All over the world, high ways, airports, cities have closed and, consequently, their emissions are dropping. It looks as if when humans stop producing, consuming and traveling, the environment recovers.
Take transport alone. It represents ¼ of the global carbon emissions. There are less airplanes in the sky, and that’s important because flying is the quickest way to heat the planet. Therefore, all the flights that have been cancelled are saving a lot of carbon.
97.000 cancelled flights in Spain in only two months
Auckland’s (New Zealand) highways empty due to the government restrictions
The closing of transports and highways, plus the industrial lockdown have meant cities have a better environmental quality. In China, the carbon emissions drop 25% in the beginning of the year, as people were locked down, industries closed and the use of carbon fall a 40% in the six bigger electric centrals in China. The proportion of days with air of good quality rised a 11,4% in comparison with the same period last year in 337 cities in China.
The blu sky of Beijing
In Europe, the satellite images show less NO2 emissions, a gas responsable of respiratory diseases and acid rain, along the North of Italy, Spain and UK.
Clear waters in Venecia due to the lack of movement and tourists
For the first time in 50 years, the water in Venecia is clean and full of wildlife
The sky of Beirut—known for its high levels of pollution—is cleaner
We the team of Les Créations de la Maison can’t stop asking ourselves, will these drop offs have a long term effect in the environment and the climate change? This pandemic should make us all see the clear connection between our health and the environment, and rise awareness that protecting the environment is an essential strategy to avoid other health crisis in the future.
Source: BBC