WILL COVID-19 SAVE OUR PLANET?

Covid-19 and climate change have some features in common. They have been both developed due to the relationship between humans and nature in the modern society. They are both global problems and they are responsible of many deaths. For both problems the cause is unknown and we should have been more prepared. 

With the virus, many companies closed, and in Italy people are still living in lockdown. As a consequence, the climate seems to have changed. From the cities we can finally see the stars at night and when we breath, the air is clean. Can we be positive for the future? Can we think that Covid-19 had at least one positive effect?

 THE IMMEDIATE POSITIVE EFFECT

According to Lauri Myllyvirta, a Finnish analyst for the Centre for research on Energy and Clean air, the virus in China brought to the closure of many productive activity and, as a consequence, the reduction of 25% of Co2 emissions during the month of February compared to the previous year. In order to understand the huge quantity of the saved energy, it’s enough to think that it’s the exact same amount of emissions produced in 1 year in Egypt. A statistic conducted by Global food, Environment and Economic dynamics, shows that this Emissions’ saving avoided the death of 50.000 people, more than the Covid-19 victims in the same period. What about Italy? According to Il Corriere della Sera, in Italy the streets are less congested and the reduction of Co2 from the traffic, during the month of February, was of 139.960 tons.

 WHAT ABOUT THE FUTURE?

Antonio Guerres, the general secretary of the United Nations, is not so optimistic. The epidemic could distract from the fight against global warming. According to Internazionale, the governments have now less resources to invest in new projects and they prefer the traditional activities, which are less green than the innovative ones. The 70 % of the global investments in clean energy regard public finances. Lauri Myllyvirta thinks that the positive effect is not only temporary, but it will be delated from the companies’ reactions to go out from the economic crisis we are living in. In order to respect the planet, the system should change the priorities and understand that the capitalistic system is not sustainable. Glen Peters, from the Centre for International climate and Environment Research, noticed that all the recent economies were followed by the immediate reduction of emissions. But, every time, the economic recovery took to the increase of emissions, much bigger compared to the previous reduction. The pandemic has already caused the cancellation of some meetings in prevision of the United States’ conference on climate which should be kept in November in Glasgow, but probably will be delated.

It’s important to keep in mind that beside Covid-19, there are huge problems that regard all of us and, in recent future, will put our destiny in danger. We should see further and prepare for the years to come.


Photo: Massive reduction of air pollution, Nasa