Keith Matanachai '22

Ever since the global COVID-19 lockdown, there have been many articles on how air pollution has decreased in many countries. I know that the sky in my home country, Bangkok, has brightened up; however, is this just a temporary event while we wait for the world to restart? With gas prices reaching negative valuations a few months ago, is this the start of the sustainable energy era? How are countries taking advantage of this opportunity to enact change? Is there an environmental downside to the coronavirus pandemic?

With restrictions on travel, the world’s transportation has come to a standstill. Even though the number of people traveling by airplane has increased since the all-time lows of March and April, the number is still far away from where it was in January. As expected, the number of PM 2.5 particles, which are particles with a width of 2.5 microns or less, across the world have decreased. According to Science of The Total Environment, China had a decrease of 20-30% in PM 2.5 particles when comparing satellite data from February 2020 to that in February 2017, 2018, and 2019. Similar effects were also observed in Europe.

In addition to the minimal use of transportation, factories and docks have either reduced capacity or shutdown. With countries weary to import more goods, the need for oil and cargo ships is reducing. The before and after photo below shows the tangible impact of a national lockdown in Spain. Nevertheless, this indirect effect of COVID-19 is only temporary. The world will have to return to somewhat higher levels of pollution as lockdowns and travel restrictions ease. This virus is not the solution to global warming, but it does give us a glimpse (and some hope) of what life could be like if we pushed for sustainability.

During the month of August, the United Kingdom shut down the Bradley mine, the country’s last substantial coal mine. This was something the British government wanted to achieve for a long time and the coronavirus hastened the process: a temporary drop in demand for coal and energy provided an opportunity to cause little disruption. The next step for the UK is to stop all coal production for energy by 2025. In the meantime, they will have to heavily rely on wood pellets, coal imports, and sustainable energy to generate electricity.

In Germany, COVID-19 lockdowns might allow them to reach their goal of a 40% decrease in emissions from 1990 levels. Without the lockdowns, emission targets were estimated at a 37.5% reduction, falling short of their 2020 goal. This failure brought environmental policy to the attention of Germany, reminding them to reconsider certain environmental policies and goals while they have the chance. With this in mind, Germany and the EU are planning on increasing the climate target for 2030: a decrease of 50-65% from 1990 levels.

While COVID-19 has reduced some types of pollution, it also has increased others. With an emphasis on keeping to oneself, reusing is becoming more and more unreasonable. For example, masks are extremely important for our safety, but we are ill-prepared on how to dispose of them. Single-use surgical masks, just like any other plastic, take years to break down and threaten the lives of animals. If countries and recycling centers cannot effectively throw them away, we might see a surge in masks being dumped into landfills and oceans.

Apart from masks, COVID-19 has severely reduced the capacity of recycling centers. Limited personnel and social distancing restrictions mean that people cannot sort out recyclables or trash like they used to. This on top of increased plastic waste from online ordering and food takeout begs the question of where all the waste is being processed.

Although an emphasis on a vaccine and reducing casualties is the priority of every country, the side effects of this virus can be overlooked. It is important that we keep the environmental and social impacts of COVID-19 in the back of our minds. These aftershocks will require effective cooperation from leaders to ensure that we can solve each problem as soon as possible and start rebuilding, hopefully, with a little more attention to the environment.

Bibliography

Abnett, Kate. "Germany would have missed the 2020 climate goal without COVID-19 emissions drop." Reuters. Last modified August 19, 2020. Accessed August 25, 2020. https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-climate-change-eu-germany/germany-would-have-missed-2020-climate-goal-without-covid-19-emissions-drop-idUKKCN25F27F?il=0.

GUILLEN, MaARCIAL. A combo picture shows the skyline of Murcia, Spain days before the national lockdown, amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, February 29, 2020 (left), and the same site forty days into the lockdown, April 23, 2020 (right). Photograph.

Zambrano-Monserrate, Manuel A., María Alejandra Ruano, and Luis Sanchez-Alcalde. "Indirect effects of COVID-19 on the environment." Science of The Total Environment 728 (April 20, 2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138813.