The Way Our Lives Should (And Will) Change
The dreaded Covid-19 pandemic – that turned the world upside down for over two years – is knocking on our doors again! Just as we were looking forward to some normalcy in life and in fact, had set out in that direction, the new danger is unsettling us again.
Much has been written and discussed about how the pandemic has affected our lives, how it has ruined the economy of most countries and this debate is likely to go on for a long time. Most of us were hoping that the so-called ‘New Normal’ will free us from all restrictions – on travel, socialising, work, shopping, entertainment, cultural events, sports et all – and we will get back to ‘business as usual’. Sadly, it is not going to be so!
I am not an alarmist, but I seriously feel that our lives will change drastically! For example, the need to continue wearing face masks while travelling is already back and is likely to continue. We are unlikely to see big fat weddings and parties. All celebrations will see smaller crowds. Holiday cruises are bound to see reduced bookings. We have already seen that just as restrictions were lifted around the start of 2022 and most people stopped wearing masks and began travelling with a vengeance, incidents of higher positivity became evident almost everywhere. The aggressive ‘Universal Vaccination’ drive has been a great success, but it seems that Covid has no plans of disappearing even after the third booster dose.
We seem to overlook a fundamental reason for the emergence of the pandemic. We forget that it is a case of Humans encroaching upon the space meant for Animals and other species and how these species are getting dangerously close to the human habitats to reclaim the space that was theirs! Man’s ever-expanding ambition and insatiable appetite for more, our wanton consumerism and unchecked desire to possess everything – ‘greed’ to put it crudely – is at the root of all this. The celebrated naturalist David Attenborough’s documentary A Life on Our Planet has jolted the world and made people slow down and stop this madness. He strikes a balance between the urgency and offers a sense of hope too. He has a vision for the future when he says we can “right our wrongs”. My own take from the film, very briefly, is ‘we must learn to live with less’.
Before writing about the corporate world, let me start with our own wardrobes and homes. All of us must have a critical look at the clothes, shoes and personal accessories we own and how many of these we haven’t used for, say, one year? We have become impulsive buyers – we see a friend wearing a nice shirt and rush to pick up something similar without thinking about whether we need it or not. The new acquisitions are worn a couple of times and consigned to the back of the cupboard. The same is true for household goods because we want to possess the latest. We forget that everything – even a shirt – uses precious resources like water and energy and leaves a carbon footprint. If only we buy less, we will cause less damage to the planet – our only home in the vast universe.
As a start, I investigated my own hoard and decided ‘to not buy anything for at least two years’. I have also discarded several suits, shirts and shoes. I am sure I am not alone; others are probably giving up bigger comforts. Even Zandra Rhodes – the high priestess of Britain’s fashion world – has gone on record to say that “going forward it won’t be spend-spend-spend. If we are to keep the world going as we know it, we will have to do it differently. Scaling down the industry is inevitable and desirable”.
Let me now move to the corporate world.
With Covid came the concept of ‘Work from Home’ (WFH) and many companies have discovered the merits of this! People work flexi hours, save time on commuting and the resultant fatigue, they don’t have to dress up for office, can help with housework, spend time with the family … there is seemingly no downside. Barring factories and jobs involving ‘essential presence and personal contact’ 25-40 per cent of all workforces will perhaps continue with WFH. Really win-win for the employers and employees. Many corporates have surrendered large areas of office space and cut down costs.
The real estate industry was understandably worried, but they have now seen a huge demand by the new businesses – the burgeoning delivery services, video chat platforms like Zoom, Edu-tech firms, technology startups, research labs for healthcare and other sectors. There is also a huge opportunity for real estate companies in the national infrastructure building area as well as affordable housing.
Green buildings, more efficient HVAC systems, reimagined packaging to reduce waste and pollution, electric cars and two-wheelers would all help to reduce pressure on the planet. To quote Harsh Goenka, Chairman, RPG enterprises, “The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted an urgent need to create sustainable economies – India can take a lead in earth-friendly businesses and consumer strategies. We can’t just continue living as if there was no tomorrow, because there is a tomorrow”. Well said, sir, if only we do not kill that tomorrow with our consumerist culture of always wanting more of everything!
And, to top it all, India’s drive to change from fossil-based energy to renewable sources – already amongst the fastest in the world – must continue and pick up even greater speed. At the same time, our agriculture has to transform. We just can’t carry on with inefficient irrigation systems and water guzzling crops. Environmental degradation and lack of inclusivity are perhaps, the two biggest challenges before the world today and it is more than likely that both will be addressed by the corporate world as they move on with life in the post-pandemic era. Our New Normal should and will lead us to a better world.
