S1.2 Is the Earth Better Off Without Us?” - COVID-19, Climate Change & The Environment

Environmentally Speaking

English - June 13, 2020 15:00 - 1 hour - 63.3 MB
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Previous Episode: A Post-Covid World” - How has the world changed with the COVID-19 pandemic?

Next Episode: S1.3 When Hunger Strikes? Food Security and Sustainability (Part 1)

Launched on World Environment Day (June 5, 2020), under the theme 'TIME FOR NATURE', this episode explored the very close link between climate change, environmental health, and the spread of diseases.

The COVID-19 Stay-At-Home orders drastically reduced transportation, both air travel and on the ground, and also reduced economic activities such as manufacturing, fishing. A study published in May 2020 found that the daily global carbon emissions during the lockdown measures in early April fell by 17% and could lead to an annual carbon emissions decline of up to 7%, which would be the biggest drop since World War II according to the researcher.

in addition to anecdotal evidence of more fish in some waterways as people stayed at home due to lockdown and travel restrictions, some animals have been spotted in areas that were once their natural habitat. Sea turtles were spotted laying eggs on beaches they once avoided (such as the coast of the Bay of Bengal), due to the lowered levels of human interference and light pollution.

How do we use these observations to plan for life after Covid-19 considering the importance of safeguarding environmental health while addressing climate change impacts?