Coronavirus has been making its way across Earth for over a year now, leaving the environment in some ways better, but in others, worse. Because of COVID-19, many countries implemented to stop the spread of the virus. The global lockdowns caused an economic downturn in 2020, however the economy this year is expected to enter a period of major growth, north of 6.5%. As a comparison, in the past decade, there have been few quarters where gross domestic product grew at even 3%. Another major upside is how the lockdowns provided an overall cleaner environment. There is the obvious decline in air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions due to the very large falls in transport by air, road, and railways because people were working from home, but researchers also found that the pandemic has led to a surge in pollution from disposable products such as plastic face masks and hand sanitizer bottles.
The Good:
Apart from the negative social and economic impacts of COVID-19 lockdown, the quarantine regulations brought several environmental positive changes in several countries. As previously mentioned, greenhouse gas emissions have fallen drastically: a 5% drop according to UNCTAD estimates. Studies have also found that the pandemic has allowed for improved air quality in different cities across the world, reduced GHGs emissions, lessened water pollution, and reduced pressure on tourist destinations, allowing the ecological system to begin the path to restoration. While these are all steps in the right direction, it is very important to continue making improvements in one’s day to day life to further protect the environment and to slow global warming.
The decrease in air pollution is especially good considering how 91% of the global population lives in places where the air quality is poor. The Lancet commission reports on pollution and health suggest that pollution accounts for more than 16% of the global deaths, with air pollution alone contributing up to 8% of these deaths. Estimates are suggesting more than 90% of the pollution-related deaths occur in developing countries, such as Asia and Africa.
Reduction of GHGs emission: Less consumption of fossil fuels lessens the GHGs emission, which additionally helps to combat against global climate change. According to the International Energy Agency, oil demand has dropped 435,000 barrels globally in the first three months of 2020, compared to the same period of last year (IEA, 2020).
Reduced air pollution: Projected from the UK based climate science and policy website Carbon Brief, the pandemic could cut 1,600 metric tons of CO2, equivalent to above 4% of the global total in 2019.
The Bad:
While there the pandemic has affected the environment in ways that have brought hope back to many people, it has also left some very negative effects.
The increase of biomedical waste: Medical waste production has risen globally since the outbreak of COVID-19, posing a serious threat to public health and the environment. In Wuhan, China, for example, during the time of the outbreak, they created more than 240 metric tons of medical waste per day, which is nearly 190 metric tons more than average.
Safety equipment use: People are currently using face masks, hand gloves, and other medical devices to protect themselves from viral infection. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the development and usage of plastic-based personal protective equipment (PPE) has increased globally. For example, since February 2020, China has increased daily production of medical masks to 14.8 million, a significant increase compared to previous years. The use of masks and gloves to protect from infection is great, however it significantly adds to the amount of healthcare waste, especially when people do not dispose of them properly.
Incorrect mask and safety wear disposal: Polypropylene is usually used to make N-95 masks, and Tyvek for protective suits, gloves, and medical face shields, which all last for a very long time and release dioxin and toxic elements to the environment. This is why it is so crucial that people do not dump face masks in open places because such haphazard dumping creates clogging in waterways and worsens environmental pollution. The waterways have already been polluted with other trash and plastic debris, so for face masks to add to that pollution just creates another layer of unnecessary waste.
How we can move forward in the future:
Fighting the Coronavirus created many opportunities for international collaboration, where scientists were able to work together and were more efficient in finding solutions. If countries could model this type of collaboration and focus in addition on climate change issues, many lives could be saved. Though the damage that has already been done on the Earth is irreversible, we must do what we can to preserve our planet.