The Valley Torah Scroll

The image above is satellite imagery of the air pollution levels in China, the virus’s origin, in 2019, left, vs 2020, right. Photograph: Guardian Visuals / ESA satellite data.

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The novel Coronavirus pandemic has made the headlines of practically every media news story, every day, for the past 6 months. Schools have been shut down, restaurants are closed, and millions are out of work—a truly unprecedented international emergency has struck the world.

But has this raging pandemic produced any beneficial outcomes?

Interestingly, the Valley Torah Environmental Awareness Club finds the answer to be yes—at least partially. 

The lockdown has led to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution as a result of reduced transportation, industrial and commercial activities. In addition, there has been a decrease in waste generation due to reduced consumption.

Satellite imagery from the ESA (European Space Agency) shows a dramatic decrease in global carbon emissions compared to recent years. The lockdown has led to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution as a result of reduced transportation, industrial and commercial activities. In addition, there has been a decrease in waste generation due to reduced consumption.  

Industrial processes, like running a car or operating a power plant, produce Nitrogen dioxide into the atmosphere. Once released, the NO2 gas pollutes the air and is, in effect, responsible for a large portion of the world’s carbon emissions- which may have a direct connection to global warming. Satellite imagery shows that over the past four months, levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) over both large cities and industrial areas throughout Asia, the Americas, and Europe are remarkably lower than what they were during the same time last year.

To quantify the environmental benefits of the lockdown, statistical analysis could be conducted by comparing the environmental data from the same period in previous years. For example, air quality measurements could be taken before, during and after the lockdown to assess the impact on air pollution levels. Similarly, data on waste generation and greenhouse gas emissions could be collected and compared over time.

It is important to note that while the lockdown has had positive environmental impacts, it has also had negative consequences such as increased waste from packaging materials and increased energy consumption for online activities. Therefore, a comprehensive analysis of both positive and negative environmental impacts would provide a clearer understanding of the overall impact of the lockdown on the environment.

Ecologists have had the rare opportunity to experience a worldwide natural experiment where one would be able to see direct results of what global pollution levels would look like if global populations were to dramatically decrease carbon emissions. A statistical analysis of the environmental benefits of the COVID-19 lockdown would provide valuable insights into the impact of lockdowns on the environment, and could inform future policy decisions on how to mitigate the negative impacts of lockdowns while maximizing the positive impacts.

**The data reported in this article was investigated and analyzed by Valley Torah Environmental Awareness Club.