Tuesday 19 May | A Future Filled With Pathogens

From increased contact with wildlife populations to ancient bacteria being thawed out of the ice, author and journalist Dahr Jamail details some of the reasons why COVID-19 will not be the last pandemic in our lifetime. It’s a stern warning and difficult to hear right now: that COVID-19 is only the beginning, and that essentially it’s our own fault.

Scientists in The Guardian take it a step further and urge the world to curb climate change and the destruction of nature. Nature’s health translates to human health, they argue, so protecting nature is the rational thing to do. Otherwise we’ll have to keep hoping for a cure or vaccine for each new disease that hits us.

What do you think? Can you imagine a future filled with pathogens? (If so, what would that world look like?) Or do you doubt these scientists’ conclusions and predictions? If protecting nature is the rational thing to do, does that mean we’ll actually do it? And if we do respond proactively, who are the “we” that need to take action? So many if’s!

Studium Generale created a Corona Care Package to make #StayingIn as pleasant as possible. In the following weeks we will share videos, blogs, articles and podcasts within four focus areas: Mental Health, The World After Corona, Arts & Culture and other online events.