How COVID19 Taught Us To Be Sustainable
Nature’s comeback and how 2020 somehow forced us to live sustainably.
There is no doubt that 2020 was hard for many people. Out of the many burdens COVID-19 has brought upon us, it has also shown us how to live sustainably. There is a silver lining in how we changed our lifestyles because of the pandemic. Sustainability is a way society can continue to grow and prosper while the Earth does as well. Covid has shown us that nature can return to form, and humans are capable of change.
To comply with pandemic guidelines, we were forced to change the norm. Here are a couple of ways we made change.
Less Carbon Emissions
Photo featured on CNN’s website shows a before and after the coronavirus of Los Angeles’s skyline.
One thing employees universally have a distaste for is staff meetings. The rise of remote learning and work has significantly improved the air quality around the world. According to a study led by Pachama, a climate satellite monitoring company, 20% less generation from power stations, 72% lower particulate emissions, and 50% lower carbon monoxide. This shows that we can improve our quality of life on Earth if we come together. Instead of driving your car across town for a meeting that was shorter than the ride there, we use Zoom now which saves us gas while also helping the Earth.
Focus on Reusable Products
Photo by Erin Clark of the Boston Globe
At the start of the pandemic, we faced a shortage of masks and medical gloves. The shortage showed that medical equipment was not sustainable. To solve the issue, we made reusable masks and gowns by cloth. This same effort for other reusable products will make a long-lasting impact on the planet.
Essentially, if the same urgency and policy is used from the pandemic to fight climate change, we have a shot to leave a better world for the future. That is the duty we as individuals.
Tags: Sustainability, Environmental Awareness, COVID-19, Carbon emissions.
References:
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-51944780
https://www.hawaiianelectric.com/hawaiian-electric-sees-drop-in-demand-during-pandemic
https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/07/us/los-angeles-pollution-clean-air-coronavirus-trnd/index.html
