The Planet Strikes Back
At the end of my last post on Taking the Daily Commute, I lamented that my environmental agency employer does not allow telecommuting, a great low Carbon option.
Guess What? Now they do. I, and all my colleagues, have now been teleworking since March 16, 2020, when the Governor ordered us to stay home. COVID19 may change everything, or more likely, in a few years our society will go back to its consumer-driven, car-centric, face-to-face meeting, airline-loving, carbon-burning, planet-fucking, good old self.
But for the moment, the Coronavirus Pandemic is having quite an impact on Carbon. It is clear an example that the Earth does have some strong tools in her fight back against the "human virus."
The impacts on Carbon from the pandemic won't be known for some time, and only anecdotal bits of data are drifting in, but consider a few of these:
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At the end of my last post on Taking the Daily Commute, I lamented that my environmental agency employer does not allow telecommuting, a great low Carbon option.
Guess What? Now they do. I, and all my colleagues, have now been teleworking since March 16, 2020, when the Governor ordered us to stay home. COVID19 may change everything, or more likely, in a few years our society will go back to its consumer-driven, car-centric, face-to-face meeting, airline-loving, carbon-burning, planet-fucking, good old self.
But for the moment, the Coronavirus Pandemic is having quite an impact on Carbon. It is clear an example that the Earth does have some strong tools in her fight back against the "human virus."
The impacts on Carbon from the pandemic won't be known for some time, and only anecdotal bits of data are drifting in, but consider a few of these:
- As of the end of February, China's CO2 emissions were down 25% from the previous year.
- As of March 25, most airlines had cut between 20% and 100% of all their flights.
- Many, if not most, employees are working remotely without daily commutes or traveling to meetings or other driving.
- People are buying less "stuff" or at least putting off purchases.
- American's diets may even be changing with more home cooking and less fast food.
On broader environmental factors, the virus is having a positive impact as well.
- Worldwide, air pollution around major cities is down.
- In Venice, canal and harbor water is reportedly cleaner.
So what does all this mean?
The pessimist in me knows that this is only a momentary blip. The Gaia is resilient, but we have and will continue to damage her greatly, and we and our children will suffer.
The pessimist in me knows that this is only a momentary blip. The Gaia is resilient, but we have and will continue to damage her greatly, and we and our children will suffer.
But the optimist in me hopes that we may learn a few lessons that last from this pandemic. Maybe more of us will be able to work remotely or have on-line meetings. Maybe we will decide to vacation closer to home rather than flying. Maybe some of us will embrace the joys of home cooking and even vegetarian cooking.
And maybe, just maybe, we will re-learn the value of spending time playing, socializing and hiking outdoors with our closest families and friends.
Thanks for a great summary of the impact! Now if we can just find new employment opportunities for all of those people who were paid through the carbon hungry system.
ReplyDeleteAhhh, the old optimist/pessimist tug-o-war. Gaia has the strength to win, but we have the stupidity to cheat. I'm an optimist whose prediction is pessimistic. Is that even possible? Whatever the case, your blog helps tilt me toward positivism, possibility and procrastination. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHaving spent the last five years in Global Health, I have very little confidence that our recovery will be either robust or swift, which will be good for the environment but bad for our society in some ways. There's been a huge political shift in the US that doesn't portend well either socially, environmentally or economically. However, George W. Bush led to Obama, and perhaps Trump will lead to a resurgence in the value of education, civility and social consciousness, and possibly even economic conservatism (will we have any choice?)... it's possible that the US will devolve in ways other great nations have throughout history -- they certainly didn't see it coming even as they were living it. But I maintain hope that we are in a dramatic, frightening downward blip on an overall upward trajectory that moves towards greater economic equality, social consciousness, environmental responsibility and well-being.
ReplyDelete