Joshua Daniel                                                                                                             5/2/2020

Writing for the Sciences

Professor Sonja Killebrew

Virtual Field Study # 1

            As you all already know, we are in the middle of a global pandemic. The impact of the coronavirus has been seen in almost every country on earth. You may know about these impacts such as the immense lockdowns and quarantines. However, I would like to share an impact of the coronavirus that may be an answer to solving the climate issues we are facing in this era. What I am referring to is the drastic changes in the environment across the globe as a result of the coronavirus lockdowns. In this field study, I will be demonstrating environmental changes that have developed very recently as a result of the coronavirus restrictions. I will be sharing changes from two important places: China and India. The purpose of this field study is to inform the audience about the possibilities of going green and effects that it can have on the environment. The intended audience for this study is for all ages but preferably for those at a High School educational level or beyond.

            As mentioned earlier, the advent of the coronavirus lockdowns has shown us what I would like to call a ‘demo’ of what would happen if the entire world switched overnight to a green source of energy. These drastic changes have emerged in the most polluted areas of the world and in a matter of a few days to a few weeks. Without further ado, I would like to share with you the first destination of drastic environmental change.

            The first destination, and the most surprising if you ask me, is China. China is the biggest contributor of global pollution and emissions. According to the South China Morning Post,

“China tops the world in almost all types of air pollution, including sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, as well as carbon emissions, top mainland officials admitted. The officials also told a Guangdong forum that the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region’s ­huge industrial output meant it was one of most polluted areas in the world.”

                                                                                                            (Li Jing, 2016)

With that being said, let’s take a look at some satellite images of emissions prior to and after the coronavirus outbreak:

(NASA)

This satellite image was produced by scientists at NASA. The image on the left depicts the level of emissions in china at the start of the outbreak. The darker regions indicate the more concentrated and hazardous areas where the emissions are at very dangerous levels. On the right is a satellite image of the same region in a month’s time. In one month, the emissions have dwindled exponentially. Areas that were the epicenters of the emissions such as Beijing and Shanghai have seen a drastic drop-off in emissions. Why? The answer is simple. During the lockdown in China, all factories were closed, and people were strictly instructed to remain home. This led to an immediate decline in emissions from factories and vehicles. To illustrate the change, here is an image of a landmark in China before and after the outbreak:

(Business Insider)

            As you can see, the air is much clearer as a result of the lockdowns. The coronavirus has brought abut drastic environmental changes in the poorest environments on our planet.

The second destination I would like to share with you is India. India, like China is one of the biggest polluters on the planet. Also, like China, major cities in India have seen tremendous amounts of air pollution. Here is an example:

(Financial Times)

On the left is a landmark in the Indian capital of New Delhi in October of 2019. Then, on the right is an image of the same landmark in April of 2020. The differences are astonishing. What was once a polluted furnace spewing out emissions into the air has been changed into a hospitable and welcoming environment.  According to The Guardian,

“In Delhi, air quality index (AQI) levels are usually a severe 200 on a good day (anything above 25 is deemed unsafe by World Health Organization). During peak pollution periods last year they soared well into a life-threatening 900 and sometimes off the measurable scale. But as Delhi’s 11m registered cars were taken off the roads and factories and construction were ground to a halt, AQI levels have regularly fallen below 20. The skies are suddenly a rare, piercing blue. Even the birdsong seems louder.”

(Ellis-Petersen, 2020)

            As a result of lockdowns in India, the air quality improved in a matter of a few days. These drastic changes can be seen in places all over the world. I believe that this is something we can learn from. The climate problems we face can be fixed by switching over to clean emission free energy sources. By doing this I am certain that we can fix the problem of climate change and save the earth.

Works Cited

China is world’s worst polluting nation, officials admit. (2018, January 12). Retrieved May 21, 2020, from https://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/2051914/china-tops-world-air-pollution-and-carbon-emissions

Nace, T. (2020, April 17). Coronavirus: NASA Reveals How China’s Lockdown Drastically Reduced Pollution. Retrieved May 21, 2020, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/trevornace/2020/03/03/coronavirus-nasa-reveals-how-cinas-lockdown-drastically-reduced-pollution/

Wisniewska, A. (2020, April 14). How coronavirus stalled climate change momentum. Retrieved May 21, 2020, from https://www.ft.com/content/052923d2-78c2-11ea-af44-daa3def9ae03

Hoeller, S. (2020, May 13). Before-and-after photos show the dramatic effect lockdown is having on pollution in India. Retrieved May 21, 2020, from https://www.insider.com/photos-reduced-air-pollution-india-2020-4

Ellis-Petersen, H., Ratcliffe, R., Daniels, J., Cowie, S., & Kuo, L. (2020, April 11). ‘It’s positively alpine!’: Disbelief in big cities as air pollution falls. Retrieved May 21, 2020, from https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/11/positively-alpine-disbelief-air-pollution-falls-lockdown-coronavirus