I want to bring up another issue of our society's reliance on Covid vaccines as a "solution ". For a moment, put aside important discussions of their safety and efficacy (both short and long-term). One obvious aspect, at least to me, of the Covid vaccines that is not discussed is the fact that they heavily depend on fossil fuels for their research, manufacture, shipment, distribution, promotion, etc. etc. That by itself is not necessarily a reason for me to reject them, as I wouldn't automatically reject certain medical care now if I needed it even if its medical care that wouldn't easily exist in a future without fossil fuels. However, as we further down the era of energy descent, societies and people will be forced to explore other ways of responding to viruses and other health threats. It seems paramount for more of us to actively explore, learn (or in many cases re-learn) lower-energy ways of responding to and mitigating health threats now. The more that we do so now increases the likelihood of better success of dealing with health threats in a lower-energy future.

- beneaththesurface