As we watch COVID-19 make its way across the globe, threatening lives and toppling the world economy, it has also had a profound effect on the environment.
Most of you have surely seen pictures across your social media channels of Venice’s crystal clear canals and rare wildlife sightings in cities.
Air travel has drastically decreased. In the United States alone there has been a 40% decrease in air traffic. Reports have flown in: New York having a 50% decrease in carbon monoxide emissions. One study claims that due to the 25% drop in carbon emissions in China, the improvement in air quality has possibly saved the lives of 4,000 children under five years old and 73,000 adults over 70 years old.
Along with air travel, traffic congestion also decreased with Los Angeles experiencing a 51% drop and New York facing a 47% drop.
Regardless of the dip in carbon emissions, this drop is likely only going to last as long as the virus is present. Economic activity is likely to ramp up as soon as the pandemic dwindles. Countries will want to make up for the lost time and this may create a rebound effect. An example of this can already be seen in China. As some cities slowly lift their lockdown procedures, the Chinese government is ready to reboot its economy, possibly even at the expense of the environment.
Some countries are even willing to cover your airfare so you will travel to their country for a vacation.
Apart from the emission reports, some of the less reported incidents such as the massive surge in solid medical waste have not been addressed. In Wuhan, China, the volume of medical waste rose from 40 to 240 tons a day during the peak of the epidemic.
As more individuals are becoming increasingly cautious of the virus, they turn to disposable plastic for the packaging of food items. Plastic has become a more popular choice due to research findings suggesting that the coronavirus can only live up to 72 hours on plastic. Also, due to a large number of people staying at home, food delivery and online shopping services have seen a spike in orders and they tend to use plastic packaging due to plastic being of a cheaper cost.
Most of the aftermath effects of the pandemic, such as a decline in carbon emissions and an increase in medical waste, will be temporary.
Most organizations are encouraging work from home, but this transition might not last long.
The lowering of emissions in this current scenario through these practices are seen as positive but have unfortunately created an imbalance because of how the virus has impacted health services and mental health.
All this has also just proven that when push comes to shove, we can adopt drastic measures to help our community and ourselves, this has by far been the most positive aspect of this pandemic. We are capable of thinking and doing for others and our environment. This is the chance for us to reset our thinking. We should ensure that when emerging from this pandemic we do not disregard the environment.
- By Clea Sawarkar