Coronavirus and climate change
The effects of Covid-19 on our planet
As many know, our planet is just about to collapse. It is necessary that the world’s population is aware of the impact it may have on our planet if we do not already take action.
The Covid 19 pandemic came to destabilize the routine and social coexistence of all people around the world. However, it brought hope to the fight against climate change.
The COVID-19 pandemic has left millions of infections and hundreds of thousands dead and confined most of the world’s population, but has also considerably reduced daily CO2 emissions, — a 17 % according to a report published by Nature Climate Change magazine.
The advance of the pandemic has forced a third of the population into total confinement. The biggest change was the reduction in air pollution.
The industrial stoppage and the lower circulation of vehicles helped to reduce the levels of air pollution such as nitrogen dioxide fell between 0% and 70% in several regions of the globe, visible mainly in the city of origin of the outbreak, China.
Another notable change, as a result of the confinement, was the decrease of pollution in rivers, for example, the canals of Venice were clean as they had not been seen for a long time, as city dwellers reported.
And you wonder… to what extent are these changes noticeable?
- According to the University of Culombia, New York recorded a 50% decrease in carbon monoxide emissions compared to 2019.
- In Italy, a study by the European Space Agency, NO2 levels dropped with quarantine. The fish returned to the canals of Venice, with the smallest circulation of boats, therefore less turbid water.
- Seismographs, measured that the quarantine of populations decreased the seismic noise of the Earth’s crust.
- In Thailand and South Africa, the animals were able to move freely on the streets, an event that had not occurred for a long time due to the high number of people on the streets.
- For more than 30 years that in India it was not possible to observe the Dhauladhar mountain range, in the Himalayas, due to the high rate of atmospheric pollution in the country, an event that can be reversed during the confinement.
However, not everything is a sea of roses
Despite the evident changes after months of confinement due to the pandemic, it is not enough to reverse the state our planet is in and it is necessary to continue the fight for climate change.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), claims that despite the paralysis of large industries “does not replace a coordinated climate action”, emphasized Clare Nullis, spokesperson for WMO.
Finally, it is likely that when the “normal life” of the population returns, there will be a regression in the decrease of emissions, and probably even a worsening. Since it is necessary to restore the economy, which complicates.
Portugal supports the UN in the fight, sees this article in the ONU NEWS.
