Hello friends!
How the sky has turned blue?
How the air has become cleaner?
How when you look up at the night sky, you can actually see the stars?
The air has become so clear that the Himalayan peaks are visible from Jalandhar in Punjab, situated 140 km's away.
The residents of Jalandhar say that for the first time in 20-30 years, the air has become so clean
that they are able to see the Himalayan peaks from Jalandhar.
Such news reports are pouring in from worldwide.
The air has become cleaner, the water has become clearer, the pollution levels have fallen.
So this is what I'd like to analyze in today's article and show you what is the impact of coronavirus and lockdown on the environment?
What can we learn from this?
And why are economy and environment always seen inversely proportional to one another?
Why does this happen?
The World Health Organization states that if this gas is more in concentration than 200 micrograms per cubic meter then it can cause an enormous inflammation in your breathing pipe which can lead to problems like asthma.
Now, due to this lockdown, the number of cars plying on the roads have become less. Factories have shut down and hence, in cities all over the world.
The concentration of nitrogen dioxide in the air has fallen drastically.
Have a look at the first example in China.
Look at the levels in the month of January and then look at how much it has fallen in February.
Exactly the same thing was witnessed in the cities of Europe- In Spain, in UK, in Italy.
Take the example of Italy- Notice how much of NO₂ was present in Italy in March 2019 and how much it got reduced in March 2020.
Exactly the same thing was witnessed in Indian cities too.
Look at - Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad
You can notice how gradually, from 17th February until 29th March how concentrations began to decline.
It is one of the most harmful forms of air pollution.
It is included in the category of group 1 carcinogen and it is so small that it can travel from your lungs into your blood stream which will not only cause respiratory problems but also heart attack and can also cause premature deaths.
It is so deadly that World Health Organization has estimated that every year, worldwide
more than 4 million people are killed due to PM 2.5 caused- heart diseases, strokes, lung cancer,
chronic lung diseases and respiratory infections.
Consider it more than 4 million people die because of this.
Now, due to the lockdown, even the PM 2.5 levels have reduced worldwide
Have a look at India's map
It has depleted by a significant amount.
This tells us how much difference does air pollution make in the beauty of a city.
If a Mandir- Masjid issue is raised, then hundreds of people would rise up to the riot.
But if air pollution is talked about, nobody 's voice is heard.
A question might arise in your minds here that if PM 2.5 levels have reduced so drastically under lockdown, then the number of people dying of air pollution would also have become less.
A scientist from Stanford University has done research regarding this.
And this research concluded that the falling levels of pollution in China in just this one month
just in this one month.
More than 77,000 lives have been saved due to the decrease in air pollution.
It is such a massive number.
Think about it yourself.
More than that number of lives have been saved just within China due to the decrease in air pollution.
Raghav Chadda, the Delhi Jal Board vice-chairman says that due to the stoppage of the industrial waste has definitely caused a positive impact on the water quality of the Yamuna river.
The best example of this can be seen in photos.
This is the Yamuna river in Delhi
These photos have been captured from Delhi and Noida.
It is quite unbelievable to see because compare it to how the Yamuna river appears normally.
This is the condition of not only the Yamuna but also of the Ganga river.
Maybe we should ensure such lockdowns every year for a week so that the entire population of the country realizes and sees how clear can the air and water become.
They can catch a glimpse of the potential of where our country can reach
What do you feel about this?
Write down in the comments below.
Because a lot of videos are becoming viral in which rarely seen animals have come out on the streets because the streets are so deserted.
Although, a lot of these videos were fake.
I'm calling it fake in the sense that it was not so uncommon for these animals to come out on the streets as the people were claiming it was.
But you can definitely say that the people were not observing this wildlife.
Now they are observing more because the roads have become so deserted during the lockdown.
So it is a good thing that the people are observing the biodiversity in and around them.
If you look at the data of where the worldwide carbon dioxide emissions are emitted from,
then you will notice that the transportation sector has a huge contribution to it.
And obviously, during the lockdown there has been a decline in all of it- a lesser number of cars are plying, lesser number of planes are flying and so, obviously, there is a massive decline in carbon dioxide emissions
But how massive?
Experts are predicting that this is the biggest decline in carbon dioxide emissions after World War 2
Approximately, a decline of 5%.
Observe this chart-
This is the chart of the worldwide carbon emissions over the past 60 years.
You can see that worldwide carbon emissions have been steadily rising every year which has made climate change from bad to worse.
But notice the places where there are drops in the carbon emissions.
You will see there has been a drop in the 2008 Financial Crisis.
The carbon emissions had declined then.
Another drop was noticed in the Asian financial crisis.
Another drop was noticed when the USSR broke up and the carbon emissions had reduced.
There was a Second Oil crisis and a First oil crisis- Then, the carbon emissions had declined
Are you observing a pattern here?
The pattern is that whenever the economy crashes, the carbon emissions go down and then it is a piece of good news for the environment.
There is an unfortunate inverse relation here between the economy and the environment.
When the economy crashes, then it is good news for the environment.
And when the economy booms, carbon emissions go up and it is bad news for the environment.
Why is this happening?
This is happening because our economy is extremely interlinked with fossil fuels.
Coal, oil, petroleum and all the other nonrenewable forms of energy
This is the reason why, when the transport industry screeches to a halt, then the carbon emissions go down.
This is what happened in China as well.
Their carbon emissions fell by approximately 25% in the months of February and March when they had enforced a lockdown.
And as soon as they withdrew the lockdowns, by the end of March, their pollution and nitrogen dioxide levels have reached where they were prior to lockdowns.
But there is an opportunity amongst this unpleasant news.
A lot of industries have already shut down and a lot of people have already faced job losses in this economic crisis.
The government can use this opportunity to push the renewable energy industry.
When the governments transfer money to the industries to revive themselves again and to revive the economy again then the governments should focus more on renewable energy.
The coal, oil and petroleum industries should not be given a lot of support so that the shut industries remain shut and renewable energy gets a new lease of opportunity.
It remains to be seen how many actions do the governments take on this and how much pressure does the public maintains upon the governments.
As of now, it remains so that all the positive effects that I told you about in this article
are all temporary effects for the short term.
The entire situation is going to revert to the same as soon as the lockdowns are withdrawn.
The clear air and the clear waters that you witness is only for a short while- enjoy it because as soon as the lockdowns are withdrawn, the pollution and squalid conditions are going to increase again
except unless you maintain pressure on the government and give priority to such issues.
Share this article with your friends and family in order to make it reach to the rest of the public.
And if you like my work, then you can support me by only Subscribing my blog so that I may continue to make such educational and informative articles for you in the future.
We will meet again in the next articles.
Thank you
In today's article, I'd like to talk about something that you must've been witnessing around you during this lockdown.
How the sky has turned blue?
How the air has become cleaner?
How when you look up at the night sky, you can actually see the stars?
The air has become so clear that the Himalayan peaks are visible from Jalandhar in Punjab, situated 140 km's away.
 |
| Himalaya View from Jalandhar due to Coronavirus Lockdown in India |
The residents of Jalandhar say that for the first time in 20-30 years, the air has become so clean
that they are able to see the Himalayan peaks from Jalandhar.
Such news reports are pouring in from worldwide.
The air has become cleaner, the water has become clearer, the pollution levels have fallen.
So this is what I'd like to analyze in today's article and show you what is the impact of coronavirus and lockdown on the environment?
What can we learn from this?
And why are economy and environment always seen inversely proportional to one another?
that when the economy stumbles, the environment begins to become better.
Why does this happen?
Come, let us see
Impact of Nitrogen Dioxide due to Coronavirus in India
Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) is a toxic gas that is emitted from the engines of cars, buses, trucks, and factories.
The World Health Organization states that if this gas is more in concentration than 200 micrograms per cubic meter then it can cause an enormous inflammation in your breathing pipe which can lead to problems like asthma.
Now, due to this lockdown, the number of cars plying on the roads have become less. Factories have shut down and hence, in cities all over the world.
The concentration of nitrogen dioxide in the air has fallen drastically.
Have a look at the first example in China.
 |
| Impact Nitrogen dioxide on China Due to Coronavirus Lockdown |
Look at the levels in the month of January and then look at how much it has fallen in February.
Exactly the same thing was witnessed in the cities of Europe- In Spain, in UK, in Italy.
 |
| Impact Nitrogen dioxide on Italy due to Coronavirus Lockdown |
Take the example of Italy- Notice how much of NO₂ was present in Italy in March 2019 and how much it got reduced in March 2020.
Exactly the same thing was witnessed in Indian cities too.
Look at - Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad
 |
| NO2 levels fall dramatically after a lockdown in India |
You can observe how the NO₂ concentrations have fallen in comparison to 2019 in these cities
and if you want to look at the comparison of the past month, then observe these charts.
and if you want to look at the comparison of the past month, then observe these charts.
 |
| Weekly levels of NO2 in Mumbai between 17 Feb 2020 and 29 March 2020 |
You can notice how gradually, from 17th February until 29th March how concentrations began to decline.
Impact on Air Pollution due to Coronavirus Lockdown
Particulate matter 2.5 or PM 2.5.It is one of the most harmful forms of air pollution.
It is included in the category of group 1 carcinogen and it is so small that it can travel from your lungs into your blood stream which will not only cause respiratory problems but also heart attack and can also cause premature deaths.
It is so deadly that World Health Organization has estimated that every year, worldwide
more than 4 million people are killed due to PM 2.5 caused- heart diseases, strokes, lung cancer,
chronic lung diseases and respiratory infections.
Consider it more than 4 million people die because of this.
Now, due to the lockdown, even the PM 2.5 levels have reduced worldwide
Have a look at India's map
 |
| Instantaneous PM 2.5 levels over India on April 2019 and 2020 |
What was the concentration of the PM 2.5 levels in the entire country on 7th April 2019
and what was the concentration ( of the PM 2.5 levels ) on 7th April 2020.
and what was the concentration ( of the PM 2.5 levels ) on 7th April 2020.
It has depleted by a significant amount.
This is the reason why, these days, you are able to view the clear blue sky in different cities across the country and are able to see stars at night.
Take a look at this photo of Mumbai
 |
| Mumbai Image After Lockdown in India |
You would not even be able to recognize- it seems as if it is a city from a foreign country.
This tells us how much difference does air pollution make in the beauty of a city.
But most of the people in our country are not concerned with such issues.
If a Mandir- Masjid issue is raised, then hundreds of people would rise up to the riot.
But if air pollution is talked about, nobody 's voice is heard.
A question might arise in your minds here that if PM 2.5 levels have reduced so drastically under lockdown, then the number of people dying of air pollution would also have become less.
The lives of people must be getting saved due to the fall in air pollution.
A scientist from Stanford University has done research regarding this.
He collected the data of the PM 2.5 levels in the Chinese cities and compared it to the mortality rates
and observed what impacts would falling PM 2.5 levels would have on the mortality rates.
and observed what impacts would falling PM 2.5 levels would have on the mortality rates.
And this research concluded that the falling levels of pollution in China in just this one month
just in this one month.
More than 77,000 lives have been saved due to the decrease in air pollution.
It is such a massive number.
Think about it yourself.
.
The total number of deaths due to the coronavirus worldwide is around 75,000 right now at the time of writing this article.
The total number of deaths due to the coronavirus worldwide is around 75,000 right now at the time of writing this article.
More than that number of lives have been saved just within China due to the decrease in air pollution.
Impact on Water Pollution due to Coronavirus Lockdown in India
Not only the air, but the water of our rivers is also becoming clearerRaghav Chadda, the Delhi Jal Board vice-chairman says that due to the stoppage of the industrial waste has definitely caused a positive impact on the water quality of the Yamuna river.
The best example of this can be seen in photos.
This is the Yamuna river in Delhi
 |
| Yamuna river in Delhi after coronavirus lockdown in India |
These photos have been captured from Delhi and Noida.
It is quite unbelievable to see because compare it to how the Yamuna river appears normally.
 |
| Yamun in Delhi normally |
These photos show nothing but future potential.
If the government constructs sewage treatment plants in the right manner and makes strong regulations for the companies and industries to treat their waste themselves, then this can happen and our rivers can appear this way.
This is the condition of not only the Yamuna but also of the Ganga river.
Dr. P.K Mishra, an IIT Professor in BHU states that a 40-50% improvement has been seen in the water quality of the Ganga.
Maybe we should ensure such lockdowns every year for a week so that the entire population of the country realizes and sees how clear can the air and water become.
They can catch a glimpse of the potential of where our country can reach
What do you feel about this?
Write down in the comments below.
Impact on Wildlife due to Coronavirus Lockdown in India
This lockdown has probably also caused some effect upon wildlife and animal life.
Because a lot of videos are becoming viral in which rarely seen animals have come out on the streets because the streets are so deserted.
Although, a lot of these videos were fake.
And I am not calling them fake in the sense that they are manipulated.
I'm calling it fake in the sense that it was not so uncommon for these animals to come out on the streets as the people were claiming it was.
But you can definitely say that the people were not observing this wildlife.
Now they are observing more because the roads have become so deserted during the lockdown.
So it is a good thing that the people are observing the biodiversity in and around them.
Impact on Climate Change due to Coronavirus Lockdown in India
All of us are aware that carbon dioxide emissions are responsible for climate change.If you look at the data of where the worldwide carbon dioxide emissions are emitted from,
then you will notice that the transportation sector has a huge contribution to it.
And obviously, during the lockdown there has been a decline in all of it- a lesser number of cars are plying, lesser number of planes are flying and so, obviously, there is a massive decline in carbon dioxide emissions
But how massive?
Experts are predicting that this is the biggest decline in carbon dioxide emissions after World War 2
Approximately, a decline of 5%.
Bad News of Coronavirus Lockdown in India / Economic Crisis of India due to Coronavirus Lockdown.
But let us now move to the unpleasant news.Observe this chart-
 |
| Market crash due to Coronavirus lockdown in India |
This is the chart of the worldwide carbon emissions over the past 60 years.
You can see that worldwide carbon emissions have been steadily rising every year which has made climate change from bad to worse.
But notice the places where there are drops in the carbon emissions.
You will see there has been a drop in the 2008 Financial Crisis.
The carbon emissions had declined then.
Another drop was noticed in the Asian financial crisis.
Another drop was noticed when the USSR broke up and the carbon emissions had reduced.
There was a Second Oil crisis and a First oil crisis- Then, the carbon emissions had declined
Are you observing a pattern here?
The pattern is that whenever the economy crashes, the carbon emissions go down and then it is a piece of good news for the environment.
There is an unfortunate inverse relation here between the economy and the environment.
When the economy crashes, then it is good news for the environment.
And when the economy booms, carbon emissions go up and it is bad news for the environment.
Why is this happening?
This is happening because our economy is extremely interlinked with fossil fuels.
Coal, oil, petroleum and all the other nonrenewable forms of energy
They are the primary sources of energy today, which run the transportation sector which runs the manufacturing industry which is responsible for the generation of electricity generation worldwide.
This is the reason why, when the transport industry screeches to a halt, then the carbon emissions go down.
When electricity demands fall worldwide, then the carbon emissions go down and this is the reason that when the lockdowns are retracted and the world becomes "normal" again, then the carbon emissions and pollution are going to go back up again.
This is what happened in China as well.
Their carbon emissions fell by approximately 25% in the months of February and March when they had enforced a lockdown.
And as soon as they withdrew the lockdowns, by the end of March, their pollution and nitrogen dioxide levels have reached where they were prior to lockdowns.
But there is an opportunity amongst this unpleasant news.
A lot of industries have already shut down and a lot of people have already faced job losses in this economic crisis.
The government can use this opportunity to push the renewable energy industry.
When the governments transfer money to the industries to revive themselves again and to revive the economy again then the governments should focus more on renewable energy.
The coal, oil and petroleum industries should not be given a lot of support so that the shut industries remain shut and renewable energy gets a new lease of opportunity.
It remains to be seen how many actions do the governments take on this and how much pressure does the public maintains upon the governments.
As of now, it remains so that all the positive effects that I told you about in this article
are all temporary effects for the short term.
The entire situation is going to revert to the same as soon as the lockdowns are withdrawn.
The clear air and the clear waters that you witness is only for a short while- enjoy it because as soon as the lockdowns are withdrawn, the pollution and squalid conditions are going to increase again
except unless you maintain pressure on the government and give priority to such issues.
Share this article with your friends and family in order to make it reach to the rest of the public.
And if you like my work, then you can support me by only Subscribing my blog so that I may continue to make such educational and informative articles for you in the future.
We will meet again in the next articles.
Thank you
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