COVID and Environment
Lockdown has resulted in many positives at least in
environmental terms.
It led wildlife busy
searching their ancestral homes in what now turned into concrete jungles.
Critically endangered Malabar civet is spotted in the
heart of Kozhikode city.
It led to decreasing
pollution levels in rivers and aquatic habitats.
It made the air we breathe
pleasant. Freed us from toxic fumes and black face packs we wear daily moving
through the cities.
Air pollution levels hit record low in almost all over
the globe.
Our surroundings free from
noise. No honking in the bustling urban spaces.
Now it is a treat for gossipers and eavesdroppers, who
can hear clearly what’s happening in their next apartments.
Less consumption of fossil
fuels due to large scale restrictions on transport. Which will in turn reduce
the GHG (Green House Gas) emissions.
This forced
oil producing companies to cut their supply and even led to negative pricing in
oil futures. Click here for more info. regarding this.
Negative Impacts
The COVID-19 pandemic also raises serious questions regarding environement.
- Developmental push of the nations in the post pandemic scenario will lead to backtracking of the ongoing environmental dialogues and mechanisms.
EG: India has approved more than a hundred development projects within 2 months of lockdown.
- Funding may decrease - due to recession grappling the economies.
- Countries may revert back to cheaper fossil fuels instead of costly renewable sources like solar panels and windmills.
Governments and civil society must need to understand that with climate change and increased human interference with wildlife will only increase risks just like the current crisis.
Sustainable use of nature and slowing down the current climate change is the only viable option before humans to restore the balance.