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Chairman’s Blog, Nov/Dec 2020
Thursday, January 21st, 2021
The Cause for Optimism
The latter part of the past decade was, shall we say, less than upbeat… In the U.S. we suffered to endure a dumpster-fire of a presidential administration. Across the world there were increasing climate disasters, exasperated by a number of autocratic governments who opted for climate denial over facts and science.
Then, COVID-19 swept around the globe. At the time of this writing a total of 1,839,622 lives had been lost to this unforgiving pandemic. You may be tempted to ask – “So, what exactly should we be optimistic about?” Here are some of my reasons for optimism;
- The distribution of a COVID vaccine brings hope for a decline in new infections, fewer deaths, and the promise of a return to some sense of normalcy. It’s too early to predict outcomes, but 2021 is off to a favorable start.
- The new U.S. presidential administration promises a return to governing by facts, science, and sanity. The U.S. will rejoin the Paris Climate Accord, and we can anticipate a renewed emphasis on Environmental Justice, including;
- Ensure the U.S. achieves a 100% clean energy economy and reaches net-zero emissions no later than 2050.
- Build a stronger, more resilient nation.
- Rally the rest of the world to meet the threat of climate change.
- Stand up to the abuse of power by polluters who disproportionately harm communities of color and low-income communities.
- Fulfill our obligation to workers and communities who powered our industrial revolution and subsequent decades of economic growth.
- The emergence of organizations like The Sunrise Movement, a youth movement dedicated to stopping climate change and creating millions of good jobs in the
process by building an army of young people to make climate change an urgent priority across America, end the corrupting influence of fossil fuel executives on our politics, and elect leaders who stand up for the health and wellbeing of all people.
While we are not yet out of the woods, these are the things that give me hope and the determination to continue practicing recommended safety protocols a bit longer for the benefit of humanity. Please join me in following these safety protocols – the life you save may not just be your own, but those of the ones you love.
As a reminder from past newsletters, IFMA has amassed a collection of COVID-related materials in their Coronavirus Preparedness Resource Center. The IFMA Foundation released an authoritative Pandemic Manual. And Lear Corporation produced a Safe Work Playbook: 2nd Edition. All are freely available for download.
As always, we hope you find the newsletter enlightening…
Dean Stanberry
