Jess Wilber is a junior at Oberlin College double-majoring in Environmental Studies and East Asian Studies. She can be reached at jwilber@oberlin.edu.

The world is experiencing an incredibly stressful, confusing, and chaotic time. As someone who dedicates a large amount of time to climate advocacy work, I was accustomed to those around me not sharing the same level of alarm I felt over the climate crisis, but now that others are suddenly in crisis mode, everything feels so surreal.

Many people across the US have the privilege of taking the societal structures they exist in for granted, not feeling an immediate threat to their safety or well-being. For some, this is the first time that they have encountered such a deeply rooted sense of insecurity. It's ironic how this feeling will only become more constant in their lives as the climate crisis worsens when it could have been prevented through earlier action. And it is beyond devastating that others have already endured so much injustice and pain as a result of that inaction.

This epidemiological crisis has pushed us to change our habits and mindsets to protect ourselves and our loved ones. We limit our contact with others, monitor our food and drink intake, and encourage each other to rest and be constantly mindful of our well-being. As of April 7th, residents of at least 42 states have been ordered to shelter in place. These same habit and mindset shifts should apply to our climate crisis.

In the same way that federal response to COVID-19 pandemic had to come from bipartisan means like the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, federal response to the climate crisis will require collaboration and participation across party lines.

We must be precautionary and not reactionary; acting before we no longer have access to the medical equipment or essential services. We must acknowledge the damage already dealt to the global community and pool together our resources before the situation becomes even more dire. We can do the same for climate change.