Coronavirus impact on the environment as the coronavirus pandemic unfolds across

the globe,
threatening lives and upending the world economy, it’s also had a profound impact
on the environment.

Scientists first noticed a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions in China, where the
pandemic began.
This trend followed the pandemic’s spread across the world.
Meanwhile, viral social media posts started to pop up about wildlife sightings in urban
areas, claiming
“nature just hit the reset button on us.”
Less reported has been the dramatic rise in medical waste and packaging from online
shopping.

, We’ll look at the full environmental impact of the COVID-19 crisis to date and what
lessons we
can take from this tragedy to fight

Short-term vs. long-term effects on climate change

Unfortunately, this dip in carbon emissions will likely only last as long as the virus
does. Activity will ramp up once the pandemic subsides, creating a rebound effect
seen in other crises, says Spanish newspaper El Pais.

The 2008 financial crisis caused a 1 percent dip in carbon dioxide but once the
economy recovered, emissions crept back up–at a rate faster then before the crisis.

The bottom line? “We will not fight climate change with a virus,” said UN Secretary-
General Anthonio Guterres on March 13.

After all, measures to halt coronavirus’s spread will not have a long-lasting effect on
climate change. Structural change is needed. But the fact remains that some pre-
existing trends, like the rise of remote work, have been accelerated with the pandemic
and will have lasting effects on cutting carbon emissions and slowing global warming.

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For more info about the coronavirus, see cdc.gov.