Essay Example on COVID-19: Impact of Human Activities on Climate Change

Human activities are the main cause of climate change. Although some anthropogenic activities such as the burning of fuel are done to allay Coronavirus illness 2019 (COVID-19), which initially started at Hubei province in China, they have negative impacts on the climate; add pollution to the air. However, experts say that coronavirus has positive effects on the climate. According to statistics, data show that since the coronavirus outbreak began, emission of gases to the atmosphere has typically declined (World Health Organization n.p). It is more than a holiday effect in that the weather-related variations, which are partly related to the COVID-19 outbreak have led to a decline in pollution and environmental change. Is coronavirus good for the environment? The paper will discuss in detail and demonstrate the effects of COVID-19 on the climate.

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Recently, coronavirus has led to a certain profound shutting down of industry, the transportation sector, and the broader economy (World Health Organization n.p). Air quality is rapidly improving in many places in a quick and temporary response. COVID-19 outbreak means cleaner air thus better climatic conditions around the world. Specific areas that have experienced market reductions have also an impact on greenhouse gas emissions. For example, in California, air quality is improving by 30% given that there is a decline in greenhouse emissions; this is a significant impact on the climate (Araujo and Naimi 1). Also in Northern China and industrial parts of Northern Italy have experienced 10-30% of cleaner air (World Health Organization n.p). Over a short period, in particular a week, the coronavirus has strict restrictions on people's movement. Generally, the COVID-19 disease makes the economy slow down and this causes a reduction in greenhouse emission and other air pollutants such as from the transport sector.

There is a noticeable decline in air pollution due to the coronavirus outbreak. Over this period, the world is moving towards energy efficiency despite other climate shocks. In the same parallel, satellite images prove that places such as Italy where people have been living indoors, traffic has stopped and this led to a decline in nitrogen dioxide levels (Sajadi et al. n.p). Other studies propose that Germany might also reach its climatic goals even if the coronavirus pandemic causes the economy to produce much less (World Health Organization n.p). Factories and the transport sectors have shut leading to a comma in the world's economy. However, from the climate point of view COVID-19 is not entirely negative. Environmental activist Sajadi et al. rejoices that the outbreak of the pandemic has cut emissions, which otherwise could have taken years to produce the same results (n.p). Fake smoke has given way to the blue sky; this is because closed factories reduced power plants and fuel that is burnt on the road, something that makes residents enjoy the fresh air.

Depending on how long this COVID-19 pandemic will go, Germany estimates that the greenhouse emission will decline by 40%. Also, research shows that aircraft are responsible for about 7% of greenhouse emissions (World Health Organization n.p). Since international flights have been reduced to a minimum, the emission of gases is likely to also reduce. For example, Lufthansa airlines have cut more than 90% of its long-distance flights; this means that the level of gas emissions will also decline by the same rate (Sajadi et al. n.p). In the same case, many countries are likely to continue with the lockdown although others are on the threshold. The lockdown reduces even carbon dioxide gas emissions and this makes people breathe better.

Research by Sajadi et al. asserts that the COVID-19 outbreak has led to a decline in commercial airlines' daily readings of wind direction, wind speed, and air temperature. The date from the global observation system shows that in Europe where air traffic readings are down by 86 percent are discussing measures that they can use to boost short term capabilities to mitigate their loss of aircraft data. At present, the quality of the weather forecast is expected to be moderate. The situation is also similar in developing countries. Weather observers say that since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease, their forecast databases have reported an improvement in basic weather and climatic changes. Air pollution is a serious threat in the US and elsewhere, no matter how rich an area one lives, it claims millions of lives every year. It is the microscopic pollutants and dangerous gases that are emitted by human activities, which affected the climate. The burning of fossil fuel, in particular, has a major impact on the climate. Even though there have been efforts to mitigate the situation, COVID-19 has in a short period helped to reduce its effects.

The spread of COVID-19 is linked with climatic conditions. As per research done by Araujo and Naimi, if the spread of the disease will continue with the current trend, cyclic global effects are likely to be projected (4). Warm temperature and cold climates are the major factors that augment the spread of the virus. On the other hand, arid and tropical climates reduce the spread of the virus. Therefore, climatic conditions can help constrain the spread of coronavirus disease. Local transmissions are plotted against the monthly value of climate predictors. Also, climatic space determines the spread of the coronavirus disease, for example, the spread of the virus is high where the set of environmental conditions are stable. In particular, most transmissions occur where there are cool and dry environmental conditions. According to the world environmental experts, much of the higher latitude regions of the United States are likely to face climate sustainability (Araujo and Naimi 5). Also, some of the northern latitudes might be hit badly by the coronavirus pandemic during the summer due to the increase in temperatures. Analysis done indicates that climate sustainability for COVID-19 is high across regions that experience high temperatures as well as places that experience low temperatures (Araujo and Naimi 5). On another approach, arid areas have moderate conditions for the spread of the coronavirus.

COVID-19 is a serious global issue, which has raised the global death toll to more than a million within a month and with no doubt, it is approximated to continue rising. In the face of this pandemic, the media has gone irrational to exhaustively cover the spread of the virus with the death tolls and quarantines. In contrast, they are looking at the environmental problem, for instance, air pollution, which is also projected to cause premature deaths every year. COVID-19 is, therefore, a significant tool that can be used to approach the spurring immediate climatic action (Sajadi et al. n.p). If everyone responds to climate change, it will be easier to combat climate change as a way of ascertaining zero-carbon futures. The effects of coronavirus on the climate have to do with time. Climate change slowly builds hence becoming a catastrophic threat over time, but coronavirus is currently right on the face of all countries around the world. Climate change research is, however, more easily called into doubt and this makes it harder for global leaders to act confidently on environmental issues.

Coronavirus sprang quickly hence creating a clear connection between cause and effect. It is a virus that travels through the respiratory droplets, which are produced when an individual coughs or sneezes. In this approach, it is easy to draw the connections between COVID-19 and climate. For example, with coronavirus, actions that directly hinder it are washing hands and quarantine. Climate change, on the other hand, is not that simple because of its gradual scale and timeline. There is a direct line between taking action and seeing in that the line between coronavirus and climate change is long and tangled. The effects of coronavirus are seen on the changes that cause safe weather events more likely, reducing the risk of death either directly or indirectly through things that the nontoxic events contribute (Sajadi et al. n.p). There is a clear line between emissions and the climate. Data from the NASA satellite shows a precipitous drop of nitrogen dioxide, which recently caused air pollution during the short decline in economic activities across the globe. For example, China's rapid and aggressive response to COVID-19 led to shutting down factories, the transport sector, and more and this decreased the level of gas emissions (Sajadi et al. n.p). Also, carbon brief highlights that the lockdowns that were experienced around the world temporarily reduced carbon dioxide emissions by a quarter. The reduction in carbon dioxide is estimated to reduce the number of premature deaths, which were initially caused by air pollution. At the same time, the overall mortality rate might have declined between the two months during the period of coronavirus shutdowns. From this perspective, it is not that the pandemic is good or necessary in controlling the effects of gas emissions on the climate, but instead, there is a large and hidden toll of fossil fuel emissions.

However, to prevent the millions of future deaths, which are caused by the burning of fossil fuels or indirectly by the effects of hotter planet conditions, the world and climatic conservation agencies need to act quickly and draw rapid and drastic measures that can bring about structural change. The intergovernmental panel on climate change reports that before the emergence of the coronavirus 2019, it was approximated that it will take up to 2030 to make sharp global emission cuts. Therefore, since the effects of COVID-19 on the climate are temporary, it may still be impossible to realize the goals. The coronavirus shows large-scale and collective actions are feasible in the face of the crisis, but climate change is the biggest crisis that impacts the generation. Because of COVID-19, many countries such as Italy, the US, and more have done away with travel and contrary to previously, streets are now free without cars (World Health Organization n.p). Working hours are shortened for some people making others to embrace the importance of video chats and video conferencing instead of traveling to workstations. Also, some companies, especially in Japan, have staggered work shifts to reduce traffic and this has significantly reduced air pollution.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the effects of coronavirus have resulted in climate and environmental change. The outbreak of COVID-19 contributed to shutdowns, quarantines, and lockdowns in many countries across the globe and this has reduced the level of greenhouse emissions, the rate of carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, and toxic gases that caused air pollution. However, coronavirus has temporary positive effects, therefore, policymaking agencies should come up with measures that they can put in place to combat climate change. This will require them to set up a rapid structural transition; a break from the status quo, which means more intentional and quality-driven measures.

Works Cited

Araujo, Miguel B., and Babak Naimi. "Spread of SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus likely to be constrained by climate." medRxiv (2020). https://www.medrxiv.org/content/medrxiv/early/2020/03/31/2020.03.12.20034728.full.pdf

Sajadi, Mohammad M., et al. "Temperature and latitude analysis to predict potential spread and seasonality for COVID-19." Available at SSRN 3550308 (2020). https://poseidon01.ssrn.com/delivery.php?ID=651025110121108102005096087112118066020053041082042078007108092002106124119067027101032052021034019120007094084119101111121114037043058066003112066095119025085115006095013005013118088122117113091116071011081073099084122127118111113066125088004108079095&EXT=pdfWorld...