Possibly Covid 19 is also one of the largest environmental experiments of the last 70-80 years due to the partially reduced environmental impact?
#COVID19 #environment
In China, the mass quarantines imposed in response to the new coronavirus have forced large industries to suspend their activities and in particular caused the halt of transport. Internationally, COVID-19 is also causing the interruption of air links. Consequence of this partial paralysis: certain levels of pollution have decreased. But what lessons should we learn from it?
NASA's Earth Observatory noted at the beginning of the year a significant reduction in nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels in China - a toxic polluting gas emitted in particular by vehicles and certain industries . NO2 values in central and eastern China were up to 30% lower than in 2019.
A recent article in Carbon Brief, a UK-based site specializing in climate and energy research, also identified a decline in activity in key industries in China, such as coal, during the period of quarantine, and therefore reports a 25% reduction in CO2 emissions in the four weeks following the period of the Lunar New Year.
It should be noted that industrial activities and pollution tend to decrease every year in China around the New Year festivities. But researchers believe that the situation is unique this year.
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