The past couple of weeks, all major country has witnessed improved air quality, lower gas emissions, due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, Inger Anderson, Head of UN Environment Programme (UNEP), expressed his views to the contrary. Ms. Anderson suggested a more systematic and sustainable approach for bringing up the economy, in a way, it benefits the people and the planet. The UNEP is warning that COVID-19 is not a silver-lining for the climate.
The world has shifted from a war-time response to a building back better, and in no way, the situation can be termed positive for the environment. The situation is going to cause a large number of medical and hazardous waste been generated. We can not create a change, we go back to the usual way of living. This is our chance to find sustainable alternatives. Only long term effects will be helpful. Hence post-crisis, the plans need to consist of infrastructure design and a real opportunity for renewable resources.
The research also must include an understanding of how diseases are spread from animals to humans. If humans continue to encroach the ecosystem, there are bound to be some consequences. Illegal wildlife trade and illegal wet markets are always susceptible to diseases. 75% of all new infectious diseases are zoonotic, i.e. the disease originating from pathogens that transfer to humans. Such diseases have accounted for over a Billion cases so far. In other words, the wild must be kept in the wild. Due to the expansion of human activities, we have touched all possible terrain and used them for our benefits, crossing our limits and harming nature. Being in such proximity to wild animals increases the chances of getting zoonotic diseases. Nature conservation is a must, and it will make it easier for humanity to survive.
Citizens Write to EPCA to Ban Fire Crackers
On October 6th, The Citizens For Clean Air- a group of the citizen, environmentalists, waste management experts, scientists, and several practitioners have written to Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority asking them to ban the sale and use of firecrackers. They showed their concern over the increasing severity of coronavirus pandemic due to air pollution. The letter was sent to EPCA chairman Bhure Lal. The citizens also pointed out the media reports which say that a marginal increase in pollution levels could lead to an increase in the COVID-19 cases. Harvard University study found out that even a minor increase in PM2.5 particles increases the vulnerability of a person against coronavirus.
Image Courtesy: National Geographic
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