Lessons from the Curve(s)

Now that we know what it means to flatten the curve, can we please apply this lesson to other appropriate things?

While the corona virus pandemic sweeps the world, let us not forget that there are even greater dangers affecting life on this planet, our one and only home. Climate change and the sixth mass extinction will eventually kill more people than Covid-19. It’s not going to happen this year or the next, but it’s far far closer than most people believe. Too many people will think that is an exaggeration, that this author is an alarmist. It’s true, this author is an alarmist, but the alarm needs to be sounded, heard and understood because the threats are just as real and even more dangerous than the current pandemic.

There are other lessons to be learned as well such as;

- Science is real

- Heed the advise of experts

- Irrational conservative beliefs/attitudes are a danger to us all

- Utilize the precautionary principle

- We are all in this together

- Global supply chains are fragile

A quick review of flattening the curve seems prudent at this point along with the difference between a simultaneous and a sequential approach. We should all give thanks to Dr. David Ho for so clearly making the point. Rachel explained it quite well. You can watch the original interview with a search - Rachel Maddow

April 3, 2020 and the review was on her Jully 22, 2020 show.

Okay, now we all see how sequential approaches to flattening curves dramatically increases the periods of time required to solve the problems. Now all we need to do is apply this lesson and the other lessons to other matters, like climate change. All it takes is your thinking cap and a little imagination....

So let's remember, we're all in this together. The disastrous effects caused by climate change don't respect state or national boundaries any more than the myriad of pollutants or viruses. They don't discriminate by ethnicity or class either. Sure, race, economic status, geography and even political ideologies do sometimes contribute to rates and severity of afflictions, but those are mostly secondary results of underlying systemic conditions. Yes, there are obscenely rich people with well provisioned doomsday bunkers and castles, but those things aren't going to do them much good for very long if we continue on course and civilization collapses or if the food chain is shattered.

So let's heed the warnings from the experts. Science is real, composed of really effective methodologies and protocols that enable us to discern and understand what is