Humans generally do not like change. We get accustomed to a sense of normalcy and want to hold on. However, adaptation and change have been constants since we began walking on two legs.

Before COVID-19, there were plenty of warnings from scientists about pandemics due to hit our fragile society. Relatively recently, weB次元官网网址檝e had resistance to scientists from anti-science groups that disregarded vaccines, a resurgence of flat Earthers and those who argue that we cannot change our economy to stop causing climate change. Will they now listen to science?

Today our economy has been largely halted due to a virus we canB次元官网网址檛 see. It once again demonstrates that B次元官网网址渢he economy is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the environment, not the reverseB次元官网网址� - H. Daly.

As we prepare to rebuild our economic system, we have the opportunity to build it differently.

We can try to return to what we had, which scientists warn us is not sustainable, or we can decide to build for an environmentally progressive economy. The economy will not magically align with the natural world unless we organize for that to happen. Now is the time to put people and the planet above profit.

Zeb King

Central Saanich councillor