By S. Shmee Giarratana April 28, 2020
The Berkley Forum offers an online space for rigorous debate on critical issues at the intersection of religion, law, ethics, and world affairs. A recent series focused on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on environmental health and the role that religion can play in addressing climate change and environmental health. This series, called Religion and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Environmental Health presented the following questions:
What are the lessons to be learned from the COVID-19 pandemic on the intersection of climate change and global health?
How can religious ethics inform approaches to global health and the environment, especially in light of the current pandemic?
How might coronavirus-related behavior change figure into long-term action on global climate change?
What are the next steps in environmental health following the conclusion of the pandemic?
Dr. Elizabeth Allison, Chair of the Ecology, Spirituality, and Religion program, contributed to this collection of responses with some of her thoughts about the intersections of COVID-19 and climate change. Her essay explores how we might use the Great Lull to re-invent societies, economies, and ethics to be more inclusive and life-sustaining. Elizabeth states, “that is our challenge, my hope, and realistically, our only option for continued human life on Earth.”
Read Elizabeth’s full article here:
The Coronavirus-Induced Great Lull is a Dress Rehearsal for Addressing Climate Change
