The coronavirus is the invisible enemy and does not discriminate against anyone. The United States has been affected by this virus economically, politically, and socially. However, in all the gloom and doom, the pandemic did bring some good to the world. The pandemic is actually helping our environment! This pandemic has forced people to stay at home, and not create as many carbon emissions. Additionally, people are not creating as much waste.
Coronavirus and the decrease in emissions and waste
“Empty Cities and Stalled Industrial Production, New Analysis Shows Coronavirus Has Cut China’s Carbon Emissions by 100 Million Metric Tons” explains how the coronavirus has affected the environment. This article explains how the coronavirus pandemic has greatly decreased China’s carbon emissions by 100 million metric tons (close to what China produces in a year). It made me think back to how Klein said something big has to be done and it cannot be on the individualistic level. This is systemic, and because the entire world is enforcing strict guidelines, that is why we are seeing such a steep decline in carbon emissions. Sadly, not even the greatest speakers, protests, petitions can produce this effect. It is unfortunate to me that a global pandemic was the only way we could see a drop in pollution. However, it is a great lesson that we can take and I hope these practices will continue once our world goes back to “normal”. Will people be more aware of how their actions affect the planet?
Drastic change is required to help the earth
As mentioned in Naomi Klein’s “book”, This Changes Everything, we cannot keep making little changes (such as individualistic choices like recycling) to help our planet. It needs to be drastic. As she explains “there is no way this can be done without fundamentally changing the American way of life, choking off economic development, and putting large segments of our economy out of business.” Reading this statement over again as I began to write this post really gave me a strange feeling because this is exactly what is happening in America right now. Our nation is “on pause”, and our economy is frozen. However, Klein states that this is what needed to happen if we wanted a chance at saving our planet. She also later states, that some people claim that “climate change is a plot to steal American freedom.” As I read that quote for a second time post COVID-19, some people could interpret the COVID-19 outbreak as taking away their freedom (freedom to travel, work, or even leave the house). It is amazing to me how much climate change connects to the coronavirus pandemic and it makes me think… was this a wake up call from Mother Nature?