While Being Safe & Social
By Tom Braford
It may be difficult at this point in the coronavirus pandemic to see how anything positive could come from this. There is likely to be much suffering and loss before this is behind us.
On the other hand, we are coming together in surprising ways, even as we embrace physical social distancing.
Of course, we are making and acknowledging many mistakes. We are quickly learning and turning that learning into more effective action that could assist us in addressing other challenges that we face.
In an emergency like this, we always tell ourselves next time we need to be better prepared. But as soon as the crisis passes, our memory fades.
Scientists have been telling us for several years that as our species expands and comes in closer contact with other species, and as the mean temperature of the planet rises, both known diseases and new ones are likely to expand their range.
We are not stuck with that scenario, however. We can refuse to surrender to thoughts of lack, as Gretchen Thunberg told European Union delegates last month.
At Irresistible Community Builders, we are committed to creating networks of Ecovillages that will cause social, economic and environmental sustainability in the St Louis region and beyond.
This is the language of epidemiology and the scientifically proven logic of contagion and social spreading that Gretchen has demonstrated by personally sparking the Fridays for Future youth movement that is inspiring older people to take the warnings and prescription of climate scientists seriously.
The National Academy of Sciences recently published a report, called ‘Social tipping dynamics for stabilizing Earth’s climate by 2050.’ It is a prescription for an ailing society and planet that suggests utilizing the laws of contagion and specifically social spreading to urge us to get behind six social tipping initiatives.
(https://www.pnas.org/content/117/5/2354)
We invite you to join us in our grassroots community-based initiative aimed at implementing all six initiatives, which we can do more effectively in community.
“Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got ahold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.”
— George Bernard Shaw
We invite you to join us in being torchbearers for what’s possible and achievable when we work together in community. Contact us for details on our next virtual events.
Contact:
braford@sbcglobal.net
www.ArizmendiEcovillage.com