What to Look Forward to in 2021 Saanvi Kunisetty

 What to Look Forward to in 2021

Saanvi Kunisetty

2020 was quite an emotional rollercoaster for us all- it took us through a series of highs and lows, and taught us a lot along the way. With the pandemic, we all were ready to enter the new year with hopes of a magical disappearance of these troubles. Though, of course, that won’t be the case, that doesn’t take away from the fact that 2021 is set up to be an amazing and exhilarating year. Here are some things you can look forward to in 2021 that will raise your hopes of having a better year.

1. Inauguration of Joe Biden: The presidential election was a stressful one in 2020, but it ultimately chose Joe Biden as future President. While of course, not all of us may agree with this outcome, it’s irrefutable that change may be something that can help trudge us along the path of recovery as a nation, and may be able to help with the COVID crisis.

2. Tokyo Olympics: A huge let down due to the pandemic last year was the loss of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Fortunately, they are now scheduled to be held in the summer of 2021. Though it may not be the same as always, it will be introducing new elements to the competitions, including karate and surfing.

3. Small Steps in Space: In the upcoming year, we are continuing to take small steps in space, because they can be “giant leaps for mankind.” In February of 2021, the NASA Mars rover, which was aptly named “Perseverance”, will land on Mars. Additionally, the last super total lunar eclipse was in 2019, but will occur again this year for 15 minutes in May. Finally, the legendary Tom Cruise will be sent to space with the help of SpaceX, where he will be filming a movie with NASA in space.

4. COVID Immunity: While the pandemic has been going strong for quite some time, there’s hope of the prospect of immunity. A multitude of countries have been devising or already have vaccination plans for the future that they are ready to instill in society. While distribution of vaccines will definitely be time-consuming, it’s ultimately worth it.

5. Action Against Climate Change: As the years go on, fighting against climate change and protecting our home and environment becomes more and more imperative. While we did have some improvements in 2020, it wasn’t enough to get on track where we hoped to be. (We were a bit preoccupied with the pandemic). But no worries, this year, we hope to accomplish more. The EU has a budget plan of spending billions for clean energy alternatives and slowing down carbon emission rates. Several countries have plans on working toward reducing fossil fuel usage. Finally, with the United Nations Climate Change Convention in Scotland this November, it is very likely that more drastic actions will be taken to fight against climate change.