This hot topic was especially crucial in this year’s election.
By Isabel Chang ’24
With the election, along with the ever-increasing threat to our planet’s health, people have begun paying attention to the potential sustainability of our ways more than ever. Many voters have begun to factor environmental awareness into their ballots but have no idea where to begin with this subject. Though information regarding the endangerment of our planet has been around for quite a long time, it wasn’t until recently, with the threat of true habitual destruction with an increasing number of hurricanes and severe wildfires, did humans really begin paying attention.
Now, a global pandemic has squirmed its way through the nooks and crannies of society, throwing everything into a tangle of unknown. Based on this, then, we must ask how quarantine has affected the planet.
Incredibly enough, there has been little harm to the atmosphere during this time. Of course, the air isn’t completely free of all pollutants, but scientists have seen a significant decrease through satellite imagery. As provided in the images below, the differences in NO₂ levels between January and February in China have significantly dropped. At first, many scientists believed that the impending Lunar New Year caused such a decline, as many people stay at relatives’ houses and have little need for travel during this time. As the pandemic wore on and the holidays faded away, however, it was evident that this was not the case.
India has followed in the footsteps of China, passing strict quarantine laws as the virus jumped through borders. This, too, has allowed India’s bustling community of 1.3 billion people to halt in their tracks, effectively halting their gas emissions as well. Thus, due to the sudden decrease in motor vehicle emissions, the level of air-borne particles suspended within the air has dropped drastically, displaying a near 30% decrease from March to April.
The sudden drop in air pollution has been seen around the world. Because the demand for coal and fossil fuels have plummeted, carbon emissions have begun to plummet with it. According to Stanford Professor Rob Jackson, carbon levels in the air have dropped a near 17% due to quarantine.
Unfortunately, the good news cannot last. With the reopening of schools, offices, and metropolitan areas, carbon levels have once again shot up. According to Washington Post authors Andrew Freedman and Chris Mooney, “Earth’s carbon dioxide levels hit record high, despite coronavirus-related emissions drop.” Quarantine may have helped the environment for a few months as the pandemic grasped the nation, but with society shaking to be freed again, it appears as if these results may be short-lived.
People commonly misunderstand the direct correlation between carbon emission drops and the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. As stated by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, “The buildup of CO2 is a bit like trash in a landfill. As we keep emitting, it keeps piling up…(Ralph Keeling, Director of Scripps carbon Dioxide Program.)” This means the amount of carbon dioxide will not go away if we simply reduce emissions. In fact, according to Scripps, “CO2 emissions reductions on the order of 20 to 30 percent would need to be sustained for six to 12 months in order for the increase in atmospheric CO2 to slow in a detectable way.” This plan, however, would simply not be possible. Not only would daily life receive significant inconvenience be significantly inconvenient due to a drop in possible fossil fuel use but communication, the relocation of goods, and societies’ journey forward would also stop need to be drastically reduced once again.
So, what can we do?
I’m sure many of you in school have learned the little environmentally friendly habits. These include walking where you can, carpooling if possible, and picking up after yourself. These methods are incredibly helpful in the long run, but, if you think about it, we need major changes now. We need people to speak up, people who care, people who in power who have the ability to do something.
Luckily for you, the recent election presents copious opportunities for reform. Many of you even made your voice heard by factoring in environmental impacts into your ballot.
The U.S. has a long history of disregarding eco-threats. One recent example is the 2015 Paris Climate Accord, in which countries around the world agreed to try to limit global temperature rises to less than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). Unfortunately, the U.S decided to withdraw from the agreement under President Trump. Another example is that DDT was not banned until nearly twenty years after its effects became apparent and thirty years after initial use. DDT was developed as the first of the modern synthetic insecticides in the 1940s and was initially used to effectively combat insect-borne human diseases and for insect control in crop and livestock production, homes, and gardens. However, it was found to have detrimental impacts for humans and the environment. Many species suffered as a result of this neglect, including numerous avian species, such as the American Bald eagle.
Now, with people finally beginning to pay attention to the global call for climate action, world leaders have begun to act as well.
Many nations are implementing environmental plans. For example, Germany’s Renewable Energy Act and France’s Grenelle de l’Environnement are recently adopted initiatives meant to better the environment. In order to decide for yourself which plans to vote for, there are three factors that must be taken into account.
- The long road: is this plan designed to last as long as possible? Or is it a quick fix implemented solely for a short, yet drastic, change to our habitat?
- Is this plan realistic? Many times, things can sound too good to be true, and when this occurs, you must ask yourself, “Can this be achieved?” Keep in mind, time must also be considered. If a plan is designed to reach maximum efficiency in 60 years, then 60 years it is. Change isn’t one day to the next.
- Finally, what is your role in this plan? If it is something you have no way of honoring, then perhaps this plan isn’t for you. Choose something that you can be a part of and can actively root for.
With time running out to create effective environmental change, to combat the evident rises in temperature, and to halt the decline of many species, there has never been a more frantic push for laws and regulations regarding our collapsing ecosystem. Many people have become concerned, yet have no idea where to begin in their search for understanding of this topic. Hopefully, now you understand the dire state of the environment and can effectively work for change.
Works Cited:
Stevens, J. (2020). Airborne Nitrogen Dioxide Plummets Over China. Retrieved October 08, 2020, from https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/146362/airborne-nitrogen-dioxide-plummets-over-china
Patel, K. (2020). Airborne Particle Levels Plummet in Northern India. Retrieved October 08, 2020, from https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/146596/airborne-particle-levels-plummet-in-northern-india
Jackson, R. (2020, September 21). Quarantine, Climate and Carbon Emissions. Retrieved October 08, 2020, from https://woods.stanford.edu/news/quarantine-climate-and-carbon-emissions
Andrew Freedman, C. (2020, June 04). Earth’s carbon dioxide levels hit record high, despite coronavirus-related emissions drop. Retrieved October 08, 2020, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/06/04/carbon-dioxide-record-2020/
Egert, B., & Egert, B. (1970, January 01). France’s Environmental Policies: Internalising Global and Local Externalities, by Balazs Egert. Retrieved October 08, 2020, from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ces/ceswps/_3887.html
10 Things Germany is doing for the environment. (2018, May 23). Retrieved October 08, 2020, from https://www.deutschland.de/en/topic/environment/10-things-germany-is-doing-for-the-environment