Grace Is Stoked
Gold Member
- Jan 23, 2019
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Over the past few months there has been an obvious decline of fossil fuel production, fossil fuel usage, fossil fuel needs, and other forms of emissions that contribute to both pollution and climate change all due to the coronavirus lockdowns. In China is something like a near 25% reduction in emissions alone, and although there hasn't been a study for the world as a whole or even for the US I don't believe to measure the impact scientists and researchers are thinking that in just these short months there has been significant impact on emissions which is awesome news despite all of the hardships. That being said it had me wondering if there is a way to have a similar positive impact on the environment but without the economic hardships that lockdowns create and without the fear and pain that the virus created?
Once life gets back to normal around the country the reductions that were seen during the lockdowns will obviously rebound back to where they were, if not higher, but the result from staying at home was noticeable and could be repeatable. Could it be reasonably planned periodically throughout the year, possibly even done by rotating regionally as well, to have a stay at home order for one month per year? A small tax could even be created either through sales tax (preferred) or income tax that would be reserved in that state just to help as a reserve fund for business and worker assistance during that time frame. Companies could plan for it if they knew the month that they are slated for closure and could set up ways for employees to work from home, and if they can't then the new fund would help keep them buoyant for that month. Schools would be closed along with some other things but it wouldn't be such a shock since it would be planned and funded to an extent.
I'm sure this will be ripped on here but we've seen that significant impacts can be accomplished while people stay at home and only venture out when necessary. I am not advocating for draconian measures or arrests or anything like that but to me it stands a reason that we could take the possibly one good thing that came from all of this and turn it into an real opportunity to heal the planet. It's just a thought, but seemed interesting as I was thinking it through this morning.
Once life gets back to normal around the country the reductions that were seen during the lockdowns will obviously rebound back to where they were, if not higher, but the result from staying at home was noticeable and could be repeatable. Could it be reasonably planned periodically throughout the year, possibly even done by rotating regionally as well, to have a stay at home order for one month per year? A small tax could even be created either through sales tax (preferred) or income tax that would be reserved in that state just to help as a reserve fund for business and worker assistance during that time frame. Companies could plan for it if they knew the month that they are slated for closure and could set up ways for employees to work from home, and if they can't then the new fund would help keep them buoyant for that month. Schools would be closed along with some other things but it wouldn't be such a shock since it would be planned and funded to an extent.
I'm sure this will be ripped on here but we've seen that significant impacts can be accomplished while people stay at home and only venture out when necessary. I am not advocating for draconian measures or arrests or anything like that but to me it stands a reason that we could take the possibly one good thing that came from all of this and turn it into an real opportunity to heal the planet. It's just a thought, but seemed interesting as I was thinking it through this morning.