End of the Spell 

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Societies all over the world are caught in a terrible dilemma. Taking refuge in our houses and socially distancing are the only ways we know to protect ourselves and each other from Covid-19. Factories are shuttered, schools and stores are closed. So far, we're lucky here in Humboldt where the death toll is zero. In other places it's in the thousands.

Added to the health risk are worries about the impact of the shutdown on the economy, the environment and democracy. How long can civilization carry on without the engines of our economic activities?

In the midst of all this fear and dread, blue skies are revealing themselves around the world. Less industry, less driving and less flying equal less air pollution. For instance, the people of Jalandhar in India woke up one morning to see the Himalayas for the first time in a generation. They stood on their roofs and took photographs of massive snowy ramparts only 150 miles away. Who, except for the Koch brothers, could fail to feel a thrill?