What the Coronavirus teaches us about Climate Change (COVID-19).

In this Our Changing Climate environmental video essay, I look at how we’ve responded globally to the Coronavirus in order to understand how we should and could respond to climate change. Specifically, I look at how countries like China, South Korea, Singapore, Italy, and the United States have quickly mounted large governmental responses to the coronavirus. Covid-19 is a serious global and political crisis, but the coronavirus shows us that rapid behavioral and structural change is possible in the face of a crisis, and climate change is a crisis. The response to Coronavirus (Covid-19) has been quick and broad, the response to climate has been slow and small. If we treated climate change like we have Covid-19, also known as the coronavirus, we would be well on our way to zero-carbon future.

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#Coronavirus #COVID19 #ClimateChange

[OurChangingClimate]

How has the Coronavirus affected you? Hope everyone is staying safe and washing their hands!

[QuestForEco]

The problem is, humans never take much action until the situation is absolutely critical. Many people living in places where the virus is not so rapidly spreading yet, are still not taking precautions. They still travel, go to parties, etc. I just hope it won't be too late before we all realise the effects of our actions - Both for the pandemic and for climate change.

[hoezhiwan]

Finally, something good in this crisis. I am just disappointed that companies only now make important changes because of this coronavirus. Before, employees need to commute to work at buildings which increase emission, now they can work from home which decrease emissions. Why they didn't do that before when they can just makes me mad. Climate change will be very effective at killing us if it is not stop earlier.

[zorrostealth]

Planet A is having a conversation with Planet B:
Planet A: "I'm so sick. I think I have humans."
Planet B: "Don't worry. They don't last very long."

[jakeothy]

These videos are always fascinating and meticulously made.

[JBurdn]

Nearly a year after this was made, I do think an updated version could be good.

[ClimateAdam]

thanks so much for including me in this incredibly thoughtful analysis, Charlie ❤️.

things are such a mess, it's hard to think about the lessons we need to learn. but it's so important we do, otherwise we'll continue to excuse inaction on climate change.

[kridlob]

This things should become viral on the internet

Thx a lot for making my day a little bit better and showing me way what to do.

Learn and help others.

[prettynpink]

I can't stress enough how necessary and important is for everyone to see this video

[kimsensener]

the difference is, that the corona virus is fast violence, while climate change is slow violence. both is harmful and damaging but only fast violence gets wide recognition, because the harm is immediately noticeable. slow violence is not.

[mikaxms]

The issue with your argument is that companies can *temporarily* decrease their emissions, but this isn't possible longterm (without massive investment). I think the only solution is to decrease demand, which is created by the people.

[RBuckminsterFuller]

Unfortunately, economic decline also kills people.

[gregoryyentz]

To start, I loved the video!
My biggest issue with the video is around 2:50 where he talks about actions/consequences. OCC gives an example of washing hands and quarantines limiting the spread of the virus(a localized solution), but when he turns to climate change, it is all about the fake news and the "complexity" of action, neglecting to provide a similar concrete action/consequence. This is a big counterargument that I hear from some of my friends: eliminating emissions is supposed to limit carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but when a single country makes drastic climate action, there is often a limited reaction because of the scale of carbon emissions globally, and even if all countries eliminate all emissions, would the temperatures stop rising or just rise slower (which would only give us a few extra decades).
I liked the bit later on about China's air quality improving, but was that due to air pollution or was that because climate change? Is there a normal decrease in emissions during that time period last year without the virus?
I agree that this is a huge problem, but the counterarguments just poke huge holes that are often ignored, and are only criticised as deniers of the science. I listen to my friends, and sometimes it's hard to argue with.

[יעלגולן-וה]

I just want to thank you, I’ve been waiting for someone to say this.
I wish that this video will be viral.

[isabelaktag]

I really appreciate the time, effort and research you do to make these videos!!

[markyates]

Great work (as always), it is in a way frustrating the response to Covid when the climate crisis has been ignored for so long. I hope we will look back at this in the (not to distant) future and understand there are people like yourself calling for action before it is truly too late. Stay safe everyone.

[wendysgarden]

There used to be a bumper sticker: "Whatever your issue, population control is the answer." This is certainly a core factor in both of these issues. We control our own population, or nature will inevitably control it for us.

[vulxonite]

I think another difference worth mentioning is that once the coronavirus crisis is over, people will revert to their same lifestyle as before and emissions will subsequently go back up to pre-crisis levels and then steadily increase from there. Because this is something that will eventually pass within a relatively short time frame, people are willing to take immediate action.
The same cannot be said with climate change. Structural changes involve permanently altering the way of doing things, which is one more reason as to why people in general are a lot more hesitant to take immediate action.
Great video, thanks for sharing!

[Hisokadu]

Thank you for adding subtitles. As a French, I always have issues watching your videos because my oral comprehension isn't as good as my writing comprehension, and I always miss some parts of what you say. But this time, I got everything ! So thank you again.

[hedgehog]

I mean some countries have also been extremely slow about instituting actually effective counters to this threat, probably not surprising anyone it's the same countries that are the slowest to act on climate change. The US has only issued the travel ban which is ineffective since it doesn't include the UK and was too late anyways as at the time of it being issued there were already over a thousand infected in the US. The UK has done literally nothing and seems to have no plans whatsoever while the virus spreads at an alarming rate, some of the stuff being talked about sounds downright dystopian like letting everyone get infected so you can get herd immunity even though that's not how any of this works. Mainland European countries have been a lot faster to respond with Denmark shutting down at 600 infected. Coincidentally Denmark also currently has the largest Social Democrat government in 50 years and is also by far one of the world leaders on green reform with 47% of total power generation coming from renewables.


I think what this tells us is that science education matters a lot in responding to crises, and also social policy matters a lot. Also the same factors that make people respond to Corona makes them respond to climate change which might be useful. If you can get people to care about corona that might be a gateway to get them to care about climate change.