, in this country, have come up with a new breathing aid. The company was already getting involved in developing a race option with electric cars – good for them. So, I hope they continue on the right trajectory – however much I’d like drastic reduction of car use, I have to recognise that many people enjoy vehicles, including my grandson!

The BBC online, on March 24th, stated that one of the three options for our exit strategy from this Covid 19 is to ‘permanently change our behaviour/society’.

A tall order, but hear, hear!

Over and out for today, now, other than to make a small comment about entertainment during this isolation period – I’ve mentioned watching ‘Race Across the World’ before, both as ‘light relief’ but also as it has an environmentally friendly aspect. Anyway, the last episode included Rainbow Mountain in Peru – spectacular colourful ‘striped’ rock, a beautiful phenomenon but only exposed to our eyes because of lack of snow in the last five years. We shouldn’t really be able to see it.