JUNE 2020
Your Quarterly News & Updates
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC'S IMPACT
ON THE WORLD'S ENVIRONMENT
The Biggest Carbon
Crash Ever
According to the BBC, "No war, no recession or no previous pandemic has had such a dramatic impact on emissions of CO2 over the past century as COVID-19 has in a few short months." The International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that the world will use 6% less energy this year which is equivalent to losing the entire energy demand of India. In a study published in May by Stanford Researcher, Rob Jordan, it was reported that global carbon emissions had fallen by 17% in April and that could lead to an annual carbon emission decline of 4%- 7%, which would be the biggest drop since World War II.
As our industry is well-aware, the world has cut back heavily on travel by air and on roads. According to the IEA, global average road transport activity fell to 50% of the 2019 level by the end of March 2020. Air travel also dropped hugely resulting in a 65% reduction in demand for jet fuel and global electricity demand was down by 20% or more.



A then-and now photo shows New Delhi's India Gate war memorial on October 17, 2019 and after India's coronavirus lockdown .
The water in Venice's canals has cleared up due to fewer tourists, motorboats and pollution.

Adverse Effects of COVID-19 on the Environment
Although it has been gratifying to witness clear skies and highways in Los Angeles, clear blue waters in Venice and blue skies instead of a sea of gray smog over New Delhi's India Gate War Memorial, there have been negative effects of this pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic has provided cover for illegal activities and in Brazil, satellite imagery has shown that deforestation of the the Amazon rain forest is surging by over 50 percent. Conservationists expect that African countries will experience a massive surge in bush meat poaching as well as the poaching of high-value products such as rhino horn and ivory. As the COVID-19 outbreak was rapidly spreading throughout the European Union, the focus on the European Green Deal diminished with some suggesting a yearly pause or a complete discontinuation of the deal.

Additionally, Wikipedia reports that "as a consequence of the unprecedented use of disposable face masks, a significant number of masks have been discarded in the natural environment, adding to the worldwide burden of plastic waste."
Future COVID-19 Effects on the Environment
According to Stanford News, the pandemic has affected people's attitudes and behaviors related to emissions-producing activities. Telecommuting may be the new normal. Cities from Milan to Seattle have closed miles of streets to traffic permanently and are opening them to pedestrians and bicyclists.

Scientists say that the expected cut in emissions due to COVID-19 is still less than what is needed every year this decade to avoid disastrous climate impacts for much of the world. It is projected that if emissions do in fact drop by 5% in 2020, this same amount of reduction is needed every year until 2050 for net-zero emissions to be reached.

Gina McCarthy, former head of the US Environmental Protection Agency, in an article published by The Guardian, succinctly summed up the current situation when she stated that "The pandemic has shown people will change behavior if it's for the health of their families. This has been a lost message on climate, that it's a human problem, not a planetary problem. We have to show you can have a stable environment and your job, too."
Clear skies and highways in notoriously smoggy
Los Angeles
Lions resting in South Africa's tourist-free
Kruger National Park
Mountain goats roam the empty streets in Llandudno, Wales
This 'Going Green' article was written by Bonnie Kosco
Sources: Pandemic Side Effects Offer Glimpse of Alternative Future on Earth Day 2020,
by Oliver Milman; Photos: Clear Skies and Roaming Wildlife Abound in Some of the World's Most Populated Place by Hope Corrigan; Wikipedia: Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Environment; Climate Change and Coronavirus; Five Charts About the Biggest Carbon Crash by Matt McGrath; Stanford Researcher Envisions Energy and Environment Landscape after
COVID-19 by Rob Jordan.
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