By: Matthew Ventura
From trying to figure out new cooking recipes, to attempting different at home workouts, we’re all trying to find different ways to keep ourselves busy and productive during this mind numbing, boring, yet necessary quarantine. Despite all the opinions by politicians and celebrities of this lockdown, one thing is undeniable: the good that it’s doing for the planet is unimaginable and very much needed.
In the last ten years, humans have been extremely wasteful about the planet and one of the main sources of pollution has been deforestation. This resource is renewable to a certain extent, but when more trees are cut down than planted, they eventually lower the oxygen on Earth–hence increasing carbon dioxide levels which go on a cycle to affect global warming and the glaciers in the Arctic. In a graph calculated by Mongabay, an organization that focuses on the planet and environmental issues, the trend of deforestation has increased steadily in the last ten years, specifically the graph below deals with Peru.
However, due to the lockdown being in place and governments across the globe enforcing social distancing, deforestation has gone down dramatically. Not only are forest’s at less of a threat, but major cities in the world are beginning to get better air quality due to the fact it’s citizens are not commuting to work anymore and many factories are shutting down temporarily. This is major news for the planet because Earth is finally seeing a curb to environmental devastation, for now. In some large cities in China, smog levels are decreasing which would lead to better overall health to its residents if trends continue in the future.
So next time you go to complain about being stuck in your house with Wifi, TV, a computer and video games…Remember there are many environmental benefits that will help us avoid climate crisis. Hopefully, in the future, people will consider protecting the environment once society reopens.
The Salesian Spectator 