Beyond COVID-19, the systemic shift that could lead to a silver lining for our environment
By: Shabana Hoosein
May 2020
As we proceed further into the pandemic and recovery that is affecting lives in a multitude of ways, one thing that we can all do during these trying times is plan for our post-COVID life. These times may bring up many feelings for us including confusion, lack of control, and social responsibility. If you have studied climate change, like I have, these feelings are not new. While the effects of social-distancing and isolation arrived rather abruptly, we can use this time productively to dream of our life after the pandemic and bring about new hopes for generations to come.
Climate change is not news for our generation, but murmurs amongst the media have paralleled COVID-19 and climate change. Why is this virus on Mother Earth’s radar? These two crises have a lot in common. While climate change research became mainstream about 30 years ago (1), there is more political action and research toward a virus that surfaced six months ago. Interestingly, the number of deaths isn’t a motivator for politicians either. In 2019, researchers projected that 250,000 people may die each year with climate change (2). So, why have stay-at-home orders been prioritized over decreasing carbon dioxide emissions? Many opinion media outlets suggest that our dealings with COVID-19 can help us plan the fight to protect the only planet we call home. These are truly exceptional times and most likely the only time that a crisis could “come to the rescue.”
Why are COVID-19 and climate change being compared?
Both of these timely issues are being looked at because the effects were previously predicted due to the clash of nature and our modern human lifestyles. Much like climate change, COVID-19is a global issue that sees no borders but has caused mass deaths and health emergencies for many of our fellow humans. Globalization and population expansion are other problems that intensify the effects of COVID-19 and climate change. In the case of COVID-19, population expansion has led to an increase in the density of people in a given location. Globalization has furthered COVID-19 as well by increasing our accessibility to far-away places and increasing the number of interactions that we would not have with people if we stayed home. Climate change is also highly influenced by population expansion and globalization, but mostly because more people means more fossil fuel burning.
But, look at the bright side…
Surprisingly, we have had a short period of decreased effects of greenhouse gas emissions on the environment. All of our tele-commuting and terrible online exams have resulted in some ‘gains’ for the climate on a small scale. Researchers at Colombia University have seen a 50% decrease in carbon monoxide emissions since March (3). Although carbon monoxide is a weak greenhouse gas, it is a high contributor to air pollution, which has been correlated with higher COVID-19 death rates. Decrease in demands within the US there has led to a 52% decrease in gasoline sales and a 75% decrease in jet fuel sales (4). A glimmer of hope.
Nonetheless, UN policy makers are saying that the global effects of climate change have not gone away because of stay-at-home orders. We would need to continue what we’ve been doing for the past 2 months over the span of decades to make a dent in the cumulative effects of greenhouse gas emissions over the past 30+ years.
The fight isn’t over for climate change, much like how the fight against COVID-19 isn’t over because we self-isolated for a few months. The effects of COVID-19 are likely to stick around for a few years as our economy recovers, a vaccine is produced, and more people have accessibility to tests. This doesn’t mean that our social distancing measures will last that long, but I’d probably hold off on sending out invites for your fourth of July red-white-and-blue extravaganza.
Regaining a global sense of humanity.
Science denial may have led to our slow political actions in response to COVID-19 (5).
It’s important for younger generations to realize the global sense of community that the pandemic has brought forward. Aside from world wars, this has been the most unifying experience for society as a whole. Combatting coronavirus has instilled a sense of community and an appreciation for what science, government, and businesses can achieve in collaboration. This is history in the making and something to be very grateful in living through.
Nonetheless, this can also be seen as a shift in the right direction. The global impact that COVID-19 has had on humanity as a whole has built momentum in planning for a sustainable future. Our collaboration with the critical players, like the government, are crucial at this time of rebuilding together and changing the trajectory of climate action. These are the ties that bind us on a global scale and help us come together as a global society.
Our chance for reinvention.
Due to the collapse of current ‘business as usual’, this crisis may give us time to reason and reflect on implementing new solutions that will change our climate trajectory. Here are a few great ideas from other online media outlets:
(1) Put clean energy plans at the heart of the stimulus plan to kill two birds. This pandemic may be a good time to trash old energy policies and replace them with sustainably incorporated changes that can grow with the economy (6).
(2) Fix the healthcare system. Well-resourced health care systems with supported workforces are better prepared to deal with viral and climate-related disasters (7).
(3) Public health is a political choice. There is no doubt that responsible leadership and collaboration across borders is needed at this time (8).
*Read more here: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/03/coronavirus-world-action-future-global-covid19-pandemic-leadership
Ironically, COVID-19has shown us this really big positive to social distancing orders: greenhouse gas emissions have decreased. So, it is actually possible. Luckily for us, precautions for the climate won’t come with the same baggage that COVID-19 has in flipping our world upside down. Climate change precautions would consist of sustainable solutions that boost the economy, not destroy it. While the silver lining for the environment is not quite there yet, it’s something to look forward to. We have had a small glimpse of the positive impact that our actions could have on the environment. What it could be and what it would take. Our post-COVID life will be based on our actions now.
SOURCES
(1) https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/07/embark-essay-climate-change-pollution-revkin/
(2) https://www.livescience.com/64535-climate-change-health-deaths.html
(3) https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-51944780
(4) https://www.wired.com/story/coronavirus-pandemic-climate-change/
(5) https://insideclimatenews.org/news/08042020/science-denial-coronavirus-covid-climate-change
(6) https://e360.yale.edu/features/after-the-coronavirus-two-sharply-divergent-paths-on-climate
(7) https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/climate-change-coronavirus-linked/