Coronavirus has enforced many restrictions on our daily lives, particularly those areas that have been placed into high levels on the tier system, but now we’re all going to be in the same boat once again as we move towards a second lockdown on November 5th, but what how does this affect the environment?
As well as the UK, dozens more countries have recently enforced lockdowns in response to the global pandemic, so it makes sense that transport usage, demands for electricity, and industrial activities will be at an all time low. During the first lockdown countries like China saw their CO2 emissions temporarily cut by 25% . Data suggests that as a result, of the coronavirus crisis, it could trigger the largest ever annual fall in CO2 emissions in 2020, more than during any previous economic crisis or period of war.
While this may seem like good news, National Geographic claim that ‘a more polluted future has been brewing while we haven’t been looking’. Clearer air and reduced noise pollution have certainly been welcome outcomes of the pandemic, however, the second lockdowns are lifted, its likely that we’ll be back to where we started.
In response to the pandemic demands for plastic have also risen as facemasks and PPE are in high demand and home deliveries from companies such as amazon and royal mail are experiencing an all time high demand like they’ve never seen before as a result in the boom for online shopping – all of which are hugely negative factors where the environment is concerned.
