Dramatic Impact of Corona Virus Pandemic Lockdown on Environment

TIME TO ACT..

We all are very well aware of many ways to save the environment but we are not following it thinking what I can do alone? Do human activities affect the Environment?

Answer is YES ..And the result is in front of us, when we are locked at home ---The environment/Nature is healing.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused industrial activity to shut down and cancelled flights and other journeys, slashing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution around the world. If there is something positive to take from this terrible crisis, it could be that it’s offered a taste of the air we might breathe in a low-carbon future.

   The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about 3 million people die each year from ailments caused by air pollution, and that more than 80% of people living in urban areas are exposed to air quality levels that exceed safe limits. The situation is worse in low-income countries, where 98% of cities fail to meet WHO air quality standards.

Two weeks after the nationwide lockdown was announced on March 23 in the UK, NO₂ pollution in some cities fell by as much as 60% compared to the same period in 2019. NASA revealed that NO₂ pollution over New York and other major metropolitan areas in north-eastern USA was 30% lower in March 2020, compared to the monthly average from 2015 to 2019.

The drop in nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is dramatic enough as well as more discernible compared to the other pollutants. This is because its main source is vehicle exhaust. With nearly 90% of vehicles off the road, the change is evident at ground stations and visible even in satellites’ columnar observations over China, Italy and the USA.

When India imposed a nationwide lockdown on 22^nd March 2020, it was designed to stop the imminent spread of the novel coronavirus. But grinding this country of 1.3 billion people to a near halt has also provided a temporary remedy to another pressing health issue: suffocating pollution levels.

 The world's largest lockdown means all factories, markets, shops, and places of worship are now closed, most public transport suspended and construction work halted, as India asks its citizens to stay home and practice social distancing. So far, India has many confirmed cases of Covid-19, including deaths.

 The sudden fall in pollutants and the subsequent blue skies signal a dramatic shift for India -- which has 21 of the world's 30 most polluted cities, according to the IQ AirVisual's 2019 World Air Quality Report. PM2.5 is the critical pollutant of Delhi, and the rest of India.

Post lockdown, Delhi has seen a 51% reduction in PM2.5 and 49% reduction in PM10, shows data from the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR).

  The data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), part of India's Environment Ministry, was collated by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).Nitrogen dioxide went from 52 per cubic meter to 15 in the same period -- also a 71% fall. Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Bangalore have also recorded a fall in these air pollutants.

             "I have not seen such blue skies in Delhi for the past 10 years," said Jyoti Pande Lavakare, the co-founder of Indian environmental organization Care for Air, and author of upcoming book "Breathing Here is Injurious to Your Health."  "It is a silver lining in terms of this awful crisis that we can step outside and breathe.

Making air quality improvements permanent

           China emits over 50% of all the nitrogen dioxide in Asia. Each tonne of NO₂ that isn’t emitted as a result of the pandemic is the equivalent of removing 62 cars per year from the road. So you could estimate that over China, even a moderate 10% reduction in NO₂ emissions is equivalent to taking 48,000 cars off the road. But the 40% drop in NO₂ on 2019 levels for January and February in some areas equates to removing a whopping 192,000 cars.

             That’s an indication of what could be achieved permanently for air quality if car use was phased down and replaced with electrically powered mass transit. Electrifying transport in this way, with expanded train lines and more electric cars and charging stations, would slash tail pipe emission of air pollutants such as NO₂.

Ironically, by shutting down swaths of the global economy, COVID-19 has helped expose another respiratory health crisis. The ensuing lockdowns have shown the improvements to air quality that are possible when emissions are reduced on a global scale.

The pandemic could show us how the future might look with less air pollution, or it may just indicate the scale of the challenge ahead..

We Need to Save the Environment. Right time to put all the theorotical concepts into action.

Measures you can take in day to day life to save the environment.

1. Ditch your car if you can

2. Cut down on energy use in your home

3. Grow your own veg

If you have got a garden, or even a window ledge where you can keep houseplants, why not invest in seeds for future food?

Green leafy vegetables, potatoes, carrots, spring onions and tomatoes are all staple ingredients which can be grown .And all you need are seeds, soil, sunlight and a little water for your sprouting veg. 

4. Recycle

With restaurants and cafes closed for the foreseeable future, and no canteen to grab your weekday lunch, it is important to choose your food wisely.

Opting for foods with recyclable packaging and making use of your recycling bin is one easy step to reducing your contribution to landfill.

5. Opt for reusable toiletries

Next time you look to replace your toothbrush, why not go for a bamboo option to help save on plastic waste?

Each person uses an estimated 300 toothbrushes in their lifetime, and a single plastic brush can take thousands of years to decompose, so this small switch can make a large long-term difference.

 6. Eat less meat

Scientists have said eating less meat is the single most effective way an individual can reduce their impact on the planet.

Why not swap meat for vegetarian or vegan substitutes, such as plant-based burgers, sausages etc.

9. Cut down on water waste:

Now you are spending more time at home, it might be tempting to procrastinate in the shower. However, taking efficient showers can greatly reduce water waste, and thus the energy you are using. Taking 10 minutes to wash the dishes by hand instead of loading up an energy-guzzling dishwasher can also help you cut down on water waste.

After having a glance on all these alternatives;

Let’s take a pledge to accept all these changes with the environment and to change ourselves for a better future.

This is the perfect time to ACT ; otherwise it will be too late…..

 Our Future is in our Hands!!!!!!!! Save the Environment, Save the Earth.

ME4I/EE4I Students

Under Guidance of

Prof.Reema Karamchandani

G.H.Raisoni Polytechnic,Jalgaon

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