The effects of the Coronavirus on our environment

Hi readers, we have been spending our days in lockdown as you probably have too. We personally have not been to school for the last 10 weeks instead I have been doing remote learning and staying at home like most of the world. The economy is suffering and some supermarket shelves have been left empty but the biggest question of all:

How does all this effect our planet?

With travel restrictions in place and people advised not to leave their homes our planet is benefiting from this dip in our lives.

Transport makes up almost 1/4 of carbon emissions in the world, most of which is produced by flights and air traffic. The aviation industry has been hit hard with British airways suspending 30,000 members of staff in order to be able to compensate and therefore pay back ticket prices to customers who cannot travel during this time because of the coronavirus. Flights have been turned around mid-air and grounded, the check in desks are almost empty with only the few that must travel bracing themselves for two weeks in quarantine in most countries. The roads are emptier then usual as most people who can work from home where ever possible to try and avoid spreading the virus. Most cars have stood stationary except for occasional necessary supermarket visit. Thousands of people have been laid off, suspended, or have been fired so businesses of all sizes would be able to survive the financial storms that have happened and still are happening currently.

Industries all around the world have been halted to try and stop the spread. Factories have reduced the shifts of workers, with social distancing being practiced where possible. Production lines cause almost 1/5 of global greenhouse emissions. The cut back in factory production has lead to a 10% drop in global oil consumption.

Along with industries, air pollution has also been cut back in some cities to the level that famous landmarks can be seen clearer than in the last few years. Air pollution must be cut back as recent studies show that persistent high levels of air pollution have increased deaths resulting from Covid-19.

Future

The last time such dip nearing those like the ones we see today in emissions happened back in 2008 at the time of the global financial crisis. Countries began making more carbon emissions in order to rally up their economies. It was a result of the global financial crisis that China started the largest and most polluting economic stimulus program in history using billions of tonnes of cement and steel to build causing a gigantic rise in China's emissions. This proves that a crisis like the one we are facing today can raise emission levels in the years to come as if we treat it the way in which China treated the financial crisis of 2008.

However this also provides us with a big opportunity to reduce carbon emissions in the future. Scientists predict our emissions will drop by 0.3% after the pandemic taking recovery into account.

What is interesting to see is how the empty supermarket shelves are creating a awakening tide of the want not waste not mentality as people begin learning how to be more considerate about taking only what they need weeks into this pandemic.

The kindness of people helping out a neighbor or an older family member is showing that people are willing to make big sacrifices and changes to protect public health.

And to end on a really positive note: daily global CO2 emissions were ‘cut to 2006 levels’ during height of the coronavirus crisis!

Thank you for reading this post,

stay safe and keep reducing your carbon emissions :)

The Eco Sisters xxx