Climate Change and the Coronavirus Part 1

July, 2020

How the COVID-19 Pandemic and Climate Change are linked

With the novel coronavirus pandemic gripping the entire planet, the virus has impacted everyone in one way or another. Over half a million people worldwide have died. Economies around the world have entered into recessions, leaving millions without a job. However, what’s been lost in the shuffle are the links between COVID-19 and climate change.

While there still isn’t a true consensus on how this coronavirus pandemic began, scientists have said there are links to bats and possibly pangolins. The way coronavirus jumped from a wild animal to humans is where climate change comes in. This transmission is called a zoonotic event and according to the CDC, it’s estimated that 3 out of every 4 new infectious diseases come from animals. Scientists have not yet confirmed whether COVID-19 is a zoonotic disease, but initial reports suggest that this new strain of coronavirus was transmitted from the animal world to humans.

When forests and other natural habitats are cut down to build new cities, roads, and neighborhoods, humans are bound to come into contact with wild animals who may be carrying infectious diseases. The World Health Organization said that climate change will likely increase the spread of infectious diseases.

The rise in global temperature and the growing proximity of humans and wild species could mean pandemics like this one become more frequent. It’s already apparent here in Central New York on a lesser scale with Lyme Disease. As humans began to live more in tandem with tick hosts, like deer, the chances of infection could increase. More importantly with global temperatures rising, a mild Central New York winter means that conditions for vectors, like ticks, become much better and last longer.

Extreme weather events, like hurricanes and floods, could also pose a major health risk. The CDC has stated that after storms have passed, there is an increased risk for waterborne diseases. Similarly, when buildings are water damaged, it leads to people living in damp environments, which can cause complications such as asthma. The same goes for places affected by extreme drought and wildfires as those extreme weather events can also cause respiratory illnesses.

As our climate continues to deteriorate, the frequency of epidemics will rise. World leaders must heed the COVID-19 pandemic as a warning of what could happen in the future, instead of going back to business as usual.

As Countries locked down emissions dropped and we should keep it that way

While the coronavirus pandemic has changed the lives of people all over the globe, there are some glimmers of hope in the fight to solve climate change. Since many countries around the world were in lockdown or had stay-at-home orders, there has been a significant decrease in carbon emissions.

In April, global fossil fuel emissions were down 17% from January. The decline in emissions brought a surprise gift to residents in Punjab, India — the ability to see the Himalayan mountain range for the first time in almost 30 years. In many cities, photos of animals roaming the once congested streets have gone viral as workers continued to stay at home.

However, that 17% decrease is similar to carbon emission levels in 2006. While this decrease is the result of a drastic change in our way of life, it gives people a taste of what life should be like. An annual decrease of just four to eight percent would help limit global temperature rise to 1.5℃. 

Unfortunately as countries begin to reopen and people return to pre-pandemic levels of activity, carbon emissions are on track to return to pre-pandemic levels. The lockdowns weren’t an escape from the dangers of inaction either. The three month period from March to May, which coincided with lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, was actually the second warmest for our planet in the past 141 years. In fact, 2016 is the only year hotter than 2020.

But it shouldn’t be that way. The pandemic has shown us that there is a way forward by reopening economies with a focus on green technology. We’ve seen what happens when there are no cars on the road or no planes in the air. That resulted in a 17% drop, and the target each year is only half of that at most.

The world must switch to green energy instead of reaching back for fossil fuels. Cities need to find ways to take cars off the road and make public transportation a viable option. The pandemic was a brief glimpse of what could be and proof that the world can collectively fight climate change. So, now is the time for leaders to commit to changing economies so that the millions of unemployed can find new jobs in a green economy that works for all of us.