COVID-19 Environmental Impacts: The Facts
- ywacc.ngo
- Apr 15, 2020
- 3 min read
Hi everyone! We hope that you all are staying happy and healthy during these times of uncertainty. This article will provide another opinion or viewpoint about a previous article we published, “The Effects of COVID-19 on Climate Change.” This article will attempt to shed light on the impact of this pandemic on a global scale, as well as address the types of response this claim has warranted.
Everyone by now has probably heard about the “silver lining” of sorts that stemmed from the COVID-19 outbreak, and that is the reduced emissions of fuels and greenhouse gasses. While this is certainly a true statement, more and more scientists are starting to emphasize that this observable change will be temporary IF we quickly go back to our ways after this pandemic is over. Scientists have stressed that the change we are seeing is NOT a sustainable way to reduce pollution and protect our planet. McGill University associate professor and epidemiologist Jill Baumgartner told the New York Times that long-term effects of this virus “are going to be devastating for many people.”
An article recently published from USA Today also highlights that various social media influencers are making inaccurate claims and “misrepresenting the facts” about wildlife quickly reclaiming areas of land previously dominated by mankind. We are aware that we may have also contributed to this unhealthy mindset early on, and want to take accountability for our actions. While all the facts that we reported ARE statistically accurate and there has been a decrease in nitrogen dioxide and carbon emissions, this change will most likely not be sustainable in the future.
One of the recently viral images of canals in Venice finally being clear, have also been shown to be potentially misleading. While many people were amazed and shocked that this type of change occurred over the course of just a couple of weeks, this belief has recently been proven false. On March 16, the Venice Mayor’s Office told CNN that the canals were not in fact cleaner than they had been in recent times. The office issued a statement claiming, “The water now looks clearer because there is less traffic on the canals, allowing the sediment to stay at the bottom. It's because there is less boat traffic that usually brings sediment to the top of the water's surface." This leads experts to believe that the canals are clearer, but not necessarily any cleaner. The Venice Mayor’s Office did report lower levels of air pollution though, echoing the perceptible change in other metropolitan areas.
Another claim many social media influencers are making is that the COVID-19 pandemic is bringing wildlife back to many cities. This can be seen in the viral tweets showing dolphins and swans “returning” to canals in Venice. One tweet reads, “Venice hasn't seen clear canal water in a very long time. Dolphins showing up too. Nature just hit the reset button on us.” Another tweet, this time about the return of swans reads, “Here’s an unexpected side of the pandemic- the water’s flowing through the canals of Venice is clear for the first time in forever. The fish are visible, the swans returned.” However, these two claims have been debunked and proven false by National Geographic: “The 'Venetian' dolphins were filmed at a port in Sardinia, in the Mediterranean Sea, hundreds of miles away.” In Sardinia, it is not an uncommon site to see dolphins, in fact it is a popular tourist attraction. Similarly, “the swans in the viral posts regularly appear in the canals of Burano, a small island in the greater Venice metropolitan area.”
It is always important, but especially during a time like this, to fact check your sources and spot any potential bias. We hope that this article provided you with a broader perspective on this current global affair. Stay healthy and educated!
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