Story by Jodi Samuels
For many people across the world, the novel coronavirus pandemic has changed the social and economic lifestyle of many, but its consequences can be felt on a planetary scale. The fight for environmental change has been a heated debate of how to apply realistic measures of how to cut back on practices that create pollution. Over the course of six months since the first COVID-19 case, the world has indirectly been a part of a global experiment. With countries like the United States, the UK, Italy, India and other countries around the world on different stages of lockdown, the planet has shown a measurable response to the world retreating home.
Progress in Numbers
A Bloomberg report says a few months ago, it would seem impossible to see drastic changes to economic and consumer behavior that would cause factories to close overnight. An estimated 2.6 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions has been removed from the atmosphere which is about 8% of the expected yearly emissions.
2.6B metric tons of CO2 will not be emitted into the atmosphere –
estimated by the International Energy Agency (IEA)
Also because of pandemic quarantine response, changes can be seen in polluted cities such as India where the air quality improved in weeks from smog to clearer skies. This comes from a standstill of various industries like coal burning plants and millions of vehicles on the streets. The country had previously had a reputation in 2019 of having 14 out of 20 of the most polluted cities in the world. Reports from IQAir now only reports Mumbai on that list.
The IEA also reports that the world’s energy demand has also been changed where it expected the world usage will be 6% less by year end, for example this would be the amount of India’s energy demand of a year.
What happens Next?
This year will have the most significant drop in carbon emissions in decades, but the cycle of environmental damage will begin once economies are able to go back into full swing. This drop in pollution levels is evidence of how human activity is impacting the planet and that those activities can further the consequences of climate change. There are a few realities to address.
WHO Climate Lead Dr. Campbell-Lendrum’s interview with EcoWatch details the added risk of future outbreaks. Infectious diseases such as COVID-19, SARS, and HIV have come from the natural environment and exploitation of wildlife can have drastic responses when it collides with the human industrial world. The coronavirus did not happen because of climate change but disease like can be transmitted far easier because of warming climates and instability of weather patterns. Many health systems are strained it exposes how under-prepared nations are to fight potential pandemics.
Second, waste will still be an issue and growing from the production of plastic products. Recycling facilities have come to a standstill and meanwhile plastic containers for items like soap, hand sanitizer, and disposable utensils are in high demand. This will be largest emissions drop since World War II but will not be lasting based on trends. What is important is that this pandemic opens the conversation on how each country can go forward to innovate and make more conservation measures to address environmental issues more actively because it is possible even outside of a pandemic.
For more information on climate change and the coronavirus, check these links:
A Pandemic That Cleared Skies and Halted Cities Isn’t Slowing Global Warming
World’s Dirtiest Air Gets Cleaner After India’s Lockdown
Air quality and pollution city ranking
How Is the Coronavirus Pandemic Affecting Climate Change?
5 Things to Know About Climate Change and Coronavirus With WHO Climate Lead Dr. Campbell-Lendrum
Climate change and coronavirus: Five charts about the biggest carbon crash
Renewables Are the Only Winners in Historic Decline in Energy Demand
Fact check: The coronavirus pandemic isn’t slowing climate change
Beyond the Fold: Think Something New 