COVID-19’s Negative Impact on the Environment

Post date: February 23, 2021 9:08 am

By Daniel Burt

Families all around the world are experiencing direct effects from the coronavirus, whether it be family related, work related, or even school related, but what many fail to realize is that COVID-19 has a huge effect on the environment. There is a common misconception that the coronavirus has positively affected the environment. As that may be true for certain aspects of the ecosystem, many overlook the negative aspects. If something isn’t done, coronavirus could be devastating for not only our generation, but the future generations to come.

Since the start of the coronavirus, scientists have foreseen the negative impacts that could come in the near future such as the disposal of masks and gloves, but with so much pernicious news, many avoided the harsh reality and looked at the bright side of the coronavirus. People began to see air quality clearing up due to less travel. The Hudson River even began to see a return in wildlife, but what the general public failed to see was the upcoming tragedies mother nature would have to face. According to the popular news source, BDO, a large amount of disinfectants have been applied to roads in hopes to help stop the spread of the virus. In this disinfectant, a hormone-disrupting pesticide Triclosan which converts to dioxin, a highly toxic compound when exposed to sunlight. As a result, when it rains, the compound finds its way into water systems. On top of this, according to Mentor Works, there seemed to be an increase in deforestation due to unemployment rates skyrocketing. People turned to illegal deforestation operations in areas already facing alarming rates of the removal of habitat. To top all of this off, we’ve seen such a decrease in carpooling and public transportation. With more single driver vehicles on the road, there comes more air pollution.

The only way to prevent all of this is to think of safer alternatives, but in a time like this, it seems as though there might not be any. Many see it as either choosing their own safety, or the safety of the environment, and in a way, that may be how it has to be until COVID-19 calms down. For now, think of the small things you can do to help better the environment; plant a tree, recycle that water bottle you saw on the sidewalk, make a difference.