22/04/2020
Sometimes you donโt notice something until itโs gone. Such is one stark visual lesson of the pandemic: air pollution is something way too many people around the world breathe in every day.
The shutdowns of business and travel during the Covid-19 pandemic have cleared the air in cities as pollution has fallen sharply. China, for instance, experienced a 40 percent decline in nitrogen dioxide, a pollutant produced from burning fossil fuels in cars and power plants, earlier this year compared to the same period last year.
Air pollution is a deadly threat, killing millions around the world every year. Itโs also linked to more severe outcomes for Covid-19. Conversely, the economic slowdown stemming from Covid-19 showed that reducing pollution yields massive benefits for public health. One researcher estimated that the drop in air pollution in China saved 20 times as many lives as were lost to the virus.
And China isnโt the only place seeing clearer skies. In the United Kingdom, nitrogen dioxide pollution fell 60 percent after the country implemented a lockdown compared to the year prior. A nationwide lockdown in India revealed skylines and mountain vistas that had been obscured for decades.
The Covid-19 pandemic has shown how quickly air quality can improve. But it doesnโt mean we should celebrate the pandemic for its impact on the environment. The clearer skies came at a devastating social and economic cost. The challenge for countries then is to reduce pollution without a massive toll.
Countries like China and the United States are weakening environmental regulations in the hope of helping industries better recover from the slowdown, so the pollution could come back with a vengeance. But itโs worth asking why we tolerated so much dirty air for the sake of the economy for so long and whether thereโs a better way. @ Pune, Maharashtra