Earth Day is coming. On April 22, we will enjoy the cleanest air and water the world has seen in decades. If I were in charge, here’s the plan I’d push for coming out of this virus crisis stronger than we came into it.
1. Reduce RO via masks for all — crush the virus
2. Set lockdown policy based on hospital bed saturation rate — set national goal zero — no new cases or no new deaths by X date
3. UBI, small business loans, payroll loans, food banks, etc. The money is there, held by Fed, corporations and billionaires
4. As in times of war, redeploy workforce into necessary supply chain logistics, green energy, software infrastructure, public transit/cycling/pedestrian infrastructure, robotics and public health industries
5. Provide sober, responsible leadership and celebrate societal wins with dashboards, competitions, gamification
6. Restart sports — perhaps a unique type of Olympic Games that allows for social distancing and prioritizes individual sports
7. Find ways to lock in air quality gains thanks to lack of driving
8. Solidify cycling and pedestrian gains so that they last beyond lockdowns
9. Reorient travel industry toward 100% local travel (city/region/state)
10. Reward citizen scientists studying animal behavior, public health, climate change, alternative materials, etc.
