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It was the fleas on rats that spread that plague. The rats came in on ships from the many countries with which these little kingdoms traded. They were, in effect, victims of globalisation in the very infancy of the concept, operating commercial routes across eastern and western Europe and around the Mediterranean.

 

And today? Health professionals are fighting best they can. Self-isolation and social distancing really could help stop the monster in its tracks. And we are getting to grips with technology to access church services of all denominations. Our world is changing.

 

When we were told the churches would close, I had a conversation (electronic, of course) with a friend who agreed that ‘spiritually bereft’ was the right phrase for how we felt. I shed a tear when our parish priest sent us off after the last daily Mass with the words ‘Know you are loved’. Two days later I was tuning in to our Bishop, who now celebrates daily Mass on Youtube. On Sunday I ‘went’ to Mass at my parish church, where like many parishes across Scotland our priest did his best with the technology - but knows a man who’ll make it better.

 

Much of social media is swamped by increased anger and frustration expressed by frightened and anxious people. I hope we all learn the language of nonviolence. I hope clarity of instructions becomes best practice. But if we use technology for family, friendship and work, it could be that post COVID-19, we are better able to tackle that other major problem of the 21st century. Because we do have to stop driving our cars, boarding planes, and taking those cruises that Boris Johnson assumes every 70-plus in the UK enjoys as a matter of course. Sorry – that last remark was less than nonviolent.

 

In Argyll and the Isles, we are short of priests. During Lent, until the churches closed, I wore my SCIAF ambassador’s hat and delivered talks in three areas. In the first, the parish priest has ‘only’ to cover two churches, a 50-mile round trip each Sunday. In the second, covering four bases, the Saturday/Sunday mileage is 146 miles. In the third, four parishes add up to around 114 miles. I didn’t deliver the fourth set of talks because of the lockdown. It would have involved a 46 minutes each way ferry crossing, as it does for the priest every Sunday. Pastoral care of parishioners scattered across wide geographical areas adds to each man’s travelling.

 

These parish priests are wonderful – but exhausted. Wouldn’t it be kind if the laity accepted that maybe one week in two or four we celebrated Mass in reality and the rest were a virtual experience? There’s a spiritual need (which more and more people are recognising in themselves), and as we come to terms with a new world order, could this be one of the important compromises we make? That and eschewing vast quantities of toilet rolls and pasta…

 

Some of these measures include the promotion of irrigation and efficient use of water resources, early watering systems and preparations, and we are using remote sensing in mapping of drought prone areas.

But changes in climate pose challenges to Zambia’s ongoing efforts to combat poverty, reduce food insecurity and manage natural resources.

According to the director of the Meteorological Department of Zambia, agriculture is the sector most affected by climate change because it is the mainstay of rural employment in Zambia. We depend on staple crops like maize and cassava, whose yields rely on a timely rainy season and stable temperatures. As our temperatures go up and rainfall patterns become more erratic, crop yields have plummeted. 
 

Crazy things are happening. Much of the country has no water and no electricity. But in the north of Zambia, floods have led to water contamination and the spread of waterborne illnesses are affecting both humans and livestock. We’re told that climate-sensitive diseases such as malaria and diarrhoea are increasing. I’ve suffered from malaria and it is life threatening. I can only pray this menace doesn’t get worse. It already affects around four million Zambians every year. Cholera is on the rise, too. When people are poor, eating only one meal a day, malnutrition makes them more vulnerable to diseases. For the first time since 2004, we are seeing the UN food programme back in Zambia distributing mealie meal.

Our lives are getting worse. Copper mining, agriculture and tourism are our main industries in 2020. Lack of power threatens the copper mines. Drought is destroying our agriculture and people are starving. And the Victoria Falls, a UNESCO World Heritage site, has had the lowest ever water levels. That’s a major threat to tourism.

We need to stand up and take action to reduce the situation. This will include cooperating between stakeholders, government officials and ourselves. It’s NOT too late to solve the problem. But we must communicate climate science to the public. I believe it is our duty to alert people to the urgency of the situation, and this ought to be done in all nations. This is serious.