How the Coronavirus is preparing us for climate crises.

It’s March 16, 2020. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) has infected over 175,000 people. There is no end in sight, but there is more light at the end of the tunnel than one might expect from reading the news.

Society has become fanatic. Enter Instagram and Twitter to find memes and here-say about who’s responsible. Enter Facebook to feel the fears of your family, friends, and neighbors. Enter LinkedIn to discover how your colleagues are using their businesses and networks as a force for good. Enter the real world to discover new social norms.

This collective obsession is forcing the market to reckon with its power and role in modern society. We have no choice but to think about how this virus will infect the world and affect our everyday lives. The international community is more interested in ending this existential threat rather than continuing to live in decadence. Many businesses are overstocked on products that no longer have a market to serve because of new regulations to curb the spread of the virus. Thankfully, many are helping distribute resources and information to solve the problem.

These businesses are in a tricky spot and have to act swiftly to ensure their survival. But nothing is certain. So how does a business serve a population of panicked and isolated people? How long could society live off government life support, if, theoretically, the market doesn’t catch up quick enough?

The sooner the virus passes, the sooner we can get back to business as usual. But should we really get back to business as usual? What can society gain from the sacrifices we make to defeat this virus? Is there a better way forward — one that can only be realized by rallying together to cope with this existential crisis?

What comes after Coronavirus?

In the same way that the market and government is re-evaluating its role in society to defeat the virus, we, as global citizens, must re-think our roles in upholding the new status quo that will be left in its wake.

We’ve been living through a crisis for decades — the climate crisis. Millions around the world have died as result of the ecological consequences of human behavior. Oceans and forests are becoming inhospitable for life. The soil and air is polluted. Thousands of ecosystems are dying every year. The pace of man-made ecological catastrophe speeds up daily. We continue neglecting this reality because reality is now confirmed by the number of people tweeting about an issue.

The status quo needs to change for good. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t travel or enjoy going out to eat once the Coronavirus passes; it means we need to seriously consider updating how we live and work by cutting out most of what isn’t necessary for our survival. Many people are finding out that they don’t need to drive to work 5 days a week to remain productive. Some are learning to pack lunches to save time and money. It’s not a lot, but it’s enough to set the stage.

If we don’t transition to a green economy, we will find ourselves contending with threats far greater than the Coronavirus. There have been countless political, economic, and social campaigns urging people and businesses to act on behalf of the planet. But we can’t get there without a common enemy. We need a cause to unite us all.

We continue neglecting this reality because reality is now confirmed by the amount of people tweeting.

Enter the Coronavirus.

People who aren’t immediately affected by environmental or social problems — such as tsunamis, overfishing, rising sea levels, or famine — don’t see the value in changing their behavior. But, when their behavior impacts them at home, they act differently. Similarly, most countries and governments around the world are too entangled with their own political and social disasters to prioritize those of their neighbors. But, when the well-being of our neighbors determines our own— which is what’s happening with the Coronavirus — we have no choice but to cooperate.

New market forces are at play

Right now, we can all agree that we can’t afford to purchase or produce products that won’t help us beat the Coronavirus. It would be selfish and destructive. This is a collective behavior that we’ve learned by sharing information online. We’ve quickly learned that one of the best ways for us to defeat this enemy is to do less — don’t go to work, don’t eat out, don’t travel.

In this same way, going forward, we need to recognize that we can’t afford to purchase or produce products that won’t help us win the climate crisis. If we remain diligent and opportunistic, we can prevent future crises by taking advantage of these new market forces at play.

It’s possible that the virus won’t be effectively contained for years. Whatever the case may be, the effects on the global supply chain will jeopardize the existence of thousands of companies around the world and the economic stability of millions. Companies who no longer have a market or enough liquid assets to survive will be forced to either close down or lay off their employees. This will trickle down into our homes and communities and force us to use our resources sparingly. It will threaten the livelihoods of folks who are already economically strained or are living in environmentally and socially vulnerable areas.

So what do we need to do now? We need to pivot. We need to continue doing more with less. We need to turn our unused land into beautiful gardens and to build businesses where there is need. We need to turn to our communities to find what the market can’t provide. We need to cooperate.

Consumer behavior has dramatically changed in the past three months, which is why the stock market is tanking. Shareholders know that many people are aren’t going to leave their homes and may lose their jobs. They know that they have to think differently in order to preserve their wealth.

Yet, what many shareholders don’t realize is, they’ve been called on to think like this for decades, but haven’t heard because not enough people have been talking. Not enough trending Twitter hashtags on our feed. We’ve mindlessly sat around texting, retweeting and listening to what the market wants us to hear.

If we start responding directly to the needs of our neighbors right now — instead of focusing on preserving a way of life that will inevitably end — we can start forming the market of the future. A market that is based on ecological merit, basic need, and sustainability. A market that can successfully serve the greatest amount of people with the least amount of energy.

As consumers, we have the power to say yes or no to the next crisis — a crisis that can kill faster than a virus. We can begin now by listening to our community instead of obeying the market.

What will you do after the Coronavirus?