I have finished my blogs on the Natural World for now, but it is a subject to which I will return on a regular basis.
I am so delighted that one of my blogs highlighted the mismanagement of the oceans and sea beds, as the Prince of Wales has taken up the mantle for this by raising public awareness on those very subjects.
It will be interesting to watch how he interacts with other countries and finds ways to improve and conserve marine life and its environment.
THE OCEAN BED:
Depending on what your personal views of the Royal Family are, it is encouraging to see a more "hands on" approach to certain issues than previously existed.
I am interested, as some of the projects are on subjects which I identify with, and have written blogs about, such as mental health which is now having such high profile discussions.
Recently, the Princess of Wales gave an insight into the importance of the Natural World and the positive effects that it can have on everyday life, but particularly on mental health.
She highlighted how therapeutic it was to get out into the countryside and appreciate trees, animals, birds and coastal locations, with the added benefit of the general freedom and exercise which improves the well being of children.
Feelings of stress, depression and anxiety can often be calmed and dispelled by a woodland or coastal walk, and the bonus is of course that these recommendations are free!
A COVID REPEAT?
I don`t mean to sound negative, but there appears to be a new Covid strain which is spreading around the world.
Advice seems to be that it is not as deadly as Covid - 19, but it is probably more infectious, so can be passed around quickly.
Current vaccines appear to be enough to give some immunity.
Nothing much has been said in the UK about this, so no great alarm bells ringing.
I would think it might be quite difficult for the government to know how to handle a new pandemic, as clearly the last one came in for a great deal of criticism, on many fronts, not least the lock down.
Lockdown has been blamed for many things, including the resulting chaos within the NHS, gaps in school and further education, general isolation, and an increase in mental health disorders.
Many people are still suffering from the fall out from many of these areas.
However, we must have learned something from our extended leisure within lockdown.
TECHNOLOGY BREAKTHROUGH:
Technology which was hovering on the brink of many applications, suddenly came to the fore.
It became the link between the home and the outside world.
HOME WORKING:
People were able to work from home, so that their business could carry on all be it in a more limited capacity.
Education did likewise.
School work was presented online, and even degree programmes were able to progress.
As a result, technology took a huge step forward, and saved the day for many.
It looks as if Home Working is here to stay, as it suits a great many people.
It saves a commute and the expense involved, it can be flexible, and it may even have helped with child care.
However, critics feel that it is too disjointed, and there is a loss of human interaction in the work place.
It has also had a knock on effect with businesses which benefitted from commuters, such as coffee shops missing out on trade, trains being less busy and large buildings having reduced occupancy, but still incurring huge overhead costs.
EDUCATION:
Education wise, teachers and students were largely unprepared for such a huge amount of learning being delivered online.
Many, particularly in further education, found they missed the important social aspects of college or university life.
School children were either advantaged or disadvantaged depending on the availability of technology and their family circumstances in the home.
It did give an added dimension very quickly, as now technology is used more widely than before.
It also has filled a gap for some children requiring extra support, who were perhaps finding the classroom situation was not for them.
Online learning gives them a more personal approach and removes some of the anxiety provoking situations.
One of the areas where technology has grown is within the NHS, as although not always available during Covid, the telephone consultation has come into its own on many levels.
VIDEO LINKING:
There are some areas, such as dermatology, which can make full use of technology with images being sent instead of a clinic consultation.
Increased technology within the NHS is reckoned to be the way forward in order to cut waiting times and increase appointments.
It is felt that NHS computer systems are totally out of date and will have to be replaced to fill the myriad of proposed uses.
On the home front, during lockdown, there was more time in the home with the family.
HOME LIFE:
This worked in a very positive way for some, as there was no rush, and long gone pass times were recreated which helped increase the family bond.
However, the opposite was also true with toxic relationships causing real damage within the home.
We should have learned a lot from the Pandemic and lockdown, so should have a more common sense approach to any new Covid strain.
Some of the fall out from the Pandemic was indeed catastrophic, with family members dying, and relatives not being allowed to see loved ones in care.
Let us hope that we will take a pragmatic approach and deal with whatever comes our way.
I started by mentioning the Natural World, so will finish with another reflection of it and how lockdown affected it.
The world came to a standstill with lockdown.
No aircraft, shipping, factories, car exhausts and the usual pollutants of modern life, although it has been pointed out that a huge amount of plastic and PPE debris was added to the mix.
It has been argued that because general conditions were less toxic, marine, bird and wild life began to thrive.
The other side of the argument suggests that water was becoming clearer due to lack of activity and resulting silt, and that wild life is always around urban areas, we just don`t take the time to look.
I would like to think that when the world stopped, it gave the Natural World a chance to breathe and enjoy it`s environment, without human interference, even for a short while.
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