But I wondered how to keep sustainability and the changes we need to support it on the agenda. After all, we couldn't (and still can't) afford to put our environmental crisis 'on the back burner.'
My Coconuts feature article, highlighting ways to live greener under lockdown, was my response.
I wanted to showcase some things Bangkok people could do while living under quarantine or in self isolation that may help repair our world if maintained in the long run.
The 8 ideas for living green and making a difference under lockdown were:
1. Home working
2. Cycling more
3. Being an armchair activist
4. Growing your own
5. Going plant-based diet
6. Becoming a citizen scientist
7. Eating what you have (a response to panic buying)
8. Finishing those abandoned projects
Each idea contained a little explanation of the problems to be tackled and why the idea would be beneficial for the planet.
I was also pleased to give a shout out to the MARsCI citizen science project where Facebook users can upload photos of their marine biology 'spots' to aid research and to Grow Learning Gardens, who produce wooden planters especially designed for Bangkok balconies.
I end the article by concluding:
'Cynics may ask, why bother with all these efforts as health care systems struggle and the economy tanks? While 2020’s COVID-19 crisis is extremely challenging, it pales in comparison to our environmental crisis. From crisis comes opportunity, and positive steps like those above are not only good for the soul, adding hope and value to our lives, but they may translate into some of the big changes needed to solve the planetary peril we face.'
It's a fresher piece, with more of my own 'voice' and opinion in it than usual. I wrote it with more urgency than normal.
I hope it was inspiring in the dark times we were experiencing. To read the full article: click here.
