Staying Inside to Save the Outside
Staying Inside to Save the Outside
Anvi Padiyar
Edited by Teknos 2019-2020 Staff
By the spring of 2020, many countries across the globe issued stay-at-home orders in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19. A respiratory disease with high transmission rates, COVID-19 has infected millions of people and caused many deaths. As COVID-19 also caused millions of people to lose their jobs and many small businesses to close down, it’s safe to say the economy is in bad shape. Although the virus has led to terrible circumstances, a positive consequence has come out of this. When people self-quarantine themselves and stay at home, the environment thrives from the lack of human interference.
With fewer cars on the roads and airplanes in the skies, air pollution levels have declined dramatically, and air quality has improved in many places around the globe. The 23% of all carbon emissions that transportation and travel accounts for has greatly decreased [1]. In New York City, an epicenter for the pandemic in the United States, carbon monoxide pollution from vehicle emission has fallen nearly 50%, and levels of carbon dioxide and methane have dropped by five to ten percent due to the stay-at-home orders. China’s pollution emissions and coal use have also fallen 25% as of the beginning of this year. Additionally, many European countries, such as Italy, the United Kingdom, and Spain, have been emitting less nitrogen dioxide, a dangerous gas that can react to form acid rain and smog [1, 4]. The drastic drops in pollution levels prove that by just reducing our travel, we can work towards cleaner air. Unfortunately, this is a difficult goal since many people have long commutes, and some even drive vehicles for a living. Travel and transportation have become an essential part of our lives and are therefore impossible to avoid. However, by simply opting for public transportation, biking, or walking, a drop in pollution is possible.
Cleaner air isn’t the only environmental benefit of COVID-19. Wildlife has made appearances all over the world. In a Welsh town, wild goats are wandering freely in the streets; in a closed French shipping port, whales are swimming closer to shore; and in many cities of Spain, Israel, and Turkey, wild boars can be seen roaming around. With a lack of tourism and vacationing, sea turtles have been able to nest with ease on the barren beaches of Thailand and Florida. Meanwhile, in the lagoons of Albania, bright pink flamingos have increased their population by a third [3]. Rangers at the Yosemite National Park in California have reported a 400% increase in sightings of bears, bobcats, and coyotes [5]. Although there are many animals appearing in this period of isolation, the species populations are still in danger. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species reports 31,000 species or 27% of all assessed species are endangered [2]. Because of the high endangered species rate, the sudden appearance of animals in normally human-populated areas highlights the importance of reducing our interference with ecosystems to increase their populations [3]. By designating habitats for wildlife, we can prevent extinction and protect endangered species.
It is awful that a pandemic had to happen in order to reduce the pollution we cause. Although global ecosystems seem to be healing in this moment of self-isolation and disease, there is uncertainty whether this will continue after the pandemic is over. Unfortunately, it is very likely that we may revert to our old habits of producing pollution and forcing out wildlife. Businesses and industries will be up and running soon after the pandemic, fighting to save the struggling economy, but continuing to generate pollution [1]. Wildlife will be forced out once again as people regain the streets. However, on a more hopeful note, we could use what we've learned from this pandemic and take appropriate measures to reduce pollution and encourage wildlife preservation during normal times. By taking the necessary steps, we can protect our Earth without relying on a catastrophic event such as a pandemic to save our environment.
