Might Coronavirus help the planet?
Amelia Lorrimore discusses the environmental impact that Covid-19 has had on the the planet, and the importance of learning from what we see, in the changes we have made in our lives.
Coronavirus has swept across the globe in a matter of months, paralysing major cities and forcing large gatherings and events to either be shut down or postponed; St Patrick’s Day celebrations were cancelled, the Six Nations and the Olympics have been postponed, along with Glastonbury and many other events that people will be saddened to have to miss. However, in the midst of all of the trauma, loss and illness there is something magical happening.
Due to the Government guidelines set in countries across the globe, people have been retreating to their homes for self-isolation, limiting their use of public transport, and in some countries, like China and Italy, people have been completely quarantined in their homes. This decline in outside activities has had a profound effect on the environment, and the things that environmentalists have been demanding for years in the hope of protecting human life in the long term have finally come into effect, due to the results of humanity’s fear of Covid-19 in the short term.
In China, factories have been closed and streets have been cleared, while residents have been ordered to stay at home. This has led to the carbon dioxide emissions seeing a 25 percent decrease. Before this decrease, a whopping 1.6 million people a year, died from air pollution. If carbon dioxide emissions could be maintained at this decreased level after the pandemic, there would be a significant drop in these deaths.
In Venice, the typically murky waters that flow through the canals have become clear, due to the lack of human life polluting the waters. Venice’s efforts to limit the spread of Covid-19 have meant that boat traffic has come to a halt, resulting in an almost instantaneous change to the water’s condition. This has meant a healthier habitat for the fish and swans that live in the canal - they can now be seen under the water! What's more, dolphins have been spotted in the canals!
On the subject of animals, there have been countless sightings of animals migrating into towns and populated areas, because of the lack of human life out on the streets. Fourteen Elephants invaded a vineyard in China, in search of food and ended up passing out drunk after consuming 30 Litres of Corn Wine. Mountain goats have been coming down from the mountains in Austria and invading towns - not to mention in North Wales. These are only a couple of examples of what a profound difference the lack of human presence has had on nature and wildlife. This outburst of animal life in normally busy and working areas is surely a sign that when humans and our cars and modern technological resources are taken out of the equation, wildlife can run free.
However, these changes cannot yet be seen as a silver lining to the virus, because they are just temporary changes. If people weren’t listening before the virus, why would they start listening after the virus? If only world leaders, factory owners and the general public used as much determination and perseverance in solving the climate crisis as they have in preventing the spread of Coronavirus. But, these wonderful changes in the environment will amount to nothing if the people don’t use them as proof of what will happen if we apply some of the environmentalist advice to our lives, and proof of just how easy it is to save our planet when we all change the way we live. When we see just how quickly we can reverse the effects that humanity has on this planet, how can we stand idly by and not make these changes permanent? We certainly can’t continue using the time old excuse, “it won’t really change anything”, because this is proof that it will!
I’ll leave you with this: you’re worrying about your parents, your grandparents, your children and your friends in the midst of this pandemic. Why aren’t you also worrying about your great-grandchildren, and their great-grandchildren, and theirs to come?
Amelia Lorrimore, Year 12
Coronavirus has swept across the globe in a matter of months, paralysing major cities and forcing large gatherings and events to either be shut down or postponed; St Patrick’s Day celebrations were cancelled, the Six Nations and the Olympics have been postponed, along with Glastonbury and many other events that people will be saddened to have to miss. However, in the midst of all of the trauma, loss and illness there is something magical happening.
Due to the Government guidelines set in countries across the globe, people have been retreating to their homes for self-isolation, limiting their use of public transport, and in some countries, like China and Italy, people have been completely quarantined in their homes. This decline in outside activities has had a profound effect on the environment, and the things that environmentalists have been demanding for years in the hope of protecting human life in the long term have finally come into effect, due to the results of humanity’s fear of Covid-19 in the short term.
In China, factories have been closed and streets have been cleared, while residents have been ordered to stay at home. This has led to the carbon dioxide emissions seeing a 25 percent decrease. Before this decrease, a whopping 1.6 million people a year, died from air pollution. If carbon dioxide emissions could be maintained at this decreased level after the pandemic, there would be a significant drop in these deaths.
In Venice, the typically murky waters that flow through the canals have become clear, due to the lack of human life polluting the waters. Venice’s efforts to limit the spread of Covid-19 have meant that boat traffic has come to a halt, resulting in an almost instantaneous change to the water’s condition. This has meant a healthier habitat for the fish and swans that live in the canal - they can now be seen under the water! What's more, dolphins have been spotted in the canals!
On the subject of animals, there have been countless sightings of animals migrating into towns and populated areas, because of the lack of human life out on the streets. Fourteen Elephants invaded a vineyard in China, in search of food and ended up passing out drunk after consuming 30 Litres of Corn Wine. Mountain goats have been coming down from the mountains in Austria and invading towns - not to mention in North Wales. These are only a couple of examples of what a profound difference the lack of human presence has had on nature and wildlife. This outburst of animal life in normally busy and working areas is surely a sign that when humans and our cars and modern technological resources are taken out of the equation, wildlife can run free.
However, these changes cannot yet be seen as a silver lining to the virus, because they are just temporary changes. If people weren’t listening before the virus, why would they start listening after the virus? If only world leaders, factory owners and the general public used as much determination and perseverance in solving the climate crisis as they have in preventing the spread of Coronavirus. But, these wonderful changes in the environment will amount to nothing if the people don’t use them as proof of what will happen if we apply some of the environmentalist advice to our lives, and proof of just how easy it is to save our planet when we all change the way we live. When we see just how quickly we can reverse the effects that humanity has on this planet, how can we stand idly by and not make these changes permanent? We certainly can’t continue using the time old excuse, “it won’t really change anything”, because this is proof that it will!
I’ll leave you with this: you’re worrying about your parents, your grandparents, your children and your friends in the midst of this pandemic. Why aren’t you also worrying about your great-grandchildren, and their great-grandchildren, and theirs to come?
Amelia Lorrimore, Year 12