Within the past couple of weeks our nation has encountered a deeply concerning threat- something unlike anything we have ever experienced before in modern times. Lives are on the line. Our friends and loved ones are at risk. The threat began as something not really impacting our everyday lives however, within a short period of time, the situation escalated and now is affecting nearly everyone across the planet.

 

The coronavirus (COVID-19) has evolved into a global pandemic. Impending fear has penetrated the lives of many. The global response has resulted in lockdowns, forcing people to self-quarantine, “stay-at-home orders,” and travel bans urging people to drastically alter their everyday lives in order to save themselves and others. We are constantly working to pull all of our resources together and immediately change our behaviors.

 

Many argue that we did not react to the situation quickly enough. They believe that we should have taken drastic measures earlier on which could have saved lives. Of course, there is no sure way to know if this is true, but the fact is that global threats need universal responses.

 

For the first time in a long time people were asked to change their individual lifestyles. They were asked to stay home, to stop driving, flying, and using other machinery which produces toxins. In just a few weeks alone we have seen notable results. There are less carbon dioxide emissions, better air quality, and potentially positive responses from wildlife.

In China, the standstill for a couple weeks alone has shown significant drops in nitrogen dioxide, an effect of people being quarantined. NASA has made comparisons of nitrogen dioxide levels of this year and years prior. Around this time every year, factories shut down and people stay home from work in order to celebrate the Lunar New Year. However, the levels still have something distinctive to show. An air-quality researcher at NASA, Fei Liu, states “this year, the reduction rate is more significant than in past years and it has lasted longer.”

 

China is not the only country whose environment is improving due to the sudden lack of human interaction in the environment. Satellite images also show that Italy and South Korea are producing less air pollution due to the circumstances. Similar to China, the regions are showing lower levels of nitrogen dioxide which is caused by lack of vehicle and industrial use.

 

In addition, beaches across the country are being shut down, preventing visitors from overtaking the land which could have a beneficial impact on sea life. A Florida operations director at Ecological Associates, Niki Desjardins, states “without people on the beach at night and potentially reduced lighting from fewer people vacationing on the beach, nesting turtles will have a quiet and dark beach.” It is without a doubt that less people on the beaches will enable a greater chance of survival for turtle hatchlings.

 

Even though the coronavirus has shifted focus away from dealing with climate change for the time being, maybe more people will realize how their actions affect the environment. Together, we can apply the same behavioral changes to better the future of the environment. If one good thing can come of this pandemic, it’s that we can see how much human activity alone jeopardizes the air we breathe and the environments we live in.

 

Being from New York State, the new epicenter of the virus itself, I have never seen more people who have resorted to going on walks with their children around the neighborhood. Perhaps this virus will teach us to be more mindful of our actions and to connect with our environments in a new way.

 

If we take the same sense of urgency applied to combat the coronavirus and implement it to aid the reduction of climate change and fossil fuel use we can ensure a healthier environment for future generations. According to NASA, it may not be too late to avoid or limit some of the worst effects of climate change. People should be forced to change their consumption behaviors before climate threats become irreversible.

 

The state of our environment and climate affects us all. Like the virus, the dangers of pollution do not discriminate. Like the virus, the effects of pollution are invisible to the human eye, but remain very real in how detrimental the effects can be if significant action is not taken place soon.

 

The coronavirus has taught us that in order to solve global issues, we need both strong government and individual responses to see any improvement. It is clear that the government can implement radical change that can make a substantial impact on any issue. We must also act now, before it is too late.