Stores closed, empty roads, everyone is nowhere to be seen but in their homes. Since Covid-19 suddenly entered into Filipinos’ everyday lives, strict precautionary measures were carried out by the government. First were travel bans then lockdowns in Metro Manila and other provinces such as Cavite.
The pause button was clicked and all activities were forced to stop. It left work, school, events, the economy, and the like hanging. The question is, did it pause climate change as well?
China, the origin of the virus, began implementing lockdowns two months ago. This is one of the countries that are facing bad air conditions. The skies are greyish brown and people could hardly see anything from a distance.
In Beijing and Shanghai, people would have to check daily forecasts of air quality before heading out. Almost everyone could be seen wearing their masks as they go to their destinations. Different infrastructures have installed air filtration systems as well. Each one is making their way to stay healthy in this very polluted environment.
During the lockdown, toxic gas emissions drastically decreased. Surprisingly, clear blue skies and white fluffy clouds greeted residents. Fresh air entered their homes as they opened their windows. It was the first time they could walk outside without worrying about their exposure if only no viruses were flying around.
Images captured through the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) and the European Space Agency’s (ESA) pollution monitoring satellites proved this amazing phenomenon caused by the deadly coronavirus.
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels from January to February this year have shown a remarkable decrease when compared to data from the previous year during the same months.
“...this economic disruption likely saved twenty times more lives in China than have currently been lost due to infection with the virus,” Marshall Burke wrote.
Burke is one of Stanford's Department of Earth System Science’s assistant professors. He stated that with two months of better air quality, 50,000 to 75,000 people below age five and above 70 could be saved from premature death.
Air pollution is not given the attention it needs. In Hong Kong alone, there are approximately 1,500 premature deaths caused by this environmental problem every year.
In Italy, Venetians also celebrated amid the coronavirus pandemic. Outside of their balconies, canals unexpectedly unveiled clear waters flowing and schools of small fish could be seen swimming.
The clear waters were caused by the travel restrictions, there were little to no Vaporettos (public water buses) and water movement, allowing sediments to sink at the bottom.
Others have also stated that swans and dolphins have already returned. The posts about this have gone viral, but none of these were true.
These surprising events nature has revealed uplifted everyone’s feelings of hope as they continue their fight on the battlefield against the contagious Covid-19.
This could only last for a short while until countries put in heavy efforts to push their economy back on its feet. Many do hope that this occurrence would open the eyes of many people to change the way they normally run their everyday lives.
This is only a fraction of its beauty, but if we allow nature to take a break, it would reveal more.
Story by Jasmine Kimberly Ngo
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