Remember back, not so long ago... that month the Earth stood still? I find it ironic that a virus, one of the most formidable enemies to mankind, was also the most successful event in recent history to cleanup pollution.
An enemy to mankind (a pandemic) helped what mankind perceives as an enemy to mankind. I said "perceives" because nature is not an enemy. Yet we're attacking the climate as if it were. But of everything we tried, what actually helped? Stillness. Stopping. Shutting down. Virus finally stopped man, the primary culprit of the runaway climate change we're currently experiencing. Thus man stopped polluting.
We locked down. We nearly stopped travelling, constructing, industrializing, producing, manufacturing, cruising, flying, partying, eating out and wasting wasting wasting.
When we did, the air cleared. Waterways cleared. Smog lifted from the most polluted cities. India could see the sun. Timid animals ventured into abandoned streets. Marine life returned to the canals and waterways as the water cleaned itself up. The Earth has an amazing filtering mechanism. It took all of two months to filter years of human pollution. No, it won't stop climate change. But it was a momentary glance into what we could do to halt further destruction to the climate. We humans like to have fun. So much so, that a lot of shit was created so it would be easier to have fun. Amusement parks, cruise ships, ease of travel, malls, cityscapes with loads of tourist attractions, motorized toys to climb mountains and cross oceans and on and on.
100% of consumerism has but a few main categories. Fun, entertainment, drama. Necessities. Resources. And stuff we just want. Just make it all easier. The sum total of all carbon emissions are produced so people can have these things. It's a short list, and all we really need from it are necessities and resources.
We have hit the apex of consumerism and are on a decline, and it is a permanent one. Carbon emissions aside, an easy life creates a whole new set of hardships. Stress, anxiety, depression, lack of motivation, obesity, addiction and so on.
This happens because our panic trigger becomes more sensitive when we "have not". Our consumerism cannot endlessly satisfy our need for more consumerism. It breaks down to greed. Not only monetary greed, but ease of life greed. We've lost our way, and we are addicted to having everything now. It must be fun, dramatic, exciting, etc... Or it doesn't have a place in our modern world.
We no longer know how to remain still. We're overstimulated, anxious for the next thrill. Our minds and bodies turn that into anxiety or other symptoms, so we take drugs for it and go on about our lives like everything is ok.
Being still even for short times helps a person realize that "not having" can be healing. You heal yourself. You heal your world because stillness allows a deeper wisdom to come through. You heal the environment by extension through the simple task of optimizing your life and toning down the waste that you produce.
One wasteful resource not used is like one person planting a tree. It may not seem like much, but it could make a difference if millions do it. The climate and our survival depends on our actions now and in the future.