Ongoing COVID-19 Impacts on the Environment

COVID-19 has drastically changed the way many of us live our lives. It may have changed how much we drive, the food we eat, or how much we travel, among many other things. The changes in each of our lives have all added up and, in turn, affected our environment. After over a year since COVID-19’s first introduction, there are still ongoing effects of the pandemic on the environment. Let’s take a look at a few of them:

Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions 

More people have been able to work from home, people have been traveling less, and there are fewer things to do on the weekends that involve leaving your house. All of these have contributed to the decreased greenhouse gas emissions since COVID-19 struck. While it is certainly a positive to see this reduction, they are only temporary and will certainly rise post-COVID-19. Month-to-month carbon dioxide emissions have already begun to increase from their initial drop in March 2020. To have a significant impact on climate change, these reductions will need to be sustained long-term. 

Increased Use of Single-Use Plastics

Single-use plastics have been very beneficial for making many things more hygienic. The majority of restaurants are no longer able to provide indoor dining to the extent they did before, so takeout rates have increased dramatically in the past year. This means that food is oftentimes served in plastic containers, eaten with plastic utensils, and drinks are served in plastic cups. Plastic gloves are used at grocery stores by many trying to avoid touching the virus. Plastic water bottles are an easier option as public water fountains are often restricted for use. The amount of plastic circulating our earth was already problematic considering the 10-1000 years that plastic takes to decompose. The Increasing amount of plastic from the pandemic, while beneficial for hygiene purposes, will only worsen the waste problem we are facing. 

Increased Waste

While plastic waste does fall under this category, the general problem of increased waste is much bigger. Many might think that if the packaging their Amazon product comes in is recyclable, or the utensils they eat their meal with are compostable, they don’t have an environmental impact. However, that is not true. The recycling and composting processes require energy to transport the waste, treat the waste, process the waste, sort the waste, and any other necessary aspects of the processes. While using compostable and recycle products is a step towards sustainability, it will always be more impactful to reduce overall waste. 

Reduced Noise Pollution

COVID-19 has left many people stuck at home, whether they’re working, attending school, working out, or doing anything they would normally leave the house for. Many operations have been halted, trips are being taken less frequently, and there are fewer vehicles making noise day-to-day. While this is not an environmental impact that is commonly discussed, noise pollution can affect many smaller organisms. The decrease in noise pollution provides a break for many invertebrates, small rodents, and other animals that make up ecosystems. All elements of an ecosystem are essential for its survival, so an opportunity to recuperate will only contribute to its resilience. 

These trends emphasize the need for green reform following COVID-19. While some trends were positive, it is clear that they are only temporary, and retaining those positive trends will require widespread environmental policies and other large-scale change. 

Sources:

1. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-020-0883-0

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7430241/

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7498239/#:~:text=The%20global%20disruption%20caused%20by,parts%20of%20the%20world

• https://www.sciencenews.org/article/covid-19-coronavirus-greenhouse-gas-emissions-climate-change