Anne-Marie Slaughter, who served as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s Director of Policy Planning during part of the Obama administration, has published a column in the New York Times where she notes some effects of the coronavirus that she apparently believes are positive.
“We are also suddenly living in a world that the United States government long insisted was impossible--one of drastically reduced plane and car emissions,” she writes.
“That is terrible for the airlines but good for the planet. It may be good for us, too,” she said.
“And now that we're all at home, what to do with our empty office buildings?” she writes.
“Given the housing crises in so many cities, the answer seems obvious,” she says. “Much commercial real estate could be transformed into apartments.”
“The future is here, whether we like it or not,” she writes. “Although a future dependent on the current federal government looks bleak, we can vote to change that in November. Right now, we can follow the lead of local and regional leaders and step up ourselves.”
Here is an excerpt from Slaughter’s column in the Times:
“We are also suddenly living in a world that the United States government long insisted was impossible -- one of drastically reduced plane and car emissions. Here we are at home, connecting to others around the world virtually rather than physically. That is terrible for the airlines but good for the planet. It may be good for us, too. A five-hour conference that I participated in last week matched a physical conference very closely, complete with breakout rooms and individual conversations. I just didn't have to waste hours traveling to get there.
“And now that we're all at home, what to do with our empty office buildings? Given the housing crises in so many cities, the answer seems obvious. Much commercial real estate could be transformed into apartments. All the municipalities that are imposing moratoriums on evictions should be willing to experiment in the months ahead.”