30 Aug 2021 | 3 mins

Don’t get me wrong - I know this is all for a good cause but am I ever going to be okay with passing a pack of Tim Tams around again without masks and gloves? Let’s talk about it.

This pandemic has done a dirty to everyone and it affects us in ways we never thought it would and when it comes to saving the world, I guess it’s necessary that we all do our part. 

 

But all this no cash, single-use mask wearing, takeaway cutlery and single-use containers, mass-produced hand-sanitiser, avoid-public-transport-at-all-costs and toilet paper hauls have got me thinking… are we going in the wrong direction with being environmentally friendly?

Yes and no. Our behaviours have changed with the pandemic being a much needed a global reset and local air quality has improved in lockdown areas. But according to The Conversation, 54% of Australian companies plan to slow down their ‘green’ initiatives due to the impacts from the Coronavirus pandemic. 

Where businesses are usually a force for good change when it comes to creating fewer greenhouse gas emissions to slow down global warming or being ethical in production costs, the downgrade on sustainability initiatives is a bit of a bummer. Especially when the IPCC says we’re on the verge of no return, we’re going in the opposite direction to our already damaged climate.

@drkarl

Swings and roundabouts I guess. #drkarl #drkarlkruszelnicki #tiktokaustralia #climatechange

♬ Unlock it (Lock It) [Jeff Prior Mix] - Charli XCX

Rather than businesses abandoning these initiatives, they should be using the pandemic as a time to reset on their responses to climate change. Do their offices need to be more energy-efficient? Can employees work from home instead of commuting to work everyday?

But on the other hand, the pandemic has made us slightly more conscious consumers. We’re going outside more, listening to the birds, not stuck in traffic, sorting through our wardrobes, sourcing food from local suppliers and supporting small businesses doing it tough. We want to be better people for our planet and maybe, just maybe the pandemic was the pause we needed to slow us all down. But then again, I've been seein' a lot more takeaway cups than I did before the pandemic. Coincidence? Probs not. 

No matter which end of the stick you’re looking at it from, this pandemic will be short-lived in the scale of our lives. We’ll get back to normal (or perhaps adopt a new normal) and hopefully, we’ll implement the sustainable habits we learnt that started off as an activity in lockdown. Maybe we’ll even be roaring, more than ever to make this planet a better place 🌱