On the Potential of Crisis
We currently suffer from fear, panic and a loss of freedom of mobility. We tend to forget that every crisis also bears a lot of potential. Here is my personal elaboration on the potential of crisis.
This crisis provides time for reflection. It forces us to slow down, stop and think; something that was (seemingly) not possible before because there were so many things we had to do, plan or finish. If it was not ‘work work work’ then it was to be fit, fitter than the others or at least as fit, with a healthy start in the morning, maybe even some fasting; a multi tasker. And please do not forget your social duties towards friends or family.
To be honest, especially the latter is simply not true or got increasingly ‘difficult’. How often did your phone ring and when glancing at it you saw it was your mother who you expected to ask about your day, and you did not pick up. Why?
Because you were onto something, on finalizing the last part of work that had to be done ‘asap’ and, yes, actually had to be handed in yesterday; on your way from A to B, to the supermarket, gym, restaurant, bar, meditation class or exhibition. ‘Not now’, no time for distraction. It was not the right moment, you were just about to finish this next Instagram post. You promised yourself to call back – sometime.
We have been socially so close to each other, at least potentially always accessible, but at the same time never so far away from each other at the same time. And now we are experiencing the opposite. All of a sudden, social distancing urges us to feel so much more connected and to actively and truly connect to each other, call one another, be interested in the other's well-being, offer support - physically or mentally, it does not matter. What matters is that we do.
As the world outside is ‘not accessible’ anymore, we get to look inside of us. And we start to look around, at our direct surrounding. We offer help to our neighbours and show sympathy for strangers. We reconnect to ourselves and through it to others because we are all in the same situation, in the same boat.
We feel a sense of unity. Have you ever had to wait hours at the airport because your flight was delayed? Suddenly, below all the anger there is empathy and understanding, a feeling of connectedness because you were all in this together. You share the same emotions of wrecked expectations for all the things you had planned after arriving at your destination.
The same happens at the moment, only on a much larger scale.
Besides this social potential of connection, support and unity there is also an ecological potential to this crisis. Production is forced to slow down. Why? Because of the hyper-dependence of the underlying structure of import and export, of a hyper diversified supply chain. Why is that? To pay the lowest price of production and make the most profit?
What about the carbon footprint of busy transportation routes underlying such a supply chain? Yes, we could continue scorning about these ‘nasty’ undertakings but aren't we somehow agreeing to this? Aren't we agreeing to this by paying for it, by buying products that have a diversified ‘transcultural’ background? The newest Spring collection ‘made in China’, or Bangladesh, or India?
Our consumption patterns agree to this. And what about ourselves? Don't we enjoy the freedom and possibility to travel wherever we want to and whenever we want to? The impact that flying has on the aerosol loading in our atmosphere is immense. We do know that but what have we done with it so far?
Don't forget to BE - Illustration by Hey Bonito
Don't get me wrong, I love traveling and have travelled frequently over the last years (for leisure and work), so I am not finger pointing at anyone here, especially not away from me. I am stripping down my own pants, thinking ‘is the personal benefit I have from traveling really so much more important than the planet’s well-being?’
I do know that any kind of flight, but especially long-haul flights, have a negative impact on our ecosystem, but how much has this knowledge affected my habits?
While affordable, it is extremely comfortable to fly from Berlin (where I live) to Stuttgart (where my mother lives) over the weekend, and save so much more time (and money) than taking the train. A win-win, but for whom? Me and the airline?! I really was not willing to change anything although for months, I had been thinking about what I could do to contribute to a more environmentally friendly way of living.
Again, I do not want to finger point at anyone or, even worse, foster guilt and shame. I rather want to use this moment of provoked reset from this crisis to throw the word REFLECTION into the room.
Reflection on past habits and behaviours. To think, and choose again.
Is every travel really necessary? No doubt that visiting loved ones is important but can I reduce it, combine business trip or choose an alternative to flying? The change can be small but isn't it the accumulation of small things that will eventually lead to make a difference? Our civilization got ‘too dense, too fast and too overheated’.
This slow-down evoked by the current crisis helps us to rethink our future. And in times of Covid-19 we should not forget that our planet suffers another essential crisis, too. One that we are all in together as well.
By closing this article, I would like to share a quote I came across last week. In the course of the online summit ‘Pioneers of Change’ I came to see the interview with Dr. Jane Goodall, who devoted her life to the protection of animals and wildlife. The header of the interview stated: ´Every single day we live, we make some impact on the planet‘.
Towards the end of the interview, when Jane was asked about the choice and responsibility that everyone of us has in our lives, she called out:
Remember that you matter and that your life makes a difference. You make a difference every single day and you have the choice what kind of difference that is.
Dr. Jane Goodall
Ask yourself: What difference do I want to make today? Who do I want to be in times of crisis? And who do I want to be in the future?