Are Humans the Virus?

“We are at a pivotal point in human history where we have been forced into adopting behaviours that align favourably with reducing our individual carbon footprint.”

By Brook Wright

One of the most popular narratives to come from the coronavirus pandemic is that “that climate change and the coronavirus pandemic are not caused by viruses and greenhouse gases, but by human nature”. That this whole disaster is some sort of karmic retribution for the damage humans cause to natural systems.

Viewed in a vacuum, it would be difficult not to view this pandemic as a net gain for the environment. The rivers and air are cleaner and animals are coming back into cities. It is estimated that the global movement restrictions have resulted in a net reduction of global GHG emissions of 6%, the largest single drop in emissions since intergovernmental organisations started accounting for such emissions. Lower demand for oil and other fossil fuels has caused havoc in global oil markets leading many to a sense of smug schadenfreude. These misguided beliefs are part of a growing ideology that perceives our relationship with nature as inherently destructive.

The memeification of this perspective is ever prevalent on social media platforms with the virus taking on the malicious moniker “boomer remover” for its ability to kill older people. The punchline of the joke is that this is the ultimate irony to the generation that lead us down this road through a policy of unrestricted resource exploitation and a disregard for the decay of established ecosystems.

It would be difficult for younger people not to be attracted by these ideas as a world viewed through the social and mass media lens seems increasing hostile. It shouldn’t have to be said, but this ideology is deeply problematic. Glorifying the suffering of others won’t make the planet any cooler. And It does nothing to create an effective blueprint of ideas to help transition ourselves from our fossil fuel dependant existence. It only helps fuel fatalism in those that want change.

In retrospect, the effect this virus has had on the environment is more an of indictment of the way things were before we all went into isolation. We are at a pivotal point in human history where we have been forced into adopting behaviours that align favourably with reducing individual carbon footprint. A year on year 6% reduction is exactly the change we need to prevent a 1.5-2°C temperature rise by the end of the century and it took a virus to show us it was possible.

The effects of this global shutdown have been so drastic that some cities are considering the complete closure of vehicle traffic to parts their road networks. This will have an immediate impact on lives of millions of people that live in urban centres around the globe. Cities would no longer be the domain of cars but return to a time where pedestrians and cyclists were the dominant species. The large volume of people working from the comfort of their homes will also likely influence the way businesses function. Some of these industries have seen no drop in productivity and thus large expensive offices may become redundant as businesses become more open to providing a working from home allowance.

In oil and gas, this virus has exposed the inherent risks of an industry that relies on consistent demand. The lack of storage has led several oil indexes to crash into to negative territories with West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil bottoming out at -$40.32 USD per barrel (April 20, 2020). The natural vulnerabilities of these industries are now quite clear to investors whom may view clean energy as a more stable investment. The green new deal could come not from policy measures but from market forces, ushering in a new age of human development. But all this relies on the assumption that we can learn from this disaster and begin building a better future.

Humans are not the virus but part of the natural world, and we are in the unique position of being aware of the impact we have on it. What we have is a choice: we buy into the adage that we are the virus and continue down a road that could lead to mutually assured self-destruction, or we carry forward some of the learnings of this global pandemic and begin to grind out a better future for ourselves and others.