Do We Need A Pandemic For Low Impact Living?
By Jo Lorenz
Planes were grounded. Cars were parked. Our worldwide nitrogen dioxide emissions decreased. China’s emissions fell by 25 percent. But did we need a pandemic to achieve these changes in behaviour?
Jo Lorenz discusses whether we can maintain these low-carbon civil shifts for a more sustainable, green future.
Each and everyday, we are all inadvertently participating in societal disruption, the likes of which most of us have never seen. Forced into living low impact lives, COVID-19 has had a profound impact on the way we live, work and interact.
Yet more than this, it’s also had a radical impact on our environment. Pollution and greenhouse gas emissions have fallen across continents. China’s emissions fell by 25% earlier this year. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions are decreasing and the Venetian Canals are visibly clearer. All good things, right?
SPOILER ALERT: we don’t need a pandemic to achieve these things. We know the problems, we have the solutions and now the world has witnessed the impact ‘climate theory’ has in real-time. We need to cut out fossil fuels. Simple.
But what about the economy, Todd whines. Sit down, Todd. Learn something. Tech-Innovation and cost reductions means renewable energy is now primarily considered for its economic benefits. In fact, renewables are now the cheapest form of new electricity generation across two thirds of the world *1.
But fossil fuels have nothing to do with the planet warming, shrieks Karen. *Jo rolls eyes* Karen, stop. Just stop. Burning fossil fuels produces large quantities of carbon dioxide (CO2), which accounts for 76 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions *2. Greenhouse gases absorb infrared radiation and trap/hold heat in the atmosphere. By increasing the heat in the atmosphere, i.e. global warming, we are — amongst many things — melting ice caps and causing sea levels to rise. Sea level rising will continue and will displace millions of people in our lifetime.
But back to the good stuff, insists Janice, the current lowering of emissions and low-carbon behaviours that people have adopted will certainly help after this crisis, right? Well no, Janice. Without some rather brawny govt backing for renewables, COVID-19 will not reverse the burgeoning cycle of carbon emissions and we’ll be back where we started and beyond in no time. However, with strong legislative support for clean energy — via renewables, low-carbon infrastructure investment and EV tax credits, etc — as well as the civil shifts that have already materialised as a result of coronavirus (such as an increase in teleconferencing and less transport on our roads) our entire world could maintain this more sustainable, green future and give our climate resistance the forward trajectory it so desperately needs.
So in our age of zero waste, let’s ensure we don’t waste this opportunity, folks.
Isolation > time > lobby!
Sources
According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance
According to the Centre for Climate and Energy Solutions
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