COVID 19 Lockdown: Good For The Environment?

Given that the COVID 19 pandemic has disrupted life around the world, does the resulting carbon dioxide emission drops spell good news for the environment?

By: Ringo Bones

The resulting lockdown of the COVID 19 pandemic was seen to have resulted in the largest drop in emissions in recent years and also probably the most fitting way to celebrate the 50^th Anniversary of the very first Earth Day. But sadly the disruption only results in a tiny drop of the overall concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere because of how long the gas effectively lingers. The current carbon dioxide concentration in our atmosphere now stands at 418 parts per million and according to climate experts, this needs to stay at 350 parts per million to avoid a runaway global warming.

It was estimated that for the entire 2020, the carbon dioxide emissions could be down by 6-percent compared to previous years but according to experts, we need an annual reduction of 7.5-percent to reach the 350 parts per million targeted by 2050 in order for catastrophic climate change to be avoided. Still, according to energy and climate expert Constantine Samaras, the message is clear: Just because this devastating pandemic has only a small impact on today’s atmospheric carbon dioxide levels doesn’t mean the climate crisis is lost.