csmonitor--2020-05-15--From pandemic to famine: Can world meet food crisis fast enough?

“ But our families tell us things are even worse there .
How could I do that to my family ?
” “ I never had to accept rations before , but now we have no other choice , ” he says , seated under a corrugated metal awning with his pregnant wife and two children .
Already three months behind on rent , he says if he can ’ t work soon his only option would be to return home to Bihar .
In India under lockdown , Mohammed Amanat has not worked since March .
For the first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a handout – rations of lentils , flour , oil , and spices provided by a U.S. charity in Delhi .
“ This is not a Chicken-Little-the-sky-is-falling situation , ” says David Beasley , executive director .
“ If we don ’ t act now , we are going to have famine of biblical proportions.
” The prospect of widespread food shortages has prompted the World Food Program to warn that the added punch of the pandemic will mean unprecedented starvation unless the world takes prompt and coordinated action .
At the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t distribute their produce .
Around the world , millions of fathers and mothers are encountering food insecurity for the first time .
Strict lockdowns have eliminated informal and menial jobs , leaving tens of millions with no income .
When Mohammed Amanat migrated from the rural Indian state of Bihar to a teeming New Delhi five years ago , it was with the idea of becoming a better provider for the family the young man hoped to have .
In his modest way , Mr. Amanat has accomplished his mission @ @ @ @ @ @ @ son , and a third child on the way , Mr. Amanat has always earned enough – first at a tobacco company and more recently as a day laborer in construction – to feed his growing family .
His wife , Gulshan Khatoon , even managed to save enough from her husband ’ s $ 4-a-day pay to occasionally buy the children milk , or add chicken or vegetables to the dals and curries she prepared over the open fire in the family ’ s one-room corrugated-metal shanty .
But now with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are over .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .
With India ’ s strict lockdown only now loosening , Mr. Amanat has not worked since March .
For the first time ever he ’ s had to accept a handout – rations of lentils , flour , oil , salt , and spices provided by an American charity working with the Delhi police to organize weekly food distributions .
“ I never had to accept rations before , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” he says via videocall , seated under a corrugated metal awning with his family .
Already three months behind on rent , he says if he can ’ t work soon his only option would be to return to Bihar .
“ But our families tell us things are even worse there .
Food is becoming scarce and they don ’ t have rations , ” he adds .
“ How could I do that to my family ?
” Mr. Amanat is not alone in his predicament .
Around the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have always been able to feed their families are encountering food insecurity for the first time .
Strict lockdowns like India ’ s have eliminated informal and menial jobs , leaving tens of millions with no income .
At the same time , with transport disrupted , farmers can ’ t distribute their produce .
The prospect of widespread food shortages and disrupted supply chains has prompted the World Food Program – which was already predicting that 2020 could find more than 135 million people in severe hunger – to warn that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unprecedented famine and starvation unless the world takes prompt and coordinated action .
“ This is not a Chicken-Little-the-sky-is-falling situation , ” says David Beasley , executive director of the World Food Program ( WFP ) , the United Nations ’ famine prevention arm and the world ’ s largest humanitarian agency .
“ If we don ’ t act now , ” he adds , “ we are going to have famine of biblical proportions.
” The tell-it-like-it-is former governor of South Carolina , who has built a can-do reputation with global @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” of events could leave more than a quarter of a billion people in severe hunger : the refugee-fueled worst humanitarian crisis since World War II , the pandemic , and now a plague of desert locusts destroying 1 million acres of new crops in East Africa .
The United States and other developed countries are also seeing food supply chains disrupted , shortages of some products like meat , and rising hunger .
But as worrisome as that is , experts say the food insecurity in developing and poor countries is of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m not talking about people going to bed hungry , ” says Mr. Beasley , addressing a recent Atlantic Council webinar .
“ You could have 150,000 to 300,000 people dying a day if this thing does not get addressed promptly.
” Many food supply analysts and humanitarian assistance experts would add a fourth factor to Mr. Beasley ’ s perfect storm .
A nationalist wave has turned many countries inward , prioritizing domestic issues such as the health and economic impacts of the pandemic .
Global leaders , including the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says , though he maintains they still must do more .
At the same time , the world is benefiting from a new wave of young food-production and supply-chain entrepreneurs , many of whom got their start in climate activism and see the pandemic as an opportunity to reimagine essential activities , from farming to food delivery .
Mr. Beasley says he has heard the dire warnings of donor fatigue after years of acute crisis , but insists he ’ s not seeing it .
In particular , he rejects the widespread view @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leadership role .
“ We keep hearing that the U.S. has backed off its multilateral commitments , ” he says , before pointing to a near doubling in U.S. funding of the WFP over the last three years .
“ The message that tells is that [ the U.S. is ] not backing down.
” Under President Barack Obama , he notes , U.S. funding of the WFP reached a new high of $ 1.9 billion ( of about a $ 6 billion budget ) .
Last year under the Trump administration , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion ( of a total $ 8.3 billion raised for food programs ) .
Still , Mr. Beasley says last year ’ s budget will be “ nowhere near enough ” to stave off the dire levels of food insecurity and even starvation he foresees .
The food security czar says he is focused on getting major donors like the U.S. and Germany to send their contributions now .
“ What I ’ m saying is ... go ahead and give us now what you ’ re going to give us ... so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the food supply-chain breakdown sets in.
” Another message Mr. Beasley emphasizes to world leaders is that acting now to nip looming famine in the bud will mitigate the instability that accompanies severe hunger – and which reverberates to undermine countries ’ national security .
Still , what alarms some food supply experts is that they ’ re not seeing the international community coming together to address a looming global food crisis the way it has in the past – as in 2007-08 , when prices of basic food commodities suddenly spiked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ food ] crisis , you saw a huge and sudden mobilization of effort , and agreement around principles to follow to address food insecurity worldwide , and money put behind those efforts , ” says Caitlin Welsh , director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies ’ global food security program in Washington .
“ At this point , we haven ’ t seen that mobilization.
” Noting moreover that in 2007-08 it was the Group of Seven wealthy countries and the G-20 most-developed countries that led a global effort , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ haven ’ t seen them yet , which is disappointing.
” Ms. Welsh , who directed the National Security Council ’ s global economic engagement in the Obama White House , says the multilateral organizations ’ focus in the last food crisis was agricultural productivity .
The pandemic is revealing a new set of priorities , she adds .
“ The response this crisis calls for is looking at food systems , so not just farm production but … food transportation , labor , food processing , storage , and then marketing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ re going to see , I hope , is a different one , and broader than the response to the last crisis.
” Echoes of Ms. Welsh ’ s thinking can be heard in the ideas of Ndéye Marie Aïda Ndieguene , a young food-systems entrepreneur in Senegal .
Ms. Ndieguene describes a Senegal under lockdown that is not unlike Mr. Amanat ’ s India .
“ So many people work in the informal sectors of the economy that aren ’ t functioning right now , but at the same time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the country , so that makes it difficult for farmers to get their produce to market , ” says Ms. Ndieguene .
“ That combination has many people here declaring , ‘ We are not going to die of COVID-19 , we are going to die from hunger.
’ ” But Ms. Ndieguene , who has won international awards for her design of a food warehouse that reduces food loss , is springing into action to help address Senegal ’ s spiking food insecurity .
Starting with the farming contacts she made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ developed a digital community marketplace that links farmers and their products with new markets .
She is also nurturing a farming community of 150 women and girls who are interested in particular in ways to support Senegalese women .
What Ms. Ndieguene is finding is that the pandemic , while a dire threat to so many , is also prompting new thinking and innovative solutions to a problem like food insecurity .
“ Of course the pandemic is not something good – people are sick , people are dying , people are going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But it is also providing the occasion for all of us to stop and consider new ways and new solutions , and not just about food security .
It ’ s a general stop for all humanity , ” she adds , “ to think about the impact of how we are living.
” Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .

“But our families tell us things are even worse there. How could I do that to my family?”
“I never had to accept rations before, but now we have no other choice,” he says, seated under a corrugated metal awning with his pregnant wife and two children. Already three months behind on rent, he says if he can’t work soon his only option would be to return home to Bihar.
In India under lockdown, Mohammed Amanat has not worked since March. For the first time he’s had to accept a handout – rations of lentils, flour, oil, and spices provided by a U.S. charity in Delhi.
“This is not a Chicken-Little-the-sky-is-falling situation,” says David Beasley, executive director. “If we don’t act now, we are going to have famine of biblical proportions.”
The prospect of widespread food shortages has prompted the World Food Program to warn that the added punch of the pandemic will mean unprecedented starvation unless the world takes prompt and coordinated action.
Growing hunger in wealthy nations doesn’t compare to the famine expected in the developing world, the United Nations’ top food official warns. Wealthier nations are chipping in to help – but a strategic coming together on a global level will be crucial.
At the same time, with transport disrupted, farmers can’t distribute their produce.
Around the world, millions of fathers and mothers are encountering food insecurity for the first time. Strict lockdowns have eliminated informal and menial jobs, leaving tens of millions with no income.
When Mohammed Amanat migrated from the rural Indian state of Bihar to a teeming New Delhi five years ago, it was with the idea of becoming a better provider for the family the young man hoped to have.
In his modest way, Mr. Amanat has accomplished his mission. Now with a daughter and a son, and a third child on the way, Mr. Amanat has always earned enough – first at a tobacco company and more recently as a day laborer in construction – to feed his growing family.
His wife, Gulshan Khatoon, even managed to save enough from her husband’s $4-a-day pay to occasionally buy the children milk, or add chicken or vegetables to the dals and curries she prepared over the open fire in the family’s one-room corrugated-metal shanty.
Why We Wrote This Growing hunger in wealthy nations doesn’t compare to the famine expected in the developing world, the United Nations’ top food official warns. Wealthier nations are chipping in to help – but a strategic coming together on a global level will be crucial.
But now with the pandemic, those days of relative plenty are over.
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.
With India’s strict lockdown only now loosening, Mr. Amanat has not worked since March. For the first time ever he’s had to accept a handout – rations of lentils, flour, oil, salt, and spices provided by an American charity working with the Delhi police to organize weekly food distributions.
“I never had to accept rations before, but now we have no other choice,” he says via videocall, seated under a corrugated metal awning with his family. Already three months behind on rent, he says if he can’t work soon his only option would be to return to Bihar.
“But our families tell us things are even worse there. Food is becoming scarce and they don’t have rations,” he adds. “How could I do that to my family?”
Mr. Amanat is not alone in his predicament. Around the world, millions of fathers and mothers who have always been able to feed their families are encountering food insecurity for the first time. Strict lockdowns like India’s have eliminated informal and menial jobs, leaving tens of millions with no income.
At the same time, with transport disrupted, farmers can’t distribute their produce.
Danish Siddiqui/Reuters View caption Hide caption People wait to receive free food at an industrial area, during an extended nationwide lockdown to slow the spreading of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in New Delhi April 23, 2020.
The prospect of widespread food shortages and disrupted supply chains has prompted the World Food Program – which was already predicting that 2020 could find more than 135 million people in severe hunger – to warn that the added punch of the pandemic will mean unprecedented famine and starvation unless the world takes prompt and coordinated action.
“This is not a Chicken-Little-the-sky-is-falling situation,” says David Beasley, executive director of the World Food Program (WFP), the United Nations’ famine prevention arm and the world’s largest humanitarian agency. “If we don’t act now,” he adds, “we are going to have famine of biblical proportions.”
The tell-it-like-it-is former governor of South Carolina, who has built a can-do reputation with global leaders, says a “perfect storm” of events could leave more than a quarter of a billion people in severe hunger: the refugee-fueled worst humanitarian crisis since World War II, the pandemic, and now a plague of desert locusts destroying 1 million acres of new crops in East Africa.
The United States and other developed countries are also seeing food supply chains disrupted, shortages of some products like meat, and rising hunger. But as worrisome as that is, experts say the food insecurity in developing and poor countries is of a different order.
“I’m not talking about people going to bed hungry,” says Mr. Beasley, addressing a recent Atlantic Council webinar. “You could have 150,000 to 300,000 people dying a day if this thing does not get addressed promptly.”
Many food supply analysts and humanitarian assistance experts would add a fourth factor to Mr. Beasley’s perfect storm. A nationalist wave has turned many countries inward, prioritizing domestic issues such as the health and economic impacts of the pandemic.
Global leaders, including the United States, are stepping up, Mr. Beasley says, though he maintains they still must do more.
At the same time, the world is benefiting from a new wave of young food-production and supply-chain entrepreneurs, many of whom got their start in climate activism and see the pandemic as an opportunity to reimagine essential activities, from farming to food delivery.
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters View caption Hide caption Juanita Jones wears her wedding dress to celebrate her 19th wedding anniversary as she helps run a donated food distribution point from Serve Your City at the mixed-income Townhomes on Capitol Hill community in Washington April 25, 2020.
Mr. Beasley says he has heard the dire warnings of donor fatigue after years of acute crisis, but insists he’s not seeing it. In particular, he rejects the widespread view that the U.S. is retreating from its leadership role.
“We keep hearing that the U.S. has backed off its multilateral commitments,” he says, before pointing to a near doubling in U.S. funding of the WFP over the last three years. “The message that tells is that [the U.S. is] not backing down.”
Under President Barack Obama, he notes, U.S. funding of the WFP reached a new high of $1.9 billion (of about a $6 billion budget). Last year under the Trump administration, the U.S. contribution climbed to $3.4 billion (of a total $8.3 billion raised for food programs).
Still, Mr. Beasley says last year’s budget will be “nowhere near enough” to stave off the dire levels of food insecurity and even starvation he foresees. The food security czar says he is focused on getting major donors like the U.S. and Germany to send their contributions now.
“What I’m saying is ... go ahead and give us now what you’re going to give us ... so we can pre-position food before the worst of the food supply-chain breakdown sets in.”
Another message Mr. Beasley emphasizes to world leaders is that acting now to nip looming famine in the bud will mitigate the instability that accompanies severe hunger – and which reverberates to undermine countries’ national security.
Still, what alarms some food supply experts is that they’re not seeing the international community coming together to address a looming global food crisis the way it has in the past – as in 2007-08, when prices of basic food commodities suddenly spiked.
“In response to the last [food] crisis, you saw a huge and sudden mobilization of effort, and agreement around principles to follow to address food insecurity worldwide, and money put behind those efforts,” says Caitlin Welsh, director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ global food security program in Washington. “At this point, we haven’t seen that mobilization.”
Noting moreover that in 2007-08 it was the Group of Seven wealthy countries and the G-20 most-developed countries that led a global effort, she adds, “[We] haven’t seen them yet, which is disappointing.”
Ms. Welsh, who directed the National Security Council’s global economic engagement in the Obama White House, says the multilateral organizations’ focus in the last food crisis was agricultural productivity.
Courtesy of Ndeye Marie Ndieguene View caption Hide caption Ndeye Marie Ndieguene works with farmers in the village of Makka Sarr, Senegal.
The pandemic is revealing a new set of priorities, she adds. “The response this crisis calls for is looking at food systems, so not just farm production but … food transportation, labor, food processing, storage, and then marketing,” she says. “The response we’re going to see, I hope, is a different one, and broader than the response to the last crisis.”
Echoes of Ms. Welsh’s thinking can be heard in the ideas of Ndéye Marie Aïda Ndieguene, a young food-systems entrepreneur in Senegal.
Ms. Ndieguene describes a Senegal under lockdown that is not unlike Mr. Amanat’s India.
“So many people work in the informal sectors of the economy that aren’t functioning right now, but at the same time the government has banned movement between regions of the country, so that makes it difficult for farmers to get their produce to market,” says Ms. Ndieguene. “That combination has many people here declaring, ‘We are not going to die of COVID-19, we are going to die from hunger.’”
But Ms. Ndieguene, who has won international awards for her design of a food warehouse that reduces food loss, is springing into action to help address Senegal’s spiking food insecurity.
Starting with the farming contacts she made through her warehouse project, she has developed a digital community marketplace that links farmers and their products with new markets. She is also nurturing a farming community of 150 women and girls who are interested in particular in ways to support Senegalese women.
What Ms. Ndieguene is finding is that the pandemic, while a dire threat to so many, is also prompting new thinking and innovative solutions to a problem like food insecurity.
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empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
“Of course the pandemic is not something good – people are sick, people are dying, people are going hungry,” she says. “But it is also providing the occasion for all of us to stop and consider new ways and new solutions, and not just about food security. It’s a general stop for all humanity,” she adds, “to think about the impact of how we are living.”
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.


csmonitor--2020-05-15--Even with one year delay, 2021 Tokyo Olympics won't be the same

Almost two months after the Tokyo Olympics were postponed , organizing committee CEO Toshiro Muto said Friday he still could not give an estimate of how much the one-year delay will cost .
Figures in the Japanese media have ranged between $ 2 billion and $ 6 billion , with most mounting expenses likely to be covered by government entities .
Although he was vague about the costs and who will pay , Mr. Muto was very clear about one thing in the online news conference .
`` The actual games we will have one year from now may not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Games that we have come to know , '' he said , speaking in Japanese and translated through in interpreter .
Mr. Muto floated ideas about cuts everywhere , though the only specific target he mentioned was the torch relay .
`` We are looking into every possible area , '' he said .
`` It 's time for all of us to review what are the essential things for the games .
What are the must-have items ?
...
I think we might come up with a new Olympic and Paralympic Games @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Tokyo 's future still has more questions than answers .
How will 11,000 Olympic athletes and 4,400 Paralympians be housed in the Athletes Village ?
Will the tight quarters be safe ?
How will they travel to Tokyo ?
How will they train and qualify ?
And what about thousands more staff and games officials ?
Will there be fans , or will it be a television-only show ?
What about millions of tickets already sold ?
Will there be refunds ?
Will a vaccine be available ?
Will young , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vaccine ?
Mr. Muto spoke a day after the Switzerland-based International Olympic Committee acknowledged it would have added costs of $ 800 million because of the postponement .
The IOC said $ 150 million would be made available for loans to national Olympic committees and sports federations , some of which have few sources of revenue outside the games .
But the IOC gave no details of where the other $ 650 million would go .
Mr. Muto said he did n't know , either .
Or at least he was n't saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how this money will be used , the IOC has said it 's too early to tell , '' Mr. Muto said .
`` So we at the organizing committee have no idea of all the details about how this money will be spent . ''
Soaring Olympic costs are sure to be a touchy subject as Japan , like most countries , battles a deep recession brought on by the coronavirus pandemic .
Japanese organizers and government bodies are obligated by a Host City Contract signed in 2013 to pick up most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were awarded the games seven years ago , Tokyo officials said the Olympics would cost just over $ 7 billion .
Tokyo now says it is spending $ 12.6 billion to organize the games , but a government audit report last year said it was twice that much .
All but $ 5.6 billion is public money .
Mr. Muto said organizers are still trying to guarantee that 43 venues will be available next year , hoping to keep the same event schedule when the Olympics open on July 23 , 2021 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bit of time , '' Mr. Muto said , `` and that can not be helped . ''
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

Almost two months after the Tokyo Olympics were postponed, organizing committee CEO Toshiro Muto said Friday he still could not give an estimate of how much the one-year delay will cost.
Figures in the Japanese media have ranged between $2 billion and $6 billion, with most mounting expenses likely to be covered by government entities.
Although he was vague about the costs and who will pay, Mr. Muto was very clear about one thing in the online news conference.
"The actual games we will have one year from now may not be the same conventional Olympic and Paralympic Games that we have come to know," he said, speaking in Japanese and translated through in interpreter.
Mr. Muto floated ideas about cuts everywhere, though the only specific target he mentioned was the torch relay.
"We are looking into every possible area," he said. "It's time for all of us to review what are the essential things for the games. What are the must-have items? ... I think we might come up with a new Olympic and Paralympic Games, something that is unique to Tokyo."
Tokyo's future still has more questions than answers.
How will 11,000 Olympic athletes and 4,400 Paralympians be housed in the Athletes Village? Will the tight quarters be safe? How will they travel to Tokyo? How will they train and qualify? And what about thousands more staff and games officials?
Will there be fans, or will it be a television-only show? What about millions of tickets already sold? Will there be refunds? Will a vaccine be available? Will young, healthy athletes be a priority for a vaccine?
Mr. Muto spoke a day after the Switzerland-based International Olympic Committee acknowledged it would have added costs of $800 million because of the postponement. The IOC said $150 million would be made available for loans to national Olympic committees and sports federations, some of which have few sources of revenue outside the games.
But the IOC gave no details of where the other $650 million would go.
Mr. Muto said he didn't know, either. Or at least he wasn't saying.
"As to the breakdown of how this money will be used, the IOC has said it's too early to tell," Mr. Muto said. "So we at the organizing committee have no idea of all the details about how this money will be spent."
Soaring Olympic costs are sure to be a touchy subject as Japan, like most countries, battles a deep recession brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
Japanese organizers and government bodies are obligated by a Host City Contract signed in 2013 to pick up most of the Olympic costs. When they were awarded the games seven years ago, Tokyo officials said the Olympics would cost just over $7 billion.
Tokyo now says it is spending $12.6 billion to organize the games, but a government audit report last year said it was twice that much.
All but $5.6 billion is public money.
Mr. Muto said organizers are still trying to guarantee that 43 venues will be available next year, hoping to keep the same event schedule when the Olympics open on July 23, 2021.
"It's going to take a bit of time," Mr. Muto said, "and that cannot be helped."
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empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
This story was reported by The Associated Press.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-05-15--Why this hospital attack is pushing Afghans toward ‘tipping point’

“ Unfortunately , what this seems like it might be a tipping point for , is a lot of people rejecting the very idea of trying to give this peace process a chance , ” says Andrew Watkins , an International Crisis Group analyst .
“ What really worries me is not the fact that there are such intense responses to this attack , [ but ] that there are no new ideas , ” he says .
“ What I ’ m not hearing is any recommendation for anything that could prevent this from happening again tomorrow.
” Rafiullah @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the attack after giving birth to their daughter , says he will never forgive the Taliban , charging that their continued violence “ paves the way for other groups.
” Women and children have died before in decades of war in Afghanistan .
Hospitals , too , have been attacked .
But even by that low standard , the attack Tuesday that left at least 24 dead at a Kabul hospital – including mothers , nurses , and two newborns – changed minds .
The Taliban denied responsibility for the attack .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against Taliban and Islamic State militants , jeopardizing an already stalled U.S.-led peace effort .
That raises the question of whether the attack may prove to be a tipping point that galvanizes Afghans seeking a way out of war .
Rafiullah Wardak and his wife Nazeya chose the Barchi National Maternity Hospital in Kabul for the birth of their third child because it was “ safe.
” They never suspected it would be the target of a militant attack that would shock even war-hardened Afghans .
Baby Amina was born Tuesday morning , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ embrace of her mother .
It would also be her last .
Less than an hour later , Nazeya was killed by three bullets as three gunmen stormed the ward .
Amina , shot twice in the leg , survived .
Women and children have died before in Afghanistan , in the decades of war that have killed tens of thousands of civilians .
Hospitals , too , have suffered dramatic attacks .
But even by Afghanistan ’ s low standard , the brutal attack Tuesday changed minds .
It left at least @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and two newborns .
And it took place amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the Islamic holy month of Ramadan .
Many Afghans have turned even more stridently against Taliban and Islamic State militants responsible for so much bloodshed in the country , jeopardizing an already stalled U.S.-led peace effort .
And that raises the question of whether the attack against such innocents might prove to be a tipping point that galvanizes Afghans seeking a way out of war .
And , if such a horrifying assault is not a tipping point , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a violent status quo , including a surge of lethal Taliban attacks .
“ We have spent our whole lives in war and violence , and expected to make our children ’ s lives better , but the Taliban will never let us achieve our dreams , ” says Mr. Wardak , an Afghan policeman for eight years .
After burying his wife Wednesday , he waited anxiously Friday as little Amina underwent another round of surgery .
The conservative Islamist Taliban denied any role in the Kabul attack , or in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in eastern province of Nangarhar , which killed at least 32 people .
U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad tweeted the American assessment that the Islamic State conducted both attacks , and urged Afghanistan not to fall “ into the ISIS trap and delay peace or create obstacles.
” The withdrawal agreement the Taliban signed with the U.S. in Doha , Qatar on Feb. 29 was meant to lead to intra-Afghan talks beginning March 10 .
But that deal , which excluded the Afghan government of President Ashraf Ghani , has been stymied by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resurgence of Taliban attacks against Afghan security units – even if the jihadists have steered away from targeting U.S. and NATO forces .
Since the accord , under which American officials say the Taliban agreed to an 80 % reduction of violence , the jihadists have instead conducted some 55 attacks per day , Afghan officials say .
“ Unfortunately , what this seems like it might be a tipping point for , is a lot of people rejecting the very idea of trying to give this peace process a chance , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the International Crisis Group think tank .
“ What really worries me is not the fact that there are such intense responses to this attack , [ but ] that there are no new ideas , ” says Mr. Watkins .
“ What I ’ m not hearing is any recommendation for anything that could prevent this from happening again tomorrow .
... What is it that we might be tipping back into ?
” “ I don ’ t think it ’ s a final blow to the inching forward that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he adds .
“ But then we come to this question of the national mood , and for so many people this just seems to be it , this seems to be a line crossed.
” Indeed , it does n't matter that the hospital attack , striking civilians in the Shiite-majority district of Dasht-e Barchi in western Kabul , bore the signs of an Islamic State operation .
It is the Taliban ’ s continued violence that “ paves the way for other groups , ” says Mr. Wardak , Amina 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this crime .
I will never forgive the Taliban , ” he says , distraught .
“ The Taliban will never accept peace.
” And he is not alone .
An angry and exhausted Afghan eyewitness to the attack was visiting the family of another newborn when the shooting began .
“ Peace with the Taliban is like writing on a piece of ice , and putting it in the sun , ” he said , citing a well-known Afghan saying .
“ The Taliban have not reduced violence , and instead they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ghani said .
“ In order to provide security for public places and to thwart attacks .
… I am ordering Afghan security forces from an active defense mode to an offensive one , to start their operation against the enemies.
” Hamdullah Mohib , Afghanistan ’ s national security adviser , weighed in as well .
“ The attacks of the last two months show us and the world that Taliban and their sponsors do not and did not intend to pursue peace , ” he tweeted .
If the Taliban can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , there “ seems little point in continuing to engage Taliban in ‘ peace talks.
’ ” Indeed , though technical discussions continue behind closed doors on provisions of the U.S.-Taliban accord – prisoner releases , efforts to reduce violence , and the start of Taliban-government talks – popular sentiment against the militants has been forged anew by the scale of killing .
Even without a fresh declaration of war , the violence feels like business as usual in Afghanistan , where the Taliban have made battlefield gains for years and now control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ If you look around Afghanistan today and the last few weeks , it looks like a normal spring offensive to me , ” Kate Clark , the co-director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network , told Al Jazeera English .
“ To be honest , I don ’ t see any intention from the Taliban of sitting down and talking .
Their actions belie that , ” Ms. Clark said .
“ Now you can talk and fight , we ’ ve seen that in other conflicts .
But you have to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political negotiation is your aim .
... And up to now , I don ’ t think we ’ ve seen that from the Taliban side.
” Still , neither Afghan side wants to be held responsible for completely shutting down the American-initiated process , even as they bicker over the very first step of a prisoner exchange , two-and-a-half months after the deal was signed .
To build `` confidence , '' the government was meant to release 5,000 Taliban fighters , and the Taliban to release 1,000 prisoners .
But only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But the Ghani government is facing tremendous U.S. pressure .
“ As terrible as it is , and as much as I don ’ t want to minimize or marginalize the mass psychological impact of Tuesday ’ s attacks , the fact is the Afghan government still has a $ 1 billion cut to [ U.S. ] aid dangling over its head , like the Sword of Damocles , ” says the Crisis Group ’ s Mr. Watkins .
“ The Taliban still very badly wants to reap the fruits of international legitimacy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their victory that the deal signed in Doha would deliver them , ” he says .
“ So even if we are at a tipping point , there are big , threatening reasons that are coming in the form of U.S. pressure , and even if it is only by a thread , it does seem to keep both actors plugged in by a thread .
”

An attack this week horrified a country all too accustomed to violence. The question is whether it will galvanize thinking about what it would take to alter such a violent status quo.
“Unfortunately, what this seems like it might be a tipping point for, is a lot of people rejecting the very idea of trying to give this peace process a chance,” says Andrew Watkins, an International Crisis Group analyst. “What really worries me is not the fact that there are such intense responses to this attack, [but] that there are no new ideas,” he says. “What I’m not hearing is any recommendation for anything that could prevent this from happening again tomorrow.”
Rafiullah Wardak, whose wife was killed in the attack after giving birth to their daughter, says he will never forgive the Taliban, charging that their continued violence “paves the way for other groups.”
Women and children have died before in decades of war in Afghanistan. Hospitals, too, have been attacked. But even by that low standard, the attack Tuesday that left at least 24 dead at a Kabul hospital – including mothers, nurses, and two newborns – changed minds. The Taliban denied responsibility for the attack. But many Afghans have turned even more stridently against Taliban and Islamic State militants, jeopardizing an already stalled U.S.-led peace effort. That raises the question of whether the attack may prove to be a tipping point that galvanizes Afghans seeking a way out of war.
Rafiullah Wardak and his wife Nazeya chose the Barchi National Maternity Hospital in Kabul for the birth of their third child because it was “safe.” They never suspected it would be the target of a militant attack that would shock even war-hardened Afghans.
Baby Amina was born Tuesday morning, welcomed into the world with the first embrace of her mother. It would also be her last.
Less than an hour later, Nazeya was killed by three bullets as three gunmen stormed the ward. Amina, shot twice in the leg, survived.
Why We Wrote This An attack this week horrified a country all too accustomed to violence. The question is whether it will galvanize thinking about what it would take to alter such a violent status quo.
Women and children have died before in Afghanistan, in the decades of war that have killed tens of thousands of civilians. Hospitals, too, have suffered dramatic attacks.
But even by Afghanistan’s low standard, the brutal attack Tuesday changed minds. It left at least 24 dead – including mothers, nurses, and two newborns. And it took place amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
Many Afghans have turned even more stridently against Taliban and Islamic State militants responsible for so much bloodshed in the country, jeopardizing an already stalled U.S.-led peace effort. And that raises the question of whether the attack against such innocents might prove to be a tipping point that galvanizes Afghans seeking a way out of war. And, if such a horrifying assault is not a tipping point, what it would take to alter such a violent status quo, including a surge of lethal Taliban attacks.
“We have spent our whole lives in war and violence, and expected to make our children’s lives better, but the Taliban will never let us achieve our dreams,” says Mr. Wardak, an Afghan policeman for eight years. After burying his wife Wednesday, he waited anxiously Friday as little Amina underwent another round of surgery.
The conservative Islamist Taliban denied any role in the Kabul attack, or in a suicide bombing that day of a funeral in eastern province of Nangarhar, which killed at least 32 people. U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad tweeted the American assessment that the Islamic State conducted both attacks, and urged Afghanistan not to fall “into the ISIS trap and delay peace or create obstacles.”
A stymied peace deal
The withdrawal agreement the Taliban signed with the U.S. in Doha, Qatar on Feb. 29 was meant to lead to intra-Afghan talks beginning March 10. But that deal, which excluded the Afghan government of President Ashraf Ghani, has been stymied by a dispute over prisoner releases and a resurgence of Taliban attacks against Afghan security units – even if the jihadists have steered away from targeting U.S. and NATO forces. Since the accord, under which American officials say the Taliban agreed to an 80% reduction of violence, the jihadists have instead conducted some 55 attacks per day, Afghan officials say.
Courtesy of the Rafiullah Wardak family View caption Hide caption Afghan father Rafiullah Wardak looks upon his newborn daughter Amina, recovering after being wounded by gunmen who stormed a maternity award in Kabul on Tuesday. Mr. Wardak's wife, Nazeya, was among at least 24 people killed in the attack, including women, nurses, and newborns.
“Unfortunately, what this seems like it might be a tipping point for, is a lot of people rejecting the very idea of trying to give this peace process a chance,” says Andrew Watkins, senior Afghanistan analyst for the International Crisis Group think tank.
“What really worries me is not the fact that there are such intense responses to this attack, [but] that there are no new ideas,” says Mr. Watkins. “What I’m not hearing is any recommendation for anything that could prevent this from happening again tomorrow. ... What is it that we might be tipping back into?”
“I don’t think it’s a final blow to the inching forward that the peace process has undergone,” he adds. “But then we come to this question of the national mood, and for so many people this just seems to be it, this seems to be a line crossed.”
Indeed, it doesn't matter that the hospital attack, striking civilians in the Shiite-majority district of Dasht-e Barchi in western Kabul, bore the signs of an Islamic State operation. It is the Taliban’s continued violence that “paves the way for other groups,” says Mr. Wardak, Amina's father.
“I will never forget this crime. I will never forgive the Taliban,” he says, distraught. “The Taliban will never accept peace.” And he is not alone.
An angry and exhausted Afghan eyewitness to the attack was visiting the family of another newborn when the shooting began. “Peace with the Taliban is like writing on a piece of ice, and putting it in the sun,” he said, citing a well-known Afghan saying.
Official reaction was swift.
“The Taliban have not reduced violence, and instead they have increased their attacks,” President Ghani said. “In order to provide security for public places and to thwart attacks. … I am ordering Afghan security forces from an active defense mode to an offensive one, to start their operation against the enemies.”
Hamdullah Mohib, Afghanistan’s national security adviser, weighed in as well. “The attacks of the last two months show us and the world that Taliban and their sponsors do not and did not intend to pursue peace,” he tweeted.
If the Taliban can’t control violence, he added, there “seems little point in continuing to engage Taliban in ‘peace talks.’”
Anti-Taliban sentiment deepens
Indeed, though technical discussions continue behind closed doors on provisions of the U.S.-Taliban accord – prisoner releases, efforts to reduce violence, and the start of Taliban-government talks – popular sentiment against the militants has been forged anew by the scale of killing.
Even without a fresh declaration of war, the violence feels like business as usual in Afghanistan, where the Taliban have made battlefield gains for years and now control or contest more than half the country.
“If you look around Afghanistan today and the last few weeks, it looks like a normal spring offensive to me,” Kate Clark, the co-director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network, told Al Jazeera English.
“To be honest, I don’t see any intention from the Taliban of sitting down and talking. Their actions belie that,” Ms. Clark said. “Now you can talk and fight, we’ve seen that in other conflicts. But you have to at least have the intention that a political negotiation is your aim. ... And up to now, I don’t think we’ve seen that from the Taliban side.”
Still, neither Afghan side wants to be held responsible for completely shutting down the American-initiated process, even as they bicker over the very first step of a prisoner exchange, two-and-a-half months after the deal was signed. To build "confidence," the government was meant to release 5,000 Taliban fighters, and the Taliban to release 1,000 prisoners. But only a fraction have been let go.
But the Ghani government is facing tremendous U.S. pressure.
“As terrible as it is, and as much as I don’t want to minimize or marginalize the mass psychological impact of Tuesday’s attacks, the fact is the Afghan government still has a $1 billion cut to [U.S.] aid dangling over its head, like the Sword of Damocles,” says the Crisis Group’s Mr. Watkins.
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“The Taliban still very badly wants to reap the fruits of international legitimacy and what seems like the certification of their victory that the deal signed in Doha would deliver them,” he says. “So even if we are at a tipping point, there are big, threatening reasons that are coming in the form of U.S. pressure, and even if it is only by a thread, it does seem to keep both actors plugged in by a thread.”
Hidayatullah Noorzai contributed reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan.


csmonitor--2020-05-15--Celebrities offer advice, hope to 2020 grads via virtual lectern

This year 's college graduates won ’ t get to take their triumphant walk across the stage .
They won ’ t get to toss their caps amid a sea of classmates .
Instead , they have to settle for online ceremonies while their diplomas are mailed home .
But at least one aspect of the traditional graduation ceremony is being salvaged for the class of 2020 : the celebrity keynote address .
As scores of U.S. colleges host virtual graduation ceremonies amid the coronavirus pandemic , many are recruiting famous figures to give commencement speeches over their laptops instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks of graduation season , schools have landed speeches from big names including Tom Hanks , Pharrell Williams , and Tom Brady .
Others are promising appearances from comedians , authors , civil rights leaders , and politicians .
At the same time , a growing number of companies are stepping in with their own star-studded events celebrating college graduates across the nation .
On Friday , Facebook is hosting a “ Graduation 2020 ” event with commencement speeches from Oprah Winfrey , Awkwafina , Lil Nas X , and Simone Biles , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Dear Class of 2020 ” celebration headlined by Barack and Michelle Obama , with additional speeches from Lady Gaga , Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai , and the K-Pop supergroup BTS .
A separate online event will celebrate graduates at historically black colleges , with speeches from Barack Obama and a host of other stars .
It ’ s all meant to take the sting out of losing such a memorable moment .
Schools across the U.S. started canceling or postponing traditional ceremonies in March , to the dismay of graduates who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work .
In their addresses , some speakers have used the moment to offer a lesson on life 's curve balls and the need to adapt .
In a video message for Texas A & M University 's law school , actor Rainn Wilson told graduates he was sorry they could n't share “ big group hugs and high fives and kisses on the cheek.
” But he also said students can learn from that disappointment .
“ It may also teach a very valuable life lesson not to take anything for granted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will change all the time , '' Mr. Wilson said .
“ The world out there can be incredibly difficult and fraught , and plans change all the time . ''
Tom Hanks , who survived COVID-19 , told graduates at Wright State University that their lives will forever be divided into time before and after the coronavirus pandemic , in the same way that past generations had their lives marked by wars .
“ You have finished Wright State during the great reset , the great reboot , ” Mr. Hanks said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chosen ones are going to form the new structures and define the new realities , and make the new world – the world after all that we have been through.
” Mr. Hanks ’ message was delivered as a surprise to graduates at the Ohio school .
Other colleges have similarly kept quiet about their celebrity speeches until they were shared online , including at Virginia ’ s Norfolk State University , which tapped singer and producer Pharrell Williams to give a virtual address .
“ Even if this is not the norm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the praise , ” Mr. Williams said in his message .
“ You stuck it through , you made it and today ’ s your day .
And man , you made it at a really crazy time in life.
” Some colleges are keeping the same speakers they previously lined up for campus ceremonies , including Harvard University , which will offer a message from Marty Baron , editor of The Washington Post , and Ohio State University , which broadcast a virtual address from Apple CEO Tim Cook .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ postponed , President Donald Trump recently said he plans to deliver an in-person address at the Military Academy at West Point on June 13 .
The academy says it ’ s bringing 1,000 cadets back to the Annapolis , Maryland , campus for the event .
Mr. Trump ’ s presumptive Democratic opponent , Joe Biden , is scheduled to give remarks at a virtual graduation event for Columbia University ’ s law school .
Other political figures recruited to deliver virtual speeches include House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , who will speak to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Dr. Deborah Birx , the Trump administration ’ s coronavirus response coordinator , who gave a video address for New York ’ s Houghton College .
The virtual celebrations have a different look from school to school , with some preparing videos that are recorded in advance and then shared online .
Others are holding live events over video conference , in some cases produced by companies promising to replicate the traditional graduation experience .
Some are passing up on celebrity speeches , though , saying the online events are n't meant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campus event .
At Rice University , officials are hosting an online event with no guest speaker .
Instead , the school hopes to bring graduates back for a belated ceremony on campus with the previously announced keynote speaker , New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof .
And some others are skipping online events entirely .
Officials at the University of California , Berkeley , say they surveyed students and found it was their “ clear preference ” to pass on a virtual celebration and aim for a campus celebration later .
A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ too early at this stage of the pandemic to finalize when and how we will mark this milestone.
” This story was reported by The Associated Press .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

This year's college graduates won’t get to take their triumphant walk across the stage. They won’t get to toss their caps amid a sea of classmates. Instead, they have to settle for online ceremonies while their diplomas are mailed home. But at least one aspect of the traditional graduation ceremony is being salvaged for the class of 2020: the celebrity keynote address.
As scores of U.S. colleges host virtual graduation ceremonies amid the coronavirus pandemic, many are recruiting famous figures to give commencement speeches over their laptops instead of the lectern. In the first weeks of graduation season, schools have landed speeches from big names including Tom Hanks, Pharrell Williams, and Tom Brady. Others are promising appearances from comedians, authors, civil rights leaders, and politicians.
At the same time, a growing number of companies are stepping in with their own star-studded events celebrating college graduates across the nation.
On Friday, Facebook is hosting a “Graduation 2020” event with commencement speeches from Oprah Winfrey, Awkwafina, Lil Nas X, and Simone Biles, among others. YouTube is offering a “Dear Class of 2020” celebration headlined by Barack and Michelle Obama, with additional speeches from Lady Gaga, Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, and the K-Pop supergroup BTS.
A separate online event will celebrate graduates at historically black colleges, with speeches from Barack Obama and a host of other stars.
It’s all meant to take the sting out of losing such a memorable moment. Schools across the U.S. started canceling or postponing traditional ceremonies in March, to the dismay of graduates who had hoped to celebrate years of hard work. In their addresses, some speakers have used the moment to offer a lesson on life's curve balls and the need to adapt.
In a video message for Texas A&M University's law school, actor Rainn Wilson told graduates he was sorry they couldn't share “big group hugs and high fives and kisses on the cheek.” But he also said students can learn from that disappointment.
“It may also teach a very valuable life lesson not to take anything for granted. To know that things can and will change all the time," Mr. Wilson said. “The world out there can be incredibly difficult and fraught, and plans change all the time."
Tom Hanks, who survived COVID-19, told graduates at Wright State University that their lives will forever be divided into time before and after the coronavirus pandemic, in the same way that past generations had their lives marked by wars.
“You have finished Wright State during the great reset, the great reboot,” Mr. Hanks said in a video message. “You chosen ones are going to form the new structures and define the new realities, and make the new world – the world after all that we have been through.”
Mr. Hanks’ message was delivered as a surprise to graduates at the Ohio school. Other colleges have similarly kept quiet about their celebrity speeches until they were shared online, including at Virginia’s Norfolk State University, which tapped singer and producer Pharrell Williams to give a virtual address.
“Even if this is not the norm, you guys and girls still deserve all the praise,” Mr. Williams said in his message. “You stuck it through, you made it and today’s your day. And man, you made it at a really crazy time in life.”
Some colleges are keeping the same speakers they previously lined up for campus ceremonies, including Harvard University, which will offer a message from Marty Baron, editor of The Washington Post, and Ohio State University, which broadcast a virtual address from Apple CEO Tim Cook.
While most campus ceremonies have been canceled or postponed, President Donald Trump recently said he plans to deliver an in-person address at the Military Academy at West Point on June 13. The academy says it’s bringing 1,000 cadets back to the Annapolis, Maryland, campus for the event.
Mr. Trump’s presumptive Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, is scheduled to give remarks at a virtual graduation event for Columbia University’s law school.
Other political figures recruited to deliver virtual speeches include House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who will speak to graduates at Smith College in Massachusetts, and Dr. Deborah Birx, the Trump administration’s coronavirus response coordinator, who gave a video address for New York’s Houghton College.
The virtual celebrations have a different look from school to school, with some preparing videos that are recorded in advance and then shared online. Others are holding live events over video conference, in some cases produced by companies promising to replicate the traditional graduation experience.
Some are passing up on celebrity speeches, though, saying the online events aren't meant to be an exact replica of the campus event. At Rice University, officials are hosting an online event with no guest speaker. Instead, the school hopes to bring graduates back for a belated ceremony on campus with the previously announced keynote speaker, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof.
And some others are skipping online events entirely. Officials at the University of California, Berkeley, say they surveyed students and found it was their “clear preference” to pass on a virtual celebration and aim for a campus celebration later. A message from the university said it's “too early at this stage of the pandemic to finalize when and how we will mark this milestone.”
This story was reported by The Associated Press.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-05-15--Virtual Sunday school: Where faith endures under lockdown

“ I think the peace that we generally feel when we are together , when we are praying together , that peace is the only thing that can really transcend all of the worry and confusion , ” she says .
After the coronavirus outbreak halted in-person services at Rachel Lambourne ’ s local chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , she and her family moved Sunday worship inside their home in Fremont , California , and let the kids pick the music and give talks .
Parents play a big role in their children ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lisa Pearce , a professor at the University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill .
How parents are responding to the pandemic may open up opportunities to connect with their kids about their faith , or cause friction if parents are too forceful , she adds .
Handling religious education can be a tall task for parents pressed to oversee their children ’ s remote learning while making a living .
Yet some families are experimenting with creative forms of spiritual instruction , whether online or through an increased parent role , because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ helping their children process the pandemic with some hope and stability .
For parents who usually bring their children to churches , mosques , or synagogues , the coronavirus pandemic has cast yet another role on their shoulders : spiritual educator-in-residence .
Handling religious education can be a tall task for parents pressed to oversee their children ’ s K-12 remote learning while making a living .
Yet some families are experimenting with creative forms of spiritual instruction , whether online or through an increased parent role , because they see faith as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the pandemic with some hope and stability .
“ Judaism as a religion has been around for a long time , obviously , and has been through a lot .
A lot of these rituals and structures , the language itself , the prayers , they ’ ve been fairly stable and that helps anchor [ our son ] , ” says Rob Seesengood of Reading , Pennsylvania .
His 10-year-old son now attends Hebrew school online , and meets with classmates virtually to sing prayers before the traditional Friday evening candle lighting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .
Participation in organized religion is declining in the United States , with drop-offs in regular worship attendance and a fast-growing segment of the population identifying themselves as holding no religious affiliation .
However , the global pandemic seems to have sparked some interest in matters of faith .
A March poll from Pew Research Center found that more than half of U.S. adults have prayed for an end to the spread of the coronavirus , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or never pray .
About 45 % of the U.S. adult population attend religious services at least monthly , according to a 2019 Pew report .
Since the coronavirus outbreak , more than half of regular attendees have reported watching religious services online or on TV instead of in person , and 51 % of Americans believe in-person religious services should be permitted in some form during the pandemic , according to a recent poll by the University of Chicago Divinity School and AP-NORC .
While there ’ s little data on kids @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number of religious institutions are experimenting with new formats and are releasing content geared specifically for kids , such as the free online Sunday school curriculum prepared by LifeWay Christian Resources , a publishing arm of the Southern Baptist Convention .
“ I do think , similar to schools , religious institutions are taking this opportunity to advertise what may have been existing online resources , or working to build up more of those .
Parents may also be turning to some of those resources , ” says Lisa Pearce , a professor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chapel Hill , who researches family and religion .
Amanda Rabineau , a mother of four from Vestal , New York , says her local church moved its Sunday school and worship service to the online platform Zoom .
Her kids recently listened to their teacher read the story of David and Goliath in the Bible and drew pictures .
Afterward , the whole family sat on their couch to watch the pastor preach and to sing songs together .
As parents decide how much to engage with the virtual tools offered to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re also weighing how to practice their religion in their home and how to discuss some of the deeper questions provoked by the pandemic .
Akif Aydin , a Muslim father of three from Greenville , South Carolina , says his children are experiencing a heightened fear of death since the coronavirus outbreak .
He and his wife are talking with them about what death means in the Islamic tradition and reasons why the pandemic might be occurring .
“ [ We are ] trying to explain at their level of understanding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says .
Elizabeth Vice , the children ’ s spiritual formation director at Two Rivers Church , a Charleston , South Carolina , congregation of the United Methodist Church , hosts Facebook Live videos for parents demonstrating activities they can do with their kids , like telling the resurrection story while building with stones or Legos .
She ’ s also shared tips for talking with children about grief or death .
“ We had a lot of modeling of how to have a religious conversation with your child because a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come from overly churched backgrounds , ” she says .
Parents play a big role in their children ’ s spiritual development by role-modeling , says Professor Pearce .
How parents are responding to the pandemic may open up opportunities to connect with their kids about their faith , or cause friction if parents are too forceful , she says .
“ I think a lot of people turn to religion or spiritual practices to cope with anxiety or difficult situations .
If there ’ s more of that happening in the home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open up examples or opportunities to see that or talk about it , ” she says .
“ The negative flip side of that can be , I also see in my research that parents do try to force religion and spirituality on their kids .
That ’ s not really successful when it ends up being contentious and really tense and children might be resistant.
” Parents across faith backgrounds generally feel confident answering their children ’ s questions about religion , says Michael Rotolo , a Ph.D. candidate at the University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ book “ Religious Parenting : Transmitting Faith and Values in Contemporary America.
” “ In the event that they didn ’ t have the answer to their children ’ s question , [ some parents said ] they would be open to figuring it out together with their child , ” Mr. Rotolo says .
“ There were actually quite a few parents who felt the internet would be a good enough resource to help answer those questions.
” After the coronavirus outbreak halted in-person services at Rachel Lambourne ’ s local chapel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Latter-day Saints , she and her family moved Sunday worship inside their home in Fremont , California , and let the kids pick the music and give talks .
While the family worries about those they know who are affected by the coronavirus , Ms. Lambourne appreciates the easing of their rushed lifestyle and the extra time spent praying , singing , and talking together as a family about their faith .
“ I think the peace that we generally feel when we are together , when we are praying together , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ really transcend all of the worry and confusion , ” she says .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .

“I think the peace that we generally feel when we are together, when we are praying together, that peace is the only thing that can really transcend all of the worry and confusion,” she says.
After the coronavirus outbreak halted in-person services at Rachel Lambourne’s local chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she and her family moved Sunday worship inside their home in Fremont, California, and let the kids pick the music and give talks.
COVID-19 has caused all kinds of rituals to evolve. Yet many Americans are adapting to new rhythms with open minds. Families of faith have found that home can double as a house of worship.
Parents play a big role in their children’s spiritual development by role-modeling, says Lisa Pearce, a professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. How parents are responding to the pandemic may open up opportunities to connect with their kids about their faith, or cause friction if parents are too forceful, she adds.
Handling religious education can be a tall task for parents pressed to oversee their children’s remote learning while making a living. Yet some families are experimenting with creative forms of spiritual instruction, whether online or through an increased parent role, because they see faith as an aid for helping their children process the pandemic with some hope and stability.
For parents who usually bring their children to churches, mosques, or synagogues, the coronavirus pandemic has cast yet another role on their shoulders: spiritual educator-in-residence.
Handling religious education can be a tall task for parents pressed to oversee their children’s K-12 remote learning while making a living. Yet some families are experimenting with creative forms of spiritual instruction, whether online or through an increased parent role, because they see faith as an aid for helping their children process the pandemic with some hope and stability.
“Judaism as a religion has been around for a long time, obviously, and has been through a lot. A lot of these rituals and structures, the language itself, the prayers, they’ve been fairly stable and that helps anchor [our son],” says Rob Seesengood of Reading, Pennsylvania. His 10-year-old son now attends Hebrew school online, and meets with classmates virtually to sing prayers before the traditional Friday evening candle lighting to mark the Sabbath.
Why We Wrote This COVID-19 has caused all kinds of rituals to evolve. Yet many Americans are adapting to new rhythms with open minds. Families of faith have found that home can double as a house of worship.
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.
Participation in organized religion is declining in the United States, with drop-offs in regular worship attendance and a fast-growing segment of the population identifying themselves as holding no religious affiliation. However, the global pandemic seems to have sparked some interest in matters of faith. A March poll from Pew Research Center found that more than half of U.S. adults have prayed for an end to the spread of the coronavirus, including 15% of those who seldom or never pray.
Irwansyah Putra/Antara Foto/Reuters View caption Hide caption Children pray as they attend an online service to celebrate Good Friday at their home amid the spread of coronavirus outbreak, in Aceh, Indonesia, April 10, 2020.
About 45% of the U.S. adult population attend religious services at least monthly, according to a 2019 Pew report. Since the coronavirus outbreak, more than half of regular attendees have reported watching religious services online or on TV instead of in person, and 51% of Americans believe in-person religious services should be permitted in some form during the pandemic, according to a recent poll by the University of Chicago Divinity School and AP-NORC.
While there’s little data on kids and religion during the pandemic, a number of religious institutions are experimenting with new formats and are releasing content geared specifically for kids, such as the free online Sunday school curriculum prepared by LifeWay Christian Resources, a publishing arm of the Southern Baptist Convention.
“I do think, similar to schools, religious institutions are taking this opportunity to advertise what may have been existing online resources, or working to build up more of those. Parents may also be turning to some of those resources,” says Lisa Pearce, a professor at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, who researches family and religion.
Amanda Rabineau, a mother of four from Vestal, New York, says her local church moved its Sunday school and worship service to the online platform Zoom. Her kids recently listened to their teacher read the story of David and Goliath in the Bible and drew pictures. Afterward, the whole family sat on their couch to watch the pastor preach and to sing songs together.
As parents decide how much to engage with the virtual tools offered to them by their faith communities, they’re also weighing how to practice their religion in their home and how to discuss some of the deeper questions provoked by the pandemic.
Akif Aydin, a Muslim father of three from Greenville, South Carolina, says his children are experiencing a heightened fear of death since the coronavirus outbreak. He and his wife are talking with them about what death means in the Islamic tradition and reasons why the pandemic might be occurring.
“[We are] trying to explain at their level of understanding,” using simple language, he says.
Elizabeth Vice, the children’s spiritual formation director at Two Rivers Church, a Charleston, South Carolina, congregation of the United Methodist Church, hosts Facebook Live videos for parents demonstrating activities they can do with their kids, like telling the resurrection story while building with stones or Legos. She’s also shared tips for talking with children about grief or death.
“We had a lot of modeling of how to have a religious conversation with your child because a lot of our families don’t tend to come from overly churched backgrounds,” she says.
Parents play a big role in their children’s spiritual development by role-modeling, says Professor Pearce. How parents are responding to the pandemic may open up opportunities to connect with their kids about their faith, or cause friction if parents are too forceful, she says.
Jason Redmond/Reuters View caption Hide caption Members of the McClenahan family (L-R) Helen, daughter Isla, son Cade, and husband Tyler watch Pope Francis' special prayer from the Vatican at home, as efforts continue to help slow the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Seattle, Washington, on March 27, 2020.
“I think a lot of people turn to religion or spiritual practices to cope with anxiety or difficult situations. If there’s more of that happening in the home, then that’s going to open up examples or opportunities to see that or talk about it,” she says. “The negative flip side of that can be, I also see in my research that parents do try to force religion and spirituality on their kids. That’s not really successful when it ends up being contentious and really tense and children might be resistant.”
Parents across faith backgrounds generally feel confident answering their children’s questions about religion, says Michael Rotolo, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Notre Dame and co-author of the book “Religious Parenting: Transmitting Faith and Values in Contemporary America.”
“In the event that they didn’t have the answer to their children’s question, [some parents said] they would be open to figuring it out together with their child,” Mr. Rotolo says. “There were actually quite a few parents who felt the internet would be a good enough resource to help answer those questions.”
After the coronavirus outbreak halted in-person services at Rachel Lambourne’s local chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she and her family moved Sunday worship inside their home in Fremont, California, and let the kids pick the music and give talks.
While the family worries about those they know who are affected by the coronavirus, Ms. Lambourne appreciates the easing of their rushed lifestyle and the extra time spent praying, singing, and talking together as a family about their faith.
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“I think the peace that we generally feel when we are together, when we are praying together, that peace is the only thing that can really transcend all of the worry and confusion,” she says.
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.


csmonitor--2020-05-15--Obituaries, writing, and the art of remembrance

I have long been a reader of obituaries , which I see as celebrations of life , albeit with some sadness .
There have been far too many lately , but along the way , I ’ ve “ met ” some amazing people .
I ’ ve also gotten to thinking about those tasked with suddenly having to portray the meaning of a life at a very difficult moment .
Yesterday ’ s Washington Post featured an article about a famous Chinese American writer I had never heard of , who recently died .
The headline hinted at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by upheaval , novelist Yu Lihua told raw stories from a speckled blue desk.
” We learn of a childhood wound , university rejections , and how tough she was on her children , including Post reporter Lena Sun , who , it so happens , is covering the pandemic .
But Ms. Yu persisted , and led a full life – teaching , writing , raising a family .
She published more than two dozen books , read mostly by Chinese speakers , in writing that spanned 75 years .
But it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ story pop : the Shake ’ n Bake chicken dinners , her “ mah-jongg mafia , ” that time she smeared peanut butter across the TV screen .
Kudos to the writer , normally a transportation reporter , who got input from Ms. Yu ’ s children and grandchildren to paint an endearing portrait .
Many papers are pulling reporters from other beats into writing about those struck down by COVID-19 .
It ’ s a sad sign of the times , but the art of remembrance is still a craft worth celebrating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time she was asked to write up the life of a friend who died suddenly .
“ I had to get VERY quiet to sift through a lifetime of remembrances to try , in a few short sentences , to encapsulate her essence , ” Ms. Akgulian writes in an email .
“ Each of us , jewel-like , contains so many facets ... and yes , it felt like a singular honor to be entrusted with another ’ s life story .
”

Today we look at those experiencing food insecurity for the first time, the Afghan maternity ward massacre, an Irish outpouring for the Navajo, virtual Sunday school, and engaging online with museums and theaters. First, some thoughts on remembrance.
I have long been a reader of obituaries, which I see as celebrations of life, albeit with some sadness. There have been far too many lately, but along the way, I’ve “met” some amazing people. I’ve also gotten to thinking about those tasked with suddenly having to portray the meaning of a life at a very difficult moment.
Yesterday’s Washington Post featured an article about a famous Chinese American writer I had never heard of, who recently died. The headline hinted at the remarkable story to follow: “Battered by upheaval, novelist Yu Lihua told raw stories from a speckled blue desk.”
We learn of a childhood wound, university rejections, and how tough she was on her children, including Post reporter Lena Sun, who, it so happens, is covering the pandemic. But Ms. Yu persisted, and led a full life – teaching, writing, raising a family.
She published more than two dozen books, read mostly by Chinese speakers, in writing that spanned 75 years. But it’s the details that make the story pop: the Shake ’n Bake chicken dinners, her “mah-jongg mafia,” that time she smeared peanut butter across the TV screen.
Kudos to the writer, normally a transportation reporter, who got input from Ms. Yu’s children and grandchildren to paint an endearing portrait. Many papers are pulling reporters from other beats into writing about those struck down by COVID-19. It’s a sad sign of the times, but the art of remembrance is still a craft worth celebrating.
My writer friend Laura Akgulian recalls the time she was asked to write up the life of a friend who died suddenly.
“I had to get VERY quiet to sift through a lifetime of remembrances to try, in a few short sentences, to encapsulate her essence,” Ms. Akgulian writes in an email. “Each of us, jewel-like, contains so many facets ... and yes, it felt like a singular honor to be entrusted with another’s life story.”


csmonitor--2020-04-29--Bluer skies, less greenhouse gas. What happens after the pandemic?

But while conventional wisdom has held that the people who consume the most aren ’ t willing to change their behavior , the pandemic is showing a different side of humanity .
“ We are able to mobilize the entire global economy and population for an imminent threat , ” says Christopher Jones at the University of California , Berkeley .
“ Climate change and this pandemic both affect the most vulnerable.
” Many are “ willing to make personal sacrifices .
...
I think that ’ s quite new.
” It ’ s a reason to push green initiatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worry that unless policymakers focus on greener legislation , the pandemic could lead to policy shifts that would undermine years of hard-won climate victories .
In March , for example , the Environmental Protection Agency paused enforcement of its regulations during the pandemic .
On social media , people have eagerly posted photos of clearer air and waterways to show how humans slowing down during the pandemic is affecting the environment .
But many of these demonstrable changes are temporary and may barely register on any long-term analysis , according to researchers .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for example , global emissions grew rapidly .
Earlier this month , health care experts from across the United States gathered to address hundreds of journalists and policymakers by webinar .
But their focus was not testing , nor vaccines , nor “ herd immunity.
” It was not even COVID-19 , really .
Instead , their focus was climate change .
“ While many see issues like climate change and biodiversity loss as far from what ’ s going on right now … I see this as the time to talk about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a pediatrician at Boston Children ’ s Hospital and a professor at Harvard Medical School .
“ Climate solutions are , in fact , pandemic solutions.
” A few days later , economists and policy experts with the World Resources Institute held their own panel discussion .
The message was similar , and the audience one of the largest in the organization ’ s history .
The experience of and response to COVID-19 , proclaimed expert after expert , was intricately tied to climate .
Indeed , increasing numbers of researchers and policymakers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are looking at the coronavirus through an ecological lens .
Whether they are focused on consumer behavioral shifts , changes in emission outputs , or policy decisions that might help or hurt long-term goals for green infrastructure , they are seeing in this moment a pivotal chance to address climate change .
“ As we respond to the very imminent economic and health crisis , can we also tackle the climate and sustainability crisis ?
” asked Manish Bapna , WRI ’ s managing director and executive vice president .
Editor ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .
There have been a number of short-term environmental shifts connected with how the world is coping with the pandemic .
China ’ s carbon emissions dropped 18 % between the beginning of February and mid-March , according to data compiled by the website CarbonBrief .
Pollution over India has decreased dramatically , according to satellite images from NASA ’ s Earth Observatory .
And in the U.S. , a dramatic decrease in air travel , as well as a drop in vehicular travel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many of these changes are temporary , researchers say , and may barely register on any long-term analysis of global carbon emissions .
The drop in China ’ s carbon output , for instance , came alongside a lockdown over much of the country and a related plunge in factory operations .
As the country reopens , says Fang Li , chief representative of the World Resources Institute in Beijing , emissions are expected to rebound along with the economy .
After the global financial crisis of 2008 and 2009 , Dr. Fang @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grew rapidly .
For many climate advocates , this is a reason to push green initiatives now .
Environmentalists worry that unless policymakers focus on climate as part of their economic packages , the pandemic could lead to policy shifts that would undermine years of hard-won climate victories .
Indeed , the Trump administration in late March announced that it would weaken Obama-era fuel standards that mandate increased fuel efficiencies for automobiles .
It also announced last month that the Environmental Protection Agency will not enforce environmental regulations during the pandemic .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ whether ... policy changes are going to be long term or short term , ” says Christopher Jones , director of the CoolClimate Network at the University of California , Berkeley .
“ If we roll back standards and they remain in place when the economy comes back , we are going to have a real problem.
” Researchers say that a green economic stimulus package could both help the U.S. ensure long-term sustainability and rebound from the crushing economic impact of the pandemic .
( More than 26 million Americans have filed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to the U.S. Labor Department . )
Many environmentalists look at the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act , the stimulus package signed by President Barack Obama in 2009 , as an example of how government initiatives can spur climate-friendly industry .
That bill , which earmarked some $ 90 billion to promote green energy , is widely credited with launching the widespread renewable energy sector in the U.S. “ Economic measures should focus on climate as well as jobs and livelihood , ” Mr. Bapna said during the WRI panel .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Yale University and a research fellow at the National Bureau of Economics Research , points out , the pandemic itself has slowed renewable energy efforts .
“ There ’ s a slowing down of building new solar farms , of new wind facilities , ” he says .
“ Some projects are hitting the pause button .
Other projects may not happen for a long time.
” And while there is hope for a green renewal , he suspects the future will be a good deal more nuanced .
“ Entirely rebuilding our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s a wonderful vision , but I don ’ t believe that ’ s what we ’ ll likely see , ” he says .
But a move toward environmental sustainability , says Dr. Bernstein , is going to be crucial not only for combatting a climate crisis , but for helping some of the people most impacted by the coronavirus .
As he points out , both the pandemic and the impacts from climate change disproportionately affect people of color and other marginalized groups .
There is , he and others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken from the massive lifestyle and economic shifts seen across the globe in response to COVID-19 .
For years , popular wisdom has said that people simply would not engage in the sort of behavior changes necessary to fight climate change ; that they wouldn ’ t stop traveling , wouldn ’ t stop consuming , wouldn ’ t sacrifice material comforts and help save others who are most immediately at risk from climate change .
Now , the response to the pandemic suggests otherwise .
“ We are able to mobilize the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imminent threat , ” says Dr. Jones .
“ Both climate change and this pandemic both affect the most vulnerable .
But everybody is willing to make personal sacrifices to protect the most vulnerable .
I think that ’ s quite new.
” The question , he and others say , is whether people will be able to see climate change as a similarly “ imminent threat , ” deserving of action .
While climate researchers look at the world ’ s increasingly frequent and severe natural disasters and see a direct connection @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most everyday people still feel disconnected from both the impacts and causes of climate change .
“ We don ’ t experience risk properly , ” says Katharine Hayhoe , professor and director of the Texas Tech University Climate Science Center .
But with the coronavirus , researchers say , there is a chance to shift .
“ It can make people feel that what was previously unthinkable is plausible , ” Dr. Jones says .
“ They know what the experience feels like.
” Editor ’ s note : As a public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ free .
No paywall .

In the pandemic, people worldwide are proving they can make personal sacrifices that benefit others. Researchers say now’s the time to push for more policies requiring similar efforts for climate change.
But while conventional wisdom has held that the people who consume the most aren’t willing to change their behavior, the pandemic is showing a different side of humanity. “We are able to mobilize the entire global economy and population for an imminent threat,” says Christopher Jones at the University of California, Berkeley. “Climate change and this pandemic both affect the most vulnerable.” Many are “willing to make personal sacrifices. ... I think that’s quite new.”
It’s a reason to push green initiatives now, say climate advocates. Some worry that unless policymakers focus on greener legislation, the pandemic could lead to policy shifts that would undermine years of hard-won climate victories. In March, for example, the Environmental Protection Agency paused enforcement of its regulations during the pandemic.
On social media, people have eagerly posted photos of clearer air and waterways to show how humans slowing down during the pandemic is affecting the environment. But many of these demonstrable changes are temporary and may barely register on any long-term analysis, according to researchers. After the financial crisis of 2008, for example, global emissions grew rapidly.
Earlier this month, health care experts from across the United States gathered to address hundreds of journalists and policymakers by webinar. But their focus was not testing, nor vaccines, nor “herd immunity.” It was not even COVID-19, really. Instead, their focus was climate change.
“While many see issues like climate change and biodiversity loss as far from what’s going on right now … I see this as the time to talk about it,” said Aaron Bernstein, a pediatrician at Boston Children’s Hospital and a professor at Harvard Medical School. “Climate solutions are, in fact, pandemic solutions.”
A few days later, economists and policy experts with the World Resources Institute held their own panel discussion. The message was similar, and the audience one of the largest in the organization’s history. The experience of and response to COVID-19, proclaimed expert after expert, was intricately tied to climate.
Why We Wrote This In the pandemic, people worldwide are proving they can make personal sacrifices that benefit others. Researchers say now’s the time to push for more policies requiring similar efforts for climate change.
Indeed, increasing numbers of researchers and policymakers, scientists and health care practitioners, are looking at the coronavirus through an ecological lens. Whether they are focused on consumer behavioral shifts, changes in emission outputs, or policy decisions that might help or hurt long-term goals for green infrastructure, they are seeing in this moment a pivotal chance to address climate change.
“As we respond to the very imminent economic and health crisis, can we also tackle the climate and sustainability crisis?” asked Manish Bapna, WRI’s managing director and executive vice president.
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.
There have been a number of short-term environmental shifts connected with how the world is coping with the pandemic. China’s carbon emissions dropped 18% between the beginning of February and mid-March, according to data compiled by the website CarbonBrief. Pollution over India has decreased dramatically, according to satellite images from NASA’s Earth Observatory. And in the U.S., a dramatic decrease in air travel, as well as a drop in vehicular travel, has also lowered emissions.
Mike Blake/Reuters View caption Hide caption In Encinitas, California, April 2, 2020, about 100 miles south of Los Angeles, residents are experiencing air quality that one study says is about 20% better than normal in the southern part of the state. Gov. Gavin Newsom on March 19 restricted nonessential activity for nearly 40 million people.
But many of these changes are temporary, researchers say, and may barely register on any long-term analysis of global carbon emissions. The drop in China’s carbon output, for instance, came alongside a lockdown over much of the country and a related plunge in factory operations. As the country reopens, says Fang Li, chief representative of the World Resources Institute in Beijing, emissions are expected to rebound along with the economy. After the global financial crisis of 2008 and 2009, Dr. Fang and others point out, global emissions grew rapidly.
Renewing a focus
For many climate advocates, this is a reason to push green initiatives now. Environmentalists worry that unless policymakers focus on climate as part of their economic packages, the pandemic could lead to policy shifts that would undermine years of hard-won climate victories. Indeed, the Trump administration in late March announced that it would weaken Obama-era fuel standards that mandate increased fuel efficiencies for automobiles. It also announced last month that the Environmental Protection Agency will not enforce environmental regulations during the pandemic.
“What we have to worry about is whether ... policy changes are going to be long term or short term,” says Christopher Jones, director of the CoolClimate Network at the University of California, Berkeley. “If we roll back standards and they remain in place when the economy comes back, we are going to have a real problem.”
Researchers say that a green economic stimulus package could both help the U.S. ensure long-term sustainability and rebound from the crushing economic impact of the pandemic. (More than 26 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits since March 15, according to the U.S. Labor Department.) Many environmentalists look at the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the stimulus package signed by President Barack Obama in 2009, as an example of how government initiatives can spur climate-friendly industry. That bill, which earmarked some $90 billion to promote green energy, is widely credited with launching the widespread renewable energy sector in the U.S.
“Economic measures should focus on climate as well as jobs and livelihood,” Mr. Bapna said during the WRI panel.
But as Kenneth Gillingham, a professor at Yale University and a research fellow at the National Bureau of Economics Research, points out, the pandemic itself has slowed renewable energy efforts.
“There’s a slowing down of building new solar farms, of new wind facilities,” he says. “Some projects are hitting the pause button. Other projects may not happen for a long time.”
And while there is hope for a green renewal, he suspects the future will be a good deal more nuanced.
“Entirely rebuilding our economy as a green economy? It’s a wonderful vision, but I don’t believe that’s what we’ll likely see,” he says.
Inequality, exacerbated
But a move toward environmental sustainability, says Dr. Bernstein, is going to be crucial not only for combatting a climate crisis, but for helping some of the people most impacted by the coronavirus. As he points out, both the pandemic and the impacts from climate change disproportionately affect people of color and other marginalized groups.
There is, he and others say, a hopeful lesson to be taken from the massive lifestyle and economic shifts seen across the globe in response to COVID-19. For years, popular wisdom has said that people simply would not engage in the sort of behavior changes necessary to fight climate change; that they wouldn’t stop traveling, wouldn’t stop consuming, wouldn’t sacrifice material comforts and help save others who are most immediately at risk from climate change. Now, the response to the pandemic suggests otherwise.
“We are able to mobilize the entire global economy and population for an imminent threat,” says Dr. Jones. “Both climate change and this pandemic both affect the most vulnerable. But everybody is willing to make personal sacrifices to protect the most vulnerable. I think that’s quite new.”
The question, he and others say, is whether people will be able to see climate change as a similarly “imminent threat,” deserving of action. While climate researchers look at the world’s increasingly frequent and severe natural disasters and see a direct connection to human behavior, research shows that most everyday people still feel disconnected from both the impacts and causes of climate change.
“We don’t experience risk properly,” says Katharine Hayhoe, professor and director of the Texas Tech University Climate Science Center.
But with the coronavirus, researchers say, there is a chance to shift.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
“It can make people feel that what was previously unthinkable is plausible,” Dr. Jones says. “They know what the experience feels like.”
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.