No, that’s not some sadistic, morbid, sarcastic, or hippie feel good see the bright side of things sort of a title. I am dead serious! That was morbid. No, seriously! There are going to be some huge benefits from this coronavirus pandemic!

OH, COVID-19

How do I love Thee? Let me count the ways…

1. CO2 emissions will be drastically reduced from much less flying, cruising, driving!
   There will be much less emissions from all that reduced transportation, that’s for sure! We may hit that 2050 CO2 target in 2020! Probably not, but we’ll definitely get much closer, much sooner, than anyone expected… at least before a rebound once this pandemic is over.
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2. People will learn to appreciate where they live more!
   If people can’t go anywhere, they’ll have to stay close to home. It’s amazing when you’re stuck somewhere that you’ll start to look around and appreciate all the beauty that is there, even in the worst of places.
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3. People will buy local more!
   With supply chains disrupted, aside from some a group of goods like iPhones that are not able to be produced locally, people will have to rely on local goods more. This will be especially noticeable for goods like food, which will be great for the buy local movements!
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4. People will learn to live with less!
   With less available to buy, and less to spend with labour disruptions and lack of work compensation in the US, lots of people will have to learn to live on a lot less than they used to. It won’t be pleasant for them, with these changes forced upon them. But you know, the human spirit is a damned resilient thing! It will adapt, and it will be fine. Of course, some people will be hitting desperate situations out of pure economics not adding up, but I’m talking about the spirit to adapt to loss of luxuries and some conveniences here.
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5. People will be less dependent on Chinese goods!
   A LOT of what people around the world buys is made in China, in part or in full. With Chinese supply chains disrupted, whether there or where you live, much less will be available. For the most part, though, it’ll be things people will be able to do without, or will be able to substitute with local goods. It might cost a little more, but it will probably be better, and it will definitely be better for their local economy! For a long time, the world has been unsuccessfully trying to wean itself off Chinese goods. Perhaps it just didn’t substitute the right thing, like COVID-19. Wouldn’t it be the most karmic of ironies that the Chinese create the thing that will get the world off its addiction to Chinese goods?
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6. People will waste less with less in life!
   When people don’t less things to buy, like fast fashion, they will throw away less. That’s on top of no money to buy, which doesn’t stop a lot of people looking at average household debts in well to do countries.
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7. People will keep a LOT of the new habits they “discover” during the COVID-19 pandemic! When the time comes that goods, services, and events available not so long ago will be available once more, and people will have more money to spend, many will realize they have an option to live the way they did before, in lifestyles they couldn’t afford, or not, and many will NOT! This may be only in part, but that will still a reduction from before! There may be a temporary spike to rejoice, but when it settles, people will live less consuming and wasteful lives.
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Those are the big benefits I can think of now that I am quite certain will happen. Many other things will happen that will also be good, but may not considered so, like a proper correction of the stock market from all the money printed so people have money to keep funneling to the 1%. I love it when Mother Nature extends her turf to economics!

There will also be situations where the outcome will be great for many, and disastrous for possibly just as many, like lots of time spent together with family. Some will strengthen bonds they don’t get to from little time spent together, while others will drive each other crazy because they’re… well, family. Some will do productive things with idle time, like read, while others will do things not so productive, like eat and drink more while not being able exercise more from not getting out much from conditions enforced where they live. Only time will tell on those things, but I’m pretty sure the seven things listed here will be a lot of good to people, and the world, in general, ultimately.

Prove me wrong in a few years!

Of course, I am not without empathy in wishing we could have all done all this without something as tragic and disruptive as a pandemic. But until we become smart enough as a species to do so, we’ll just have to keep on relying on Mother Nature to keep things under control for this planet to keep on thriving.

Thanks “Mom”! 😉