Morning Open Thread is a daily, copyrighted post from a host of editors and guest writers. We support our community, invite and share ideas, and encourage thoughtful, respectful dialogue in an open forum.
I’ve come to think of this post as one where you come for the music and stay for the conversation—so feel free to drop a note. The diarist gets to sleep in if he/she so desires and can show up long after the post is published. So you know, it's a feature, not a bug.
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Good mornin’ y’all —
One of the more surprising collateral aspects of this pandemic, I’ve noticed, is exactly how quickly the earth can begin to heal itself once us pesky humans are even marginally put out of the picture. You’ve surely seen the photos:
This has all occurred over the briefest of periods (less than an eyeblink, really, in earth-time). Wildlife has been happily running amok with cleaner water and breathable air, and no idiot bipeds mucking everything up for only a very little while. Amazing.
These are, undoubtedly, good things.
HOWEVER…
Most experts agree that this is temporary, and as soon as the global economy gets back into full gear, we will return the earth to the proper level of filth and decay we as humans have come to demand of it.
So, when the gates finally open back up, get out there. Enjoy it while you can — and hope that maybe enough people remember a brief period in early 2020 when we saw what COULD happen.
And the next time somebody tells you climate change is not man-made, slap ‘em upside the head.
Be clean humans.