Covid is a real litmus test to our inner workings. People are getting into a tizzy about mask/ no mask, vaccine /no vaccine. But this issue illustrates that there are two major paradigms at work that are struggling against each other and are direct opposite – the free will paradigm where we get to decide what is good for ourselves and the cooperation with community paradigm which motivates us to do whatever is best for the whole community. It is an age-old struggle, and every society is geared differently for this inner balance.

America and the general western world  are particularly inclined to self-rule over community cooperation. So, there is no surprises that it is very difficult to get everyone on board to do what is good for the whole.

But ya know we will be extinct within a hundred years. They predict that at a 2 degree Celsius rise in global temperatures no crops will grow and we are already at a 1.3 degree rise and it is rising faster than scientist thought. I’d give it 20 years. How does covid relate to climate change? Climate change is a giant issue with many facets that takes not only real thoughtfulness but also a dynamic cooperation model to tackle it.

America is showing with its response to covid that it is not socially equipped to be the leader in the global warming issue even though we are the main contributors. The answer may come from more cooperative societies with lifestyles that are simpler. As Americans we can be proactive in environmental solutions by finding, studying, and emulating a sustainable culture. This is a quality that Americans do have, emulation. If we like other cultures qualities, we absorb them quickly. Take for instance, Mexican food or the word karma. Cultural qualities can merge seamlessly into American culture if we value them.

Covid can teach us to practice community spirit, doing what is best for the whole, and then take it even farther to see how we can do what is best for the ecosystems we live in.