Perceiving the SARS-CoV-2 Outbreak as a Boon to the Environment.by Ajaya Poudel | 11-04-2020 01:59 |
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     Currently, everyone is more concerned and talking about how much harm the COVID-19 outbreak has been causing and what future harm it may cause to the world. Despite the number of Human Lives it has taken around the world and as bad as it is, the environment might just be the only beneficiary of this scary social distancing scenario we are all part of. The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is believed to have originated from animals other than humans with 96% resemblance to the coronavirus found in bats and is highly contagious among humans. As of now, with 1.6 million+ cases worldwide COVID-19 has already taken 0.1 million+ human lives and is the current most serious concern in the world. In about 3 months, this global pandemic has taken the global population and governments by surprise, has shut down industries and the global economy and put millions of people into isolation. Taking into account all these harmful aspects of the outbreak worldwide and as everything has its pros and cons, there are some of the positive aspects of this pandemic too. Our mother Earth is finally healing and is finally filled with fresh and clean air and water in years due to the influence of lockdown and restricted movement of vehicles in the roads and even airways. According to WHO, normally, air pollution causes about 4.6 million premature deaths annually worldwide. According to "The Climate Group", working from home has the potential to reduce over 300 million tonnes of carbon emmissions per year. According to China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment, in China, which is the largest polluter in the world, the average number of "good quality air days" increased by 21.5% in February, compared to the same period last year along with the significant reduction in the carbon emmissions as well. Not only in China, many other countries like Italy, Spain, USA etc. also have the similar outcomes. Other than decrease in air pollution, many other unintended benefits of this serious pandemic are also observed in the environment. Significant decrease in greenhouse gases responsible for global warming are also observed, although temporarily, around the globe. Not only air, but different water resources are also being cleaner due to reduced human intervention. For eg. The often murky canals in Venice are now cleaner. Animals are getting more area to roam around in search of food. For eg. In Nara, Japan, the sudden cessation of tourism has prompted herds of deer, who used to feed on food scraps left by people in public parks, to wander farther into the streets in search of a quick bite. "If we can think about how to prepare for climate change like a pandemic, maybe there will be a positive outcome to all of this", said Christopher Jones, lead developer of the cool climate network, an applied research consortium at the University of California, Berkely. Climate change is real and has and will have serious impact in the world sooner or later. The threat of Climate Change is not less than this serious outbreak itself. Maybe this is the Earth's wakeup call. The coronavirus is merely exposing our dysfunctional leadership and sparking new ways of caring or each other and the planet. Thus, we humans must open our eyes in time to prevent the "pandemic" of climate change. |
