As we hunker down in the UK again, look at three lessons from the last lockdown—showing that some shifts may be permanent

Interesting and nicely designed collaboration between the Rapid Transition Alliance and BWA Design, trying to articulate three clear lessons from our various privations and experiences under the current pandemic, so we can steer ourselves (and keep our heads) through the next set of shutdowns and quarantines.

Below are three graphics that illustrate the lesson, and click through to informative and snappily-designed PDFs - next to them are short explainer videos. For the full package, visit their newsletter.

"Here are some of the ways in which people around the world have looked after each other in response to a global pandemic, quickly and sometimes with minimal resources.

“These resources look at the way in which individuals, organisations and governments have responded to the benefit of the wider community and point the way toward a world where this way of working could be the new norm.

“It also suggests a number of policy shifts that would help us all look after each other better in the long term as the world emerges from the pandemic.”

“Here we show that we can quickly make more space for people and nature in our towns and cities. Even as the human world paused in the path of a pandemic it was obvious that people – whether those in power or members of the public – were on a steep learning curve. Lessons abound – about past mistakes like allowing food and energy to be wasted and putting pollution before people in towns and cities – but also of humanity’s extraordinary ability to work together and solve problems.

“These resources look at this extraordinary period of time when – despite the fear and personal tragedy for some – many people began to see and use the space around them differently, reconnect with others in new ways and appreciate having cleaner air to breath”.

“Our community has been through a wide range of trauma during the Covid-19 pandemic. It has been a time of fear, about incomes and food, aswell as fear of infection and danger for the people we love. But there have been positive elements of the experience too. For those in the global north in particular, most of whom are consuming well beyond current planetary limits, being shut inside has meant doing more with less. Millions have spent time at home with family or walking outside, grateful for the internet to enable communication, but also returning to homemade activities.

“These resources looks at how we adapted to create new, different, ways of living that turned out to be less wasteful, more thoughtful and kinder on our environment. And, given that ecological decline creates conditions for pandemics, how especially in relatively wealthy countries, better lives are possible with less ‘stuff’.”

ENVIRONMENTALISTS, A BETTER MEDIA, TELL THE STORYpat kane2 November 2020coronavirus, pandemicComment