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Not so long ago, photos of unusually clear water in Venice canals went viral. The images showed fish swimming around and there were even reports of swans floating around. People were happy to see nature 'cleansing itself'. However, while the canals may look beautiful, the mayor's office in Venice told CNN that the change is not actually due to improved water quality.
"The water now looks clearer because there is less traffic on the canals, allowing the sediment to stay at the bottom," a spokesman said. "It's because there is less boat traffic that usually brings sediment to the top of the water's surface."
Not only that, but the swans also regularly appear in the canals of Burano, a small island in the greater Venice metropolitan area.
Similarly, people started sharing other false evidence of 'healing' nature and since the pandemic has us locked inside our homes, they continued blaming mankind and its dirty everyday life for the initial damage. Some even went as far as to say that 'we are the virus'. Reduced pollution and the unexpected return of wild animals have been the main narratives, preaching that coronavirus is 'Earth’s vaccine'.
All of this is a clear case of eco-fascism (the idea that individuals have to sacrifice themselves for the greater good of nature). One could argue that the main reason why nature has been able to blossom in the days during the lockdown is a direct result of reduced activity by corporations, not the actions of individuals. As a result, counter-memes were born, poking fun at the eco-fascists and their blanket statements.
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#1
Dorothy Parker 5 years ago
Gorgeous pigeons perched near the seasonal Rice Krispy Treat Plant.
The above-mentioned examples highlight how quickly eye-popping, too-good-to-be-true rumors can spread in times of crisis. People are drawn to sharing posts that make them emotional. "When we're feeling stressed, joyous," Natasha Daly wrote in National Geographic, "Animal footage can be an irresistible salve. The spread of social phenomena is so powerful, 2016 research shows that it can follow the same models that trace the contagion of epidemics."
Getting a lot of likes and comments “gives us an immediate social reward,” Erin Vogel, a social psychologist and postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University, said. In simple words, when people notice and react to our content online, we feel good. Posting on social media temporarily boosts one's self-esteem.
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"In times when we're all really lonely, it's tempting to hold onto that feeling, especially if we're posting something that gives people a lot of hope," Vogel added. The idea that animals and nature could flourish during this pandemic "could help give us a sense of meaning and purpose—that we went through this for a reason."
But before we start calling ourselves 'viruses' that 'infect the Earth', it's worth mentioning that 100 companies across the globe are responsible for 71% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. And while it's true that our own actions contribute to the well-being of our environment, without any significant changes in the way these big companies operate, there will likely be no noticeable change or "cure".
#3
aliya moran 5 years ago
Wow. You mean people are recognizing nature, and even lifting bridges for it? this is progress!
#7
aliya moran 5 years ago
....so, the whole amber & mosquito theory was fake? and the dinosaurs were in hiding all these years?? I can never watch those movies again.😰
#9
chi-wei shen 5 years ago
That's the domesticated baguette, not to be mixed up with the wild baguette from the forests.
#11
chi-wei shen 5 years ago
For those who don't know: The spaghetti tree hoax was the April Fools' Day joke 1957 by the BBC.
#17
Avery S Alberico 5 years ago
This is why Sharknado was made, to teach us what to do if we ever see this ! *cracks up mid-sentence
#20
Lily Bussan 5 years ago
Nah at this point let the fricking idiots drink it
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Faith Livengood 5 years ago
Ok either someone was mean and put them there or they swam through the plumbing
#31
Nature is healing, the aerodactylus are returning to Friedrichshain!
aliya moran 5 years ago
.... I'm sorry. nice message and everything, ...but the Photoshop job...😬
#37
There is no doubt that us humans are the virus. Here is how México looks today. Mother nature is breathing again
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What do you think ?
earringnut 5 years ago
These posts are funny but they only drive the point that humans are a******s.
Daria B 5 years ago (edited)
Jokes aside, the "we are the virus" trend, during these times, is very insensitive. Preach this to the ones who lost somebody to the virus. Furthermore, it was amongst one of the sayings of fascism that "wars are the hygiene of the world" (see the connections before you start nitpicking on this one, and, hint: it's not about conspiracies, it's about lives lost, metaphors and comparisons). Don't know, I find that attitude disgusting, not ecological.
Noah Merrill 5 years ago
I'm glad you guys are realizing something unlike a lot of people on this bp.
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Sanni Mere 4 years ago
doctorojie1@yahoo.com Doctor Ojie can cure the following diseases :: Kidney failure ,Herpes1/2, CANCER, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), Hepatitis A/B, chronic pancreatitis, Emphysema, COPD (Chronic , Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), asthma, Acute angle-closure Glaucoma, Diabetes, CHRONIC PANCREATITIS.
Victoria Ecklar Shannon 5 years ago
most of these are fake i can tell that most are photo shoped
Noah Merrill 5 years ago (edited)
Daria B Jokes aside, the "we are the virus" trend, during these times, is very insensitive. Preach this to the ones who lost somebody to the virus. Furthermore, it was amongst one of the sayings of fascism that "wars are the hygiene of the world" (see the connections before you start nitpicking on this one, and, hint: it's not about conspiracies, it's about lives lost, metaphors and comparisons). Don't know, I find that attitude disgusting, not ecological. C THANK YOU! So tired of people saying that. As if the whole world having to isolate and quarantine is just some awesome nature miracle and not, you know, a pandemic that's killing people. Daria B 1 month ago Exactly. These kinds of people forget that the reason why we (as a human society) started all those ecological movements is because we f*****g live here. Those three made me cry a little.
earringnut 5 years ago
These posts are funny but they only drive the point that humans are a******s.
Daria B 5 years ago (edited)
Jokes aside, the "we are the virus" trend, during these times, is very insensitive. Preach this to the ones who lost somebody to the virus. Furthermore, it was amongst one of the sayings of fascism that "wars are the hygiene of the world" (see the connections before you start nitpicking on this one, and, hint: it's not about conspiracies, it's about lives lost, metaphors and comparisons). Don't know, I find that attitude disgusting, not ecological.
Noah Merrill 5 years ago
I'm glad you guys are realizing something unlike a lot of people on this bp.
Load More Replies... Sanni Mere 4 years ago
doctorojie1@yahoo.com Doctor Ojie can cure the following diseases :: Kidney failure ,Herpes1/2, CANCER, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), Hepatitis A/B, chronic pancreatitis, Emphysema, COPD (Chronic , Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), asthma, Acute angle-closure Glaucoma, Diabetes, CHRONIC PANCREATITIS.
Victoria Ecklar Shannon 5 years ago
most of these are fake i can tell that most are photo shoped
Noah Merrill 5 years ago (edited)
Daria B Jokes aside, the "we are the virus" trend, during these times, is very insensitive. Preach this to the ones who lost somebody to the virus. Furthermore, it was amongst one of the sayings of fascism that "wars are the hygiene of the world" (see the connections before you start nitpicking on this one, and, hint: it's not about conspiracies, it's about lives lost, metaphors and comparisons). Don't know, I find that attitude disgusting, not ecological. C THANK YOU! So tired of people saying that. As if the whole world having to isolate and quarantine is just some awesome nature miracle and not, you know, a pandemic that's killing people. Daria B 1 month ago Exactly. These kinds of people forget that the reason why we (as a human society) started all those ecological movements is because we f*****g live here. Those three made me cry a little.
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