When we think of the terms COVID-19 or Coronavirus, our minds do not immediately drift to how it has impacted the environment. But truth be told, it has a greater impact than most might think. As COVID-19 worsened, parts of our environment have been able to thrive -- however, some things come with a cost.
Whale Action
As a result of COVID-19 restrictions, whales have been able to thrive in their natural environment. Human activity such as shipping, sonar use, and sea mining can “cause major physiological and behavioral effects on whales.” Researchers have already developed studies to prove that “the noise can drown out echolocation pings necessary to find food and mates. It can damage inner ears and other organs and can cause internal bleeding or even death” (Couch). Researcher Samuel K. Wasser has seen and reported this firsthand in 2001 when his research team was collecting fecal samples. After the 9/11 tragedy, not only did air transportation begin to slow down, but sea travel did as well. Because of this, Wasser and the team were able to lengthen their stay and were able to gather fecal samples prior to the incident from endangered North Atlantic whales. A couple years later, a team led by Rosalind Rolland compared fecal samples post 9/11 to those that Wasser collected. In Rolland’s studies, she “found that the overall six-decibel reduction in low-frequency underwater noise was correlated with drops in stress hormones called glucocorticoids, which help regulate the boost of energy many mammals get in stressful times like predator encounters or periods of starvation.” The global pandemic has caused a slow in sea traffic, giving off the same results Wasser and Rolland found decades ago.With less sea traffic and human stamps on the area, marine life is thriving more than ever before.
Venice Canals
Italy, one of the countries hit hard by the pandemic, went into lockdown which not only protected the people but also gave the waterways a “chance to recharge.” Locals reported the waters looking “impossibly clean.” Unfortunately, we cannot thank a decrease in pollution for the clearer waters. The clearing of the waters has been a result of less traffic on the canals. With Venice being a tourist destination, the gondolas are always put to use which stirs around the sediment that would typically lie at the bottom of the canals. The lockdown has blocked out tourists and put the frequent use of water traffic to a halt. Now, the waters are crystal clear and schools of fish have been visible and able to thrive!
Air Pollution
One last positive is that due to lockdowns from coronavirus, air pollution levels have also gone down. Rume and Islam state that “as industries, transportation and companies have closed down, it has brought a sudden drop of greenhouse gas emissions.” Studies show that compared to last year, air pollution in large air polluting areas like New York have reduced by nearly 50% because of measures taken to control and overcome the virus.
Medical Waste
On the other hand,COVID does come with some negative effects. Due to the pandemic, hospital ICU’s are overflowing, and therefore more medical waste is being produced. According to Calma, “hospitals generated six times as much medical waste at the peak of the outbreak as they did before the crisis began. The daily output of medical waste reached 240 metric tons, about the weight of an adult blue whale.” Not only has the amount of medical waste severely increased, but the same goes for outside of hospitals. In order to take necessary precautions for everyone’s safety, the production of surgical face masks and face shields, gloves, and even plastic containers used for hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes have shot through the roof. While we may not be entirely able to get rid of these essentials, you can help the environment by wearing a reusable face mask!
Remember everyone, REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE!
Works Cited
Calma, Justine. “The COVID-19 Pandemic Is Generating Tons of Medical Waste.” The Verge, The Verge, 26 Mar. 2020, www.theverge.com/2020/3/26/21194647/the-covid-19-pandemic-is-generating-tons-of-medical-waste.
Couch, Christina. “The COVID-19 Slowdown Will Show Whether Quieter Seas Help Killer Whales.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 29 June 2020, www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/quieter-seas-covid-19-killer-whales-180975177/.
Rizzo, Cailey. “Venice's Canals Are Beautifully Clear As Italy's Coronavirus Lockdown Cuts Down on Water Traffic.” Travel + Leisure, 18 Mar. 2020, www.travelandleisure.com/travel-news/coronavirus-cleared-venice-canals-swans-fish.
Rume, Tanjena, and S.M. Didar-Ul Islam. “Environmental Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic and Potential Strategies of Sustainability.” Heliyon, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 17 Sept. 2020, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7498239/#:~:text=The%20global%20disruption%20caused%20by,parts%20of%20the%20world.
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