THE ALLEYNIAN 708 | OUT OF THE ORDINARY
THE ALLEYNIAN 708 | OUT OF THE ORDINARY
Image: Timur Safardiar (Year 11)
OPINION, INTERVIEWS & FEATURES
LOOKING FOR THE SILVER LINING
Another positive outcome is that many of us are feeling more connected to nature than before. Previously, many people’s only outdoor time was spent getting to and from school or work, and many travelled by car, bus or train anyway, further removing them from the outdoors. The majority of daytime hours are usually spent working indoors, in an office or at school. Currently, though, people are spending a good amount of time each day in parks or green spaces, doing their daily exercise. Many homeworkers who are lucky enough to have a garden are sitting outdoors to work. The crisis has also enhanced our ability to enjoy nature, as the skies and roads have become quiet, allowing us to hear the sounds of the natural world. On top of this, animals which might previously have been hard to spot have been coming out in greater numbers due to the quieter environment. In the previously packed urban centre of Rome, grass has begun to grow once again from beneath the cobblestone pavement: nature is taking over. Being close to nature is very important for human happiness, and before the crisis many people were not getting enough time outside. It is to be hoped that the crisis will go some way to changing that. However, of course, there will also be many people, particularly those living in deprived areas or in the inner city, who will have limited access to these things. Other hopes for what might lie ahead involve community. Throughout this crisis we have seen communities pull together to help the most vulnerable in their society. More than 500,000 people have signed up as volunteers to help the NHS, for example. It is selfless acts of kindness such as these that are so valuable. Although we are living apart, in many ways it feels as if our sense of community is stronger than ever. This challenges the increasingly widespread sense of isolation and loneliness which has been reported in recent years. We were in danger of becoming lost in our own bubbles, unwilling to look outward. But now more than ever, I feel, there is a shared recognition that we are all human, and all vulnerable. We are united in facing a common enemy which threatens each one of us. We are, truly, all in this together.
Reflecting, in mid-April, on the impact of the Coronavirus, Daniel Kamaluddin (Year 9) finds reasons for cautious optimism about what might lie ahead
R ecently, the spread of Covid-19 has taken away many things which we previously took for granted. No longer able to see our friends, we are restricted in what we can buy, and limited in our ability to leave our homes. There is almost nobody who doesn’t wish this was over, and the idea that we can return to exactly what we had before seems unlikely. However, in talking to members of the Alleynian team, I have learned that many people believe that positive change can come from this crisis. Some hopes involve nature. Many hope that when this is all over, we can focus on solving the climate crisis – the biggest issue of our times – with the same determination, conviction and sacrifice with which we are currently dealing with the Coronavirus pandemic. It is equally possible, however, that the economic effects of the current situation will make us less able, or willing, to stop the degradation of the climate. We may not, for example, be able to make the transition to clean energy as quickly as hoped. Many also hope that, as our fossil fuel-based economy has been functioning well below its full capacity, the drop in pollution will have a positive effect on our climate. However, it is possible that some countries may start pumping out fossil fuels faster than ever in order to make up for substantial economic losses.
ALTHOUGH WE ARE LIVING APART, IN MANY WAYS IT FEELS AS IF OUR SENSE OF COMMUNITY IS STRONGER THAN EVER
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