Speech on impact of corona virus in our society and enviornment
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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.With lockdown or stay at home orders in effect in countries across the globe due to the coronavirus pandemic, there’s been a steep decline in travel and economic activity worldwide.
Traffic congestion in major cities fell dramatically as a result. In New York, peak congestion went down 47 percent from the 2019 average on the morning of March 23. Los Angeles experienced a 51 percent drop, according to Fox News and the TomTom Traffic Index.
With less traffic comes less pollutants like carbon monoxide. Of course, once non-essential employees are allowed to return to their place of work, traffic congestion and pollution will rise accordingly. Will there be any lasting effect on the environment?
One clue comes from Wuhan, China where the outbreak began in late 2019. Traffic is still down 50 percent as of late March, even as restrictions have been lifted and employees have returned to their jobs.