The Environmental Effect of COVID-19

Our lives as we see have come to a halt. Apart from affecting our daily routines, the pandemic has imprisoned us in our homes. Moreover, forcing us to ponder on our purpose of life and the duty we have on this planet. Waking up for college/university has now become an ancient practice by most students. But what most of us might have forgotten is the sight of sunrise and listening to birds chirping as our alarm buzzes. Students waiting for school buses and the busiest of all, the traffic at Maskan chowrangi the pain to reach for first slot class.

Environmental Impacts of Lockdown

Now when we look out of our balcony, there is dead silence on the roads. COVID-19 has brought down the most powerful leaders in the world to their knees. But from the very same balcony where we used to witness record level smog, we are now viewing clear blue skies and enjoying the beautiful skyline. The lockdown across the nation has halted the spread of greenhouse gases from cars to factories. This has directly impacted the weather and led to light showers of rain over the past days.

Moreover, globally, institutions and entertainment centers have closed. Public spaces are empty with fewer cars on the road and flights have been canceled causing the pollutions levels to decrease. Nature has started to reclaim its place on planet Earth. As we now witness the return of dolphins to Italy’s coast, swans in the river canals of Venice, and the sight of crystal clear water around.

However, the water is clearer, not cleaner, and this is only a temporary solution due to lockdowns across the world. Until there exists less internal and external tourism across the globe. Teleworking – online working from home and avoiding air travel have had a larger impact on the climate. But as Charles Duhigg, the author of the book, “The Power of Habit” has said, “As soon as the environment becomes stable again, the habit starts to reassert itself unless there is a powerful reward to the new behavior.” Hinting on the fact that as soon as the lockdown ends, we would resume our old habits of destroying the environment.

Reflect

The virus has taught us to appreciate our lives more but also taught us the lesson of co-existence and co-habitation. We, humans, share this planet with other species, and we can no longer destroy these natural habitations from forests to oceans to satisfy our greedy needs. This planet is as much as ours as it is theirs. We need to learn to co-exist or nature will find extreme ways to reclaim its place.