On climate and COVID

This pandemic has shaken my worldview. But I have a plan for what to do next.

I’m sorry about last week, gang.

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, dope. Feel free to skip to the next section. I did not mess up in any way, no sir no m’am!

But for the rest of you, here’s the deal. For the last two weeks, I was on vacation to celebrate HEATED’s six month anniversary. I promised free subscribers one email a week during that period, and told paid subscribers they would get two. I delivered on that promise for the first week. I reneged on it for the second.

This happened for two reasons. First, the pieces I had previously scheduled seemed irrelevant—and almost insensitive—in the wake of the rapidly unfolding pandemic. Second, I didn’t know what to replace those pieces with. Part of me felt resentful that I would have to replace them at all.

Last week was supposed to be a mental break. Instead, it was mental chaos—and not just because I was attempting to fly home from Spain after Trump’s European flight restrictions. Indeed, the pandemic’s toll on my personal life has been trivial compared to its effect on my professional identity. I have always felt confident about how I approach the climate crisis as a reporter and commentator. But now, as I watch the COVID-19 pandemic unfold with no clear end in sight, my viewpoint is starting to shift.

Every week, I come to you with a clear and unwavering message: that solving the climate crisis requires laser-focus on the powerful. That we all have a responsibility to reduce our personal carbon emissions, but that our responsibility pales in comparison to the bosses, the billionaires, the politicians and corporate executives. These are the people who got us into this mess, and they should be the ones getting us out.

I still believe that. But COVID-19 is teaching me that global crises don’t give a shit about fairness.

When it comes to halting this pandemic, those with the most money and power in America should be making major sacrifices and compromises to ensure the safety of society’s most vulnerable. Instead, U.S. politicians are are stuffing their own pockets and swimming in literal cesspools of their own making. If we sat around and waited for them to play fair, we would be signing the death warrants of millions.

So we are not waiting. In lieu of the shelter-in-place orders and aggressive travel restrictions recommended by scientists, individuals across the country are choosing to aggressively peer pressure friends and family to socially isolate. In lieu of economic stimulus from either the federal government or society’s most wealthy, individuals across the country are choosing to pour our savings into supporting friends, family, and local businesses. Indeed, individual citizens are doing far more to stop the coronavirus crisis than what should be expected of them in a representative democracy.

Of course, individual actions alone won’t be not enough to halt the spread of coronavirus. But experts tell the New York Times they will make a difference. “Containment becomes realistic only when Americans realize that working together is the only way to protect themselves and their loved ones,” the Times’ concludes. That’s because when we act collectively as individuals, we set examples for others—including governments—to do the same.

I think I’ve always known this, in theory. But coronavirus is the first time I’m seeing how powerful peer pressure and individual action can truly be. It is a hopeful realization, though perhaps a premature one, given how early on we are in this crisis. But it’s also disconcerting for me, because for the last six months, I’ve downplayed the importance of individual action to solve the climate crisis. I’ve confidently told myself, and others, that I’m doing enough—even though as a public figure, I have the power to do much more. I literally just went on a flight to Spain for no reason other than to have a good time. I told myself I needed it; that I deserved it; that it was my right. But what kind of example does that set? Is that really so different than telling myself I need to go to Miami for spring break during a pandemic?

I still believe strongly that the climate crisis is not the fault of individuals. It is, first and foremost, a failure of systems—political, business, media—and the powerful people within them who chose to spread disinformation and delay action. I will keep doing everything in my power as a climate reporter to make sure those responsible for this mess are held accountable for cleaning it up.

But in the meantime, especially in this time of pandemic, I would like to find more ways to highlight how individuals are shouldering (and not shouldering) the burden of solving the climate crisis. So consider this my pledge to start focusing on that subject more as a pillar of HEATED’s coverage. You can also consider this my pledge to start walking a bit more of my talk.

Most importantly, though…

This is only the beginning of our collective conversation about coronavirus and climate change.

If it wasn’t already crushingly obvious, this pandemic has thrown me for a mental loop, and the power of individual action isn’t the only climate-related subject that’s been spinning around my brain for the last week. Coronavirus is raising questions about everything from global carbon emissions to ecosystem restoration to corporate bailouts to how we treat each other.

I want to explore all these subjects with you, but I’m having a ton of trouble distilling all my thoughts into confident opinion writing. I can run my mouth about this stuff all day, though. So I’ve come up with a solution that I think (I hope?) everyone can be happy with.

Starting next week, HEATED will begin releasing a six-episode podcast about coronavirus and climate change. The episodes will feature conversations with some of my favorite climate experts from diverse backgrounds who will help me sort out my thoughts about some of these complicated subjects. I also have some great people helping me out with the technical stuff. I’m super stoked about it.

I’ll share more details with you about that soon. But here’s one detail I can share now. In order to make space for podcast production, HEATED will remain on a limited publishing schedule. I’ll continue to send you two pieces of original climate coverage per week—but, like, actually this time—on Mondays and Thursdays. I’ll hold discussion threads on Wednesdays.

Discussion threads will remain for paid subscribers only, but there will be no paywall for any of HEATED’s other content. So long as most of the country remains on lockdown due to the coronavirus, the journalism is free.

If you do have the resources, though, I hope you’ll consider becoming a paid subscriber. HEATED is 100 percent independent and reader-funded. This work only happens with your support.

Oh, and this podcast will be for your mental clarity as much as (read: far more than) it is for mine. So if you have any particular questions or subjects you’d like me to dive into, please let me know in the comments of this post or via email: emily@heated.world.

Until next time — stay hydrated, eat plants, do push-ups, and wash those hands.

And also watch this video my best friend made.

Emily Atkin @emorwee

So uh, you know those push-up challenge videos? Well, my friends and I have been doing those, but for planks — and turns out they are just as boring to watch as push-up videos. That is, until @UCSJacob made one.

Bye!

(Photo by Ben Birchall/PA Images via Getty Images)

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Stay hydrated! Wash your hands! And STAY THE HELL HOME!