May 2020 is a pivotal time in our world. The Virus is stalking the planet, changing how we live, and changing the economic landscape across the whole world. I am a tour operator, arguably the most badly hit business as as no one sees a recovery in the short or medium term. There are so many uncertainties… How will the Virus will strike Ethiopia or remainwidespread in the world? How long countries can remain in lock down and will there be a second wave later? When will treatment or vaccines become available, and when will that be available globally? Will people buy high value, fairly traded coffee? Will the oil seed trade be effected?
However one thing we do know, is that the economic slow down has improved air quality in Addis Ababa. And we are not alone: across the world, urban citizens are feeling the fresh air in their faces for the first time in years. We have heard that the canals in Venice are clean, and I am sure that around the world there are other stories of cleaner water and air. In addition we know now that economies of the big industrial countries can be shut down. We know that the governments will suddenly start paying social support and medical costs. Isn’t it now the time to start asking why these same governments can not start looking at restructuring the world to reduce consumption and to give planet Earth a chance to heal?
Prior to this Coronavirus emergency here in Addis we were all talking about how hot the weather was for February! Rain is hitting Ethiopia out of season, cold weather is just not that cold anymore. Does anyone remember ice forming on sitting water in December / January in Addis Ababa? I used to live in Kazanchis some 20 years ago, and I well remember ice on the windscreen of the car when it was washed very early in the morning. I have not seen that in many years. If temperatures go up another degree here, it will not just mean it gets hotter, it will have so many knock on effects: bugs and pests need low temperatures to kill them off, some plants need a low temperature for them to register that the growing season is starting, rain is heavily effected by temperatures. Ultimately if climate change is not reversed, we will see negative impacts on people globally that are worse than the worst case scenarios from COVID19.
Ethiopia has taken some commendable steps such as planting millions of new trees, and no country can go it alone on climate change. We are all in this together both in terms of impact and the need to act. Each country has to move in the same direction, and as global citizen we all have a duty for the sake of our kids, to act now. Our personal consumption needs to reduce. We should encourage governments to move fast in the right direction – maybe cycle paths and cheap bikes. Is there also a lesson from COVID 19 in the risks of being too dependant on the global economy? Ethiopia has a chronic shortage of foreign currency. Is too much money being spent on imports that the country can do without? Aiming for a carbon free transport system would off course be one step. As consumers we should look to curtail our consumption of imported items. With this pause in economic life, and the muted fasts will Ethiopia be brave enough to take the steps needed to ensure our world does not jump back on the road to self destruction?