Our Planet During the Pandemic

By: Kirti Moteka

For the past six months, our lives have been turned upside down. We’re worried about jobs, the economy, politics, government policies, ourselves, our families, and our safety. But one thing that ties us in common - planet earth - should be a bigger cause of concern. After all, we’re in a pandemic, and more united by a disease than ever before.

At the beginning of lockdowns in most countries, the pandemic seemed to be “healing” earth. Carbon emissions plummeted, pollution decreased, and rivers cleared up. According to Foreign Policy, countries with extreme pollution such as China and India had nitrogen dioxide pollution levels fall by 48% and 50% respectively. Viral images were shared across the internet of the beautiful landscapes that re-emerged during the first half of global lockdown.

However, a lot of “harming” to the planet occurred as well. Non-recyclable waste dramatically increased, which may cause an increase in methane emissions (a greenhouse gas). Stores started handing out plastic bags instead of reusable ones and implemented more single-use packaging, in efforts to stay safe. Organic waste has substantially risen due to cuts on export quantities. As ecotourism halted, many environment protection workers were unable to monitor wildlife areas - which has led to an increase in illegal hunting and fishing.

And most importantly, the number of dead bodies due to COVID-19 has had a severe toll on the planet. Cemeteries and morgues are running out of space, and questions have risen about whether it is safe to bury a dead body that may still have a living virus. The killing of many animals have also occurred, as COVID-19 is a zoonotic virus and some fear that animals or pets may have the ability to transfer it to humans.

It seems that we had focused on the good environmental impact - pollution decreasing, air quality improving - but now that might be at risk as well. With lockdown restrictions easing in many parts of the world, traffic pollution is increasing again. Furthermore, more people are taking their own transportation instead of public transportation, as buses and metros pose a fear of contracting the virus.

So what do we do about it? Where do we stand? The answer is like pollution - hazy. Some scientists believe that COVID-19 is fueled by other factors, and is part of the larger demise of our planet. Illegal wildlife trade, climate change, and fossil fuels are all part of this argument, as experts say that lockdowns are not enough to turn the tide of pollution; we must switch to renewable resources and decrease consumption of fossil fuels. The virus has also spurred a movement to “build it better” than before, one that politicians can use to reconstruct a greener country.

Whether our planet is healing or hurting is still unclear, but we must work together to build a more sustainable, healthier world. We’ve been so worried about our own health that we often forget to check up on our home - planet earth.

Sources:
https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/08/21/pandemic-lockdowns-climate-environment/ 
https://time.com/5848681/covid-19-world-environment-day/ 
https://unctad.org/en/pages/newsdetails.aspx?OriginalVersionID=2333