Twelve good things about the lockdown
Email April 7
Air pollution has been so reduced that we have been shown one effective measure against global warming. We now know that we can do it if we have to - and we evidently do soon. The same may be said of noise pollution as traffic sounds have largely disappeared. People living under flight paths or next to motorways and railway lines must have thought they had gone deaf when it all went quiet.
We have learnt that while participation in sport may well enhance our health, watching it for too long a period may have a damaging effect. Meeting in the pub, attending the game, returning to the pub and getting home in time for Match of the Day may not have been the healthiest of lifestyles.
Social media may literally have kept some people alive, while driving others to saturation point with mobile phones. Many households may have rediscovered the joy of books.
Crime rates must have gone down for almost everything except domestic abuse and scams involving electronic devices.
Standards of personal hygiene will have improved and sexually transmitted diseases would surely have had difficulty in spreading.
Academic awards being granted without sitting examinations must have come as a relief to many students but it may also enhance teachers’ importance. This and the flexibility to provide remote learning opportunities may have given the profession’s kudos a boost not reflected in their salaries.
Ingenuity of industry to adapt machinery to manufacture essential materials for the health service has been commendable, as is the ability of all concerned in the effective production and delivery of the essential utilities for water, heating and lighting.
Brexit, has paled into insignificance, not least financially, as measures to counter coronavirus have obscured potential catastrophe and spurious numbers on sides of buses. Lying to the Queen and Parliament was really of no importance after all, was it?
Now we know that the people’s physical and mental health are paramount for any responsible government, perhaps we shall at last see all health and care workers properly valued and given the tools to perform their duties as safely as possible.
There might just be an awareness around the world that this awful pandemic may only be a dress rehearsal for something far more deadly, which could come at any time. If the lessons have been learnt, the planning should have already begun.
Time spent alone or with family members could well have enabled reflection on what is important in life. Appreciation of what we have and/or a determination to make positive changes going forward would be huge benefits. Finding time for new activities (and maybe finding the money to pay for them) may require a break with some bad habits.
Human nature still comes out on top! We already knew from the news and the ‘entertainment’ media that there are a lot of bad people out there: but the lockdown footage and numerous testimonies show that good still outweighs evil and we can all share in celebrating that fact.
Having at last completed half-finished D.I.Y jobs, I can plan to tackle my garden/jungle. This would be another positive offshoot of the lockdown were it not for my arthritis. So maybe the burgeoning birds building their nests will also be both beneficiaries and benefactors. I just sneaked in a 13th!
Peter Adams