Why??? Your answers.

  1. The air is cleaner because the factories are closed.

  2. It is completely democratic and non-denominational - affects black and white, rich and poor, christian and muslim, haves and have-nots...... Reminds us we are all the same.

  3. Bernie Sanders: Every country on earth is going to be affected by the coronavirus.

    We are all in this together. We must work together. If there was ever a moment to show each other unprecedented love, compassion, and solidarity, this is that moment.

  4. The air is cleaner because airlines are shutting down

  5. the water is cleaner because there are fewer boats in the water, fewer people polluting

  6. People are learning how to better communicate

  7. Schools are looking at best age-appropriate practices for on-line learning

  8. People are reading more books

  9. People are trying to establish cleaner daily routines

  10. Families are spending more time together

  11. People are developing greater empathy

  12. People recognize the severity of loneliness, and are calling and reaching out

  13. Without cruise ships, there are fish in the canals of Venice for the first time in fifty years

  14. People are less materialistic. They are wearing what they already own

  15. We have learned how to deal with a future pandemic

  16. We will be less reliant on fossil fuels

  17. Leadership is a shared responsibility

  18. Faith is an underutilized tool in a crisis

  19. People are talking to their older parents more frequently

  20. The value of health insurance for all is a necessity

  21. We respect life more when it appears fragile

  22. The trees will benefit from more oxygen because the air is cleaner

  23. Being positive in a difficult situation is a choice

  24. Nations would never forfeit profit if it was a choice. A pandemic forces industry to make

  25. Books are the greatest social distancing aid we have.

  26. If all insects disappeared, all life on earth would perish. If all humans disappeared, all life on earth would flourish.

  27. Unrestricted consumerism, capitalism, and production-for-production's-sake did a number on Earth the last few generations. Amazing how so much can improve in just a few weeks of restricting consumption, and valuing life over economic growth or profit.

  28. Capitalism is the virus

  29. 100 companies are responsible for 71% of green house gas emissions worldwide. Companies like Coca-Cola created litterbug narrative to deflect responsibility for the fact that they switched to disposable plastic from reusable glass to increase their profits.

  30. We should not have raped the earth of its natural resources. We should not have made cement roads. We should not have made brick and cement skyscrapers. We do not belong in cement and stucco homes. We should have not pushed so fast into the industrial age. Build, build, build.

  31.  think it is pushing us to once again pick up a phone to reach out instead of always texting or emailing. It is, unfortunately, a part of our life at the moment and better than the alternative!

  32. Family time, opportunity to simplify, more home-cooked meals, challenge to our brains

  33. It unites people against a common enemy

  34. Dolphins and swans are reappearing in the canals of Venice. Pollution levels are down. The oil companies are getting walloped. There, three.

  35. Apparently In Wuhan after so many years of noise they can hear the birds sing again

  36. I maintain that Mother Nature simply became pissed off at our reluctance to pay heed to the demands at hand and took control. We don't have any, btw.

  37. Less pollution in the air - more family time for those who work lots of hours

  38. It’s reminding us how privileged we are

  39. Paying attention to the birds on our walks and appreciating nature. Connecting with those in need like our community’s women’s shelter and lending a helping hand.

  40. None, if you ask me. Big crises always take away more than they "give", so it is a no from me. Actually , I am lying, there is one that is important: educational system will now have to change and that was long overdue.

  41. Seeing neighbours out and about, the quiet, the idea that pollution has decreased, people bonding - albeit at a distance.

  42. I believe it will bring our polarized world closer together.

  43. I wish it hadn’t happened, but it reminds us of what really matters. Yes, the stock market is falling precipitously, but that matters little compared to the health of our loved ones.

  44. It’s giving nature a chance..it’s giving us an opportunity to see we can change things..maybe we can slow down emmissions and make changes to how we do things..

  45. I might finish my novel. Have written new poems too.

  46. We need to slow down and appreciate what we have.

  47. Nice to stop and look in my pantry... and use what I have.

  48. Did you hear about the compassionate wave of love that's encircling the globe despite -- or perhaps in spite of -- the horror this virus could be

  49. It might interrupt us from their screen lives and make us appreciate the people around us.

  50. It is pure hardship and tragedy for so many that you feel almost guilty about looking at the positives. However, each year I cherish the time at Christmas when we slow down, settle in over family meals, play games, watch movies, read books and go for long walks. Most of all, it is when everyone is home. That is what we have now and that element of this amidst seeing hardship and worry is pretty nice.

    The Earth is renewing itself.
    People around the globe are fighting for a common goal, to defeat an enemy that isn’t another human being - for a change.

  51. Kindness is shining around the world.

  52. We often say we’re too « busy ».....We suddenly have the opportunity NOT to be. Uncomfortable? Yes. But also a bit of a gift, no?

  53. I read in a Forbes article yesterday that around 77000 lives have been saved due improved air quality in China. The lockdown measures are not only flattening the curve but also purifying the air. People can breath better.

  54. We realize what is really important in our lives

  55. Mark Gunter opened Trinity Chapel in response to our community!

  56. Coronavirus is Earth’s vaccine. We’re the virus.

  57. We should shut down one month of every year

  58. The reason the pollution is going down is because production is going down. The problem is not people, that's some ecofash shit that leads to genocide. The issue is our socioeconomic structure which needs to be altered to interact with the environment differently.

  59. Crazy how humans have lived on this planet for 200,000 years and for 199,850 of those years, things were fine and it's only in the last 150 years (coinciding with the advent of industrial capitalism) that things have started to go so bad so fast

  60. Life is precious, our society has lost touch with the simple things in life.... this is a reality check that we need to put the balance of life in the forefront of everything we do.

  61.  Board games

  62. Reading from classic novels out loud with my family every night while curled up together in blankets

  63. Time to reconnect with our families and our own inner selves. Being forced to slow down is the gift amidst the chaos.

  64. I wrote a poem about the penguins walking free in the Chicago Aquarium and also about them inheriting the Earth

  65. This is very hard in many ways.. but so much beauty and positive too- love, compassion, community, caring... appreciation for the most important thing which is our health. Slowing it all down and refocusing on what is important. We as a family and community are strengthening our bonding

  66. Progress is NEVER made without crisis. We are about to make some of the biggest changes we have ever seen - and we have a choice to be part of it. Husband facing chemo again so not the easiest time but it is providing a time for reflection, contemplation, actually talking with people - and great comfort knowing that this challenge we face we face together, regardless of social or economic circumstances.

  67. Through the uncertainty and fear, human kindness and consideration are increasingly prevalent.

  68. Communities are opening their lives to helping each other out, looking after the elderly... families are spending time together, parents are travelling less. Less air pollution from flying! People are learning what immune boosting really means and how necessary it is, vs relying on a prescription when there is none for this really. People are slowing down , getting super creative with technology, many companies are having to let employees work remotely, less traffic, likely fewer accidents, and some are even learning how to curb their fears through proper breathing and stress management techniques. And Mother Nature is taking a big exhale!

  69. Brexit is no longer front and centre of UK news

  70. Not feeling the optimism. Husband coming home after 6 weeks hospital stay for blood sepsis only to face the virus. A small condo. Ridding our days of all the small things that make life beautiful like Pilates and Italian classes. It feels like we are being made to live small and in fear. Not my favourite time.

  71. Although it's too early to draw definitive conclusions about which countries will ultimately weather the COVID-19 storm best, public health data shows that nations that are so far faring well at suppressing the outbreak's spread have done so through this combination: easy access to testing, rigorous contact tracing, clear and consistent science-based messaging, and a commitment to studiously abide by quarantines while clamping down on socializing no matter how tempting it may be to stray. 

  72. David Leonhardt says:

    The best kinds of economic stimulus right now are those that directly fight the human toll from the coronavirus.

    Examples include using federal money to build temporary medical facilities, buy ventilators and spur production of millions of virus tests. All of which may not only save lives but also hasten the day when life — and, by extension, economic activity — can return to normal. These measures have the additional benefit of doing what more traditional forms of stimulus do: Provide income and jobs at a time when both are badly needed.

  73. From Caroline Dillon Nicol: I do feel like God has a plan. We need to slow down, travel less and protect our planet. There is reason for everything that happens. I tell myself this because the borders now are closed. Vulnerable people I love, my handicapped sister, my sister who flys for a living to keep her insurance at 63 and my 91 year old mother is in lock down in her assisted living snd has no idea why people are not coming to see her. Like you, I feel so far away from them. I worry about those already living pay check to pay check who now don’t have jobs, those with compromised health etc.... I’m grateful for Andrew Cuomo’s leadership,- please run for President! Quebec’s speedy reaction to the crisis and mostly my beautiful daughter who I get to keep close and watch how she is evolving into a caring strong woman.

  74. Jann Arden said, hugging is so 2019.

  75. My opinion: there is no way this pandemic is a good thing. However, some positive consequences could come out of suffering and loss, as we know from history and literature. My only fear is that we are a shallow people. We will - with the help of brains and energetic leaders and good will on the ground - pull through. But will we learn what could be learned? Or will we rebound, reboot, spend, squander, and fiddle our way toward a grimmer end? This is an historical moment, for sure. I plan to wash my hands, stay inside and watch. My deep sense of foreboding for our civilization has not increased one nano-bit since Christmas.

  76. the realization that we can act collectively for the better of all (even if inconvenient for us as individuals).

  77. People are renewing family bonds and relationships that have been needing some attention will now get it. ❤️

  78. It reminds me of how we all pulled together during the ice storm of 1998. We were reminded of what was important. This is a reboot for the planet. There are suddenly fish swimming in the clean canals of Venice,

  79. There is the potential for real social, economic and political progress - if the will is there to do so.

  80. It is living proof we are all truly interconnected. Everyone, everywhere

  81. The reduction in GHG emissions is also rather startling.

  82. I’m very conscious of what I am eating, doing, reading, thinking, feeling and with whom I am communicating etc. Basically, more CONSCIOUS living and that’s a good thing. We are living in the moment, every moment. And that’s what counts.

  83. On a more shallow note, drive-in theatres are revived!

  84. Bringing people together, offers to help each other, groceries, anything. Last week was disappointed with the hoarding,not leaving TP, necessary things for others.

    Better this week, we know we're all in this together, respectful of social distancing, adapting to phone meetings, checking in with each other. I find people bring more flexible, paramount.

  85. the realization that we can act collectively for the better of all (even if inconvenient for us as individuals).