Is Coronavirus Good for the Planet?
Online Science Editor, Issy Murray, discusses whether there are positive effects to come from the coronavirus outbreak
While coronavirus continues to spread across the globe, many aspects of day to day life have come to a standstill. Activities such as travel and industrial work have been hugely reduced, and as a result so have some of the by-products of these. While socially self-isolation and social distancing are proving a challenge, the environment appears to be benefitting from this change.
Researchers from Columbia University, New York, have been able to show a 50% reduction in carbon monoxide which is usually produced mostly by car use.
The BBC has reported that researchers from Columbia University, New York, have been able to show a 50% reduction in carbon monoxide which is usually produced mostly by car use. This comes amidst the discovery that compared to last year, traffic levels in New York are down by approximately 35%. The levels of carbon dioxide emissions have also diminished, with scientists claiming that the levels, when recorded in May, could potentially be the lowest since the global financial crisis in 2007-8, with a 5-10% decrease over New York alone.
These impacts are also mirrored in other countries that have been severely affected by coronavirus, such as China and Italy. The website Carbon Brief conducted an analysis that revealed that energy use and emissions in China have lessened by 25% in just two weeks, which is predicted to produce a 1% drop in China’s overall carbon emissions for this year. A fall in the amounts of air pollutants is promising given that many are either directly or indirectly linked to global warming.
While on a large scale, quarantine has seen a decrease in transportation and economic activities, on a smaller scale, cities like Venice are seeing a return in wildlife that was previously driven out, or went unnoticed, due to tourism. The lack of motorised transport during Italy’s lockdown has meant that the canal beds of Venice have settled, and the water has cleared, revealing creatures such as fish, crabs and a diverse range of plants living below. This seems to align with what protestors against over-tourism in Venice seem to have been claiming under the ‘No Grande Navi’ (translated as ‘No more cruise ships’) campaign.
Cities like Venice are seeing a return in wildlife that was previously driven out, or went unnoticed, due to tourism.
Though it seems a decrease in global emissions is possible due to coronavirus, it’s predicted that levels will return to dramatic peaks once the pandemic is over. This would be very similar to what happened in 2009 after the aforementioned financial crash, as carbon emissions rose by 5% ‘as a result of stimulus spending that boosted fossil fuel use’ according to the BBC article. Whether or not the positive environmental effects of the pandemic will be undone is dependent on subsequent government action.
Rebooting the economy after this crisis could be the perfect opportunity for governments to shift from relying on fossil fuels, however, there’s also a chance that climate change will be forgotten in favour of economic promotion as it has been in the past.
