By Jagannadh Rao

Some corny mathematics humour might not be the most ideal way to title an article, but let’s face it. Any humour is probably a welcome break from what has been the most dystopian year of most lives in our generation.

Yes, the year 2020 will probably go down as an unforgettable year for all the wrong reasons, but since we’ve all seen the headlines (maybe a few million times too many this year), a look at some of the non-controversial, non-life-threatening events that brought a smile or two to people’s faces this year might just act as an instantaneous soothe to the blow the horrid last 12 months have dealt. 

First and foremost, the most important thing, in my opinion, that has happened this year was a result of a string of incidents that made each and every one of us question humanity. The deaths of George Floyd. Breonna Taylor and many other African American citizens at the hands of racist police officers saw one of the largest ever global mass mobilisations against racism come together, even while living through a pandemic. The uproar that these increasing instances of fatal racism have caused all over the world saw many politicians decide to take a stand in a political climate where every single word said could be misconstrued and turned into something it is not. Celebrities, athletes, business moguls and most importantly, the general population of the world took an open stand against racism. Personally, I have shed habits that I earlier had that could be offensive to certain groups of people, and have tried to convince other people to do the same. This assertion is evidence to the fact that the global movement against racism has, in 2020, touched more lives than it ever has before. 

Furthermore, carbon emissions in 2020 fell by a record 7%. While this is primarily due to the lockdowns caused by the coronavirus pandemic, it is still something positive, and something climate activists and scientists could rejoice upon. Many countries all over the globe have committed themselves to achieving carbon neutrality within the next 10-30 years. Funding for massive fossil fuel industries like coal and oil have plummeted, again due to the pandemic, as more investment has been committed towards clean, green and more renewable sources of energy. In India, 2 million people planted 250 million trees in one weekend, something that scientists say could store centuries worth of carbon emissions and save 70% of endangered species. All in all, a crude evaluation of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic could be that this was nature’s enforced way of slowing mankind down, and giving the Earth a bit of breathing room before humanity returns to the hubbub of New York City and the fast-paced Mumbai lifestyle, essentially when it returns to ‘normality’. 

Finally (while this is by no means the full list of positives in 2020), something to be touched upon is the massive application of the technical expertise that humanity has managed to achieve during the coronavirus lockdowns, in order to bring back sports and entertainment to people stuck at home due to the safe-distancing rules. The creation of fully biosecure bubbles for the NBA, for the Premier League, the Champions League, the IPL, bilateral cricket, and (in my personal opinion, the most impressive of all) a travelling bio-secure bubble of more than 1,000 people and 500 tonnes of cargo to 14 different circuits in 12 different countries across 2 continents for the Formula 1 season to actually go ahead this year, was evidence of the fact that mankind can overcome any possible hostilities, and will be better prepared for any possible (but god forbid) future similar health hazards that might plague the world (no pun-intended).

While the number 2021 is just a fresh break from all the chaos, murkiness and despair of 2020, it’s also definitely an upgrade. In terms of the pandemic, the road to recovery looks very clear, with the development of multiple vaccine candidates by not one but many different pharma companies AND national health research centres. Distribution plans are in full swing, and according to the World Health Organisation, the end of the pandemic is in sight. The amount that people have learnt and the experience they’ve gained during a testing year will surely come to fruition in the future, as there is no way but forwards after 2020. 

Bibliography:

https://in.mashable.com/culture/19194/

Thumbnail artwork credited to Jagannadh Rao