Written By: Mayukha Kashyap
Picture source: https://www.sciencealert.com/coal-plants-are-emitting-more-than-ever-and-we-are-headed-for-disaster
Students are always taught in school how carbon emissions are harmful to the world. As the years have gone by, humans have released more waste into the environment, allowing carbon emissions to reach record-breaking highs. It was predicted that if emissions did not reduce by 2050, the global temperature would increase by 1 degree, causing mass destruction. Already the effects of global emissions can be seen through the increasing numbers of wildfires, storms, and disrupting weather patterns. These occur because the Earth’s overall temperature is hotter than it used to be, making it more susceptible to global disasters. But how has this changed with the global pandemic? Have carbon emissions truly gone down, and if so, what does it mean for the future?
“Carbon emission” is the official term concerning the release of carbon dioxide into the air. This occurs naturally in nature through photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Exchanging carbon dioxide between the oceans and the atmosphere releases carbon dioxide, which is then balanced when plants absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. Similarly, when organisms decompose or when plants and animals respirate, carbon dioxide is released. Nature can balance the release of carbon dioxide through continuous cycles such as the water cycle, where oceans can absorb back the carbon dioxide they emit. Unfortunately, nature has trouble balancing carbon emissions when humans get involved. As humans burn fossil fuels such as coal or gas, increasing amounts of carbon dioxide get released into the air. These amounts are too high for nature to balance, causing there to be excess heat. Because carbon is a greenhouse gas, the heat cannot leave the atmosphere, causing the global temperature to increase.
Why does this matter? Increased carbon emissions affect those with Cystic Fibrosis, where mucus gets trapped in the lungs, making it difficult for patients to breathe. Those suffering from Cystic Fibrosis are sensitive to the atmosphere around them and often have to wear respiration tubes to help them live. As patients breathe, carbon dioxide can get trapped in their bloodstream, making the body unable to ventilate. The same can be said for those suffering from other pulmonary diseases. While carbon dioxide has always had a steady presence in the atmosphere, nature was able to balance the emissions, making it have less of an impact on the human body. However, as carbon emissions increase, nature cannot keep the balance, affecting the human body.
In the wake of COVID-19, researchers have unsurprisingly found that carbon emissions have decreased. Zhu Liu from the Department of Earth System Science at Tsinghua University in Beijing and his team discovered that carbon emissions had reduced by 8.8% in 2020 compared to 2019. The study found that in April 2020, when the lockdown measures were first issued, emissions declined by 16.9%. They also found that “the greatest reduction of emissions was observed in the ground transportation sector,” with global emissions decreasing to 40%. Interestingly, the study also found that as lockdown measures were lifting and life was resuming its normal pace, carbon emissions went back to the level they were before the pandemic.
Liu believes that despite the overall decrease in carbon emissions, the future of the world remains unimpacted. In the long run, the reduction of emissions is not enough to prevent the inevitable. However, he believes that changing human behavior can decrease these emissions. Because the lockdown measures forced humans to stay at home, human activity decreased, thus reducing emissions. Liu states, “Individual behavior is certainly important, but what we really need to focus on is reducing the carbon intensity of our global economy.” In other words, we need to think about both an individual and global scale to reduce emissions.
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Real-time data show COVID-19's massive impact on global emissions." ScienceDaily.
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