One Is Caused by a Virus: One by People

Rebecca Solnit points out Covid-19 has killed around 2.8m people, whilst raging for circa 15 months. She also notes, however, that air pollution kills an estimated 8.7m per year (https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/apr/02/coronavirus-pandemic-climate-crisis-air-pollution). Solnit consequently claims that we have a 'pandemic', 3 times as bad as Covid-19, in plain sight. She, not unreasonably, suggests we do something urgently about air pollution. There is, however, a fundamental difference between the two. Everyone hates a virus (or a lethal bacterium, a malarial protist or a tape-worm). They exploit we 'poor' humans. In contrast, humans cause air pollution. Solving the air pollution problem, is going to mean having to do something about human activities. Humans will have to modify their means of transport (both by vehicles and aircraft). Perhaps they won't be able to commute so easily or to jet off on holiday so frequently. They will also have to modify their movement of products on aircraft or via shipping. Industrial processes will have to become much less polluting. Building techniques will have to alter (production of concrete generates masses of carbon dioxide). Electricity generation and use, will have to change. Et cetera. Et cetera. We can be our own worst enemies and people (and the companies that serve them) often resist change.