The coronavirus lockdown is helping the Earth heal.
Being indoors has made us all realise just how great the great outdoors are. And perhaps this Earth Day, how we should be a little kinder to our home planet. Here’s how you staying at home during the coronavirus is helping our planet heal.
Lower carbon emissions First we saw it from space, and now we can see it around us -- the air is clearer. Even in India, which falls in the top 5 countries of high carbon emissions, has seen a drastic drop in its levels. Rob Jackson, a professor of Earth system science at Stanford University was quoted saying that carbon output could fall by more than 5% this year - the first dip since a 1.4% reduction after the 2008 financial crisis.
Air control Not only is the air cleaner, it’s quieter too. The lack of public transport, people on the road and rush hour commute means that our ears aren’t getting better, we are just hearing a lot more. From the rustling of leaves to the chirping of birds, decibel levels have dropped. Decibel readings at a busy intersection were 90 pre-pandemic but recently measured at just 68, according to a Boston University report.
On Earth Day, decide to be a little kinder to our home planet. Cleaner water It’s not just our airways that are clearer, the water quality has improved as well. In Venice, famous for its canals, waterways are benefiting from the lack of usual boat traffic brought on by thousands of visitors. In India too pictures of a cleaner River Ganga as well as Varanasi have appeared.
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Wildlife takeover From the otters in Singapore to the goats in Wales and deer in Japan to the orcas in North America, while we may have lockdown restrictions, wildlife has been using this lack of human spreading to venture out of their own territories. It’s showing us just how much the natural world can thrive if we just gave it a little space.
Less excess Needed something? Log on, order it and have it delivered at the doorstep. But, the lockdown is making us rethink just what we need. Our shopping is mostly limited to essentials, and it is making people realise the excesses in their lives. From limiting excessive packaging materials to curbing impulsive shopping, we are all living a little more green.
Brazil's Forest Fires, Delhi's Smog: A Terrible 2019 For Planet Earth
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2019 has been an unforgettable year, for all the wrong reasons: From killer smog (R) to forest fires (L), drought to flood to hurricanes, the planet saw it all.
2019 has been an unforgettable year, for all the wrong reasons: From killer smog (R) to forest fires (L), drought to flood to hurricanes, the planet saw it all.
While forest fires in the Amazon during August and September are an annual occurrence, this year’s scale surpassed all estimates. Official figures show 87,000 fires in the first eight months of 2019, almost double that of 2018’s figure. Considering Amazon is the world’s green lung, this is especially tragic.
While forest fires in the Amazon during August and September are an annual occurrence, this year’s scale surpassed all estimates. Official figures show 87,000 fires in the first eight months of 2019,..
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Millions of acres of vegetation were burnt as bush fires raged across eastern Australia. The blaze prompted authorities to issue a “catastrophic” warning, the worst threat ever issued for Sydney, as over 100 deadly fires produced clouds of smoke seen as far away as New Zealand. (Image: AFP)
Millions of acres of vegetation were burnt as bush fires raged across eastern Australia. The blaze prompted authorities to issue a “catastrophic” warning, the worst threat ever issued for Sydney, as ..
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Hurricane Dorian devastated Bahamas in September, the worst natural disaster in the country’s history. With winds peaking at 185 kph, it’s estimated to have caused damage in excess of $3.5 billion. There were at least 65 deaths, while hundreds are still missing.
Hurricane Dorian devastated Bahamas in September, the worst natural disaster in the country’s history. With winds peaking at 185 kph, it’s estimated to have caused damage in excess of $3.5 billion. T..
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Glaciers along the coast of Antarctica are melting at an alarming rate as warmer waters and hotter temperatures eat away at the snow. A NASA report this year said the Antarctic ice sheet is melting nearly six times as fast as it did 40 years ago, thereby contributing to a rise in sea levels worldwide. And the really worrying trend? Things are actually getting worse, and sections are melting faster than before.
(Representative image)
Glaciers along the coast of Antarctica are melting at an alarming rate as warmer waters and hotter temperatures eat away at the snow. A NASA report this year said the Antarctic ice sheet is melting n..
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Smog envelops India’s national capital every November, and this year’s air quality was extremely hazardous yet again. In the first week of November, AQI was over 900 in some areas, and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the city had become a “gas chamber”.
Smog envelops India’s national capital every November, and this year’s air quality was extremely hazardous yet again. In the first week of November, AQI was over 900 in some areas, and Chief Minister..
