Today is Earth Day’s 50th anniversary! Starting in 1970, Earth Day has been a day that has been dedicated to talking about ways to preserve the planet and doing activities to be more sustainable for the planet. This year, the COVID-19 pandemic has limited some activities that would normally take place for Earth Day, such as large neighborhood clean ups or other Earth Day activities that would usually take place with a big group. While the COVID-19 pandemic has limited some Earth Day activities, there are still many things that you can do from the comfort of your own home for Earth Day.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also helped the environment more as well. Pollution levels and greenhouse gas emissions are down because people are not driving or flying as much and bodies of water in some parts of the world, such as Venice, are becoming clear again due to no human interaction. Even if transportation increase to what it was before the lockdown, scientist still expect to see the first fall in global emissions since the 2008-2009 financial crisis after the lockdown is over. According to the Carbon Brief, carbon emissions are cut by about 5% of 2019 global total emissions, which is the largest fall in CO2 emissions from any previous economic crisis or war.
With all of these changes happening and adapting to the changes due to COVID-19, it is up to us to keep our planet clean and preserve it as much as possible, with or without a virus. The virus is giving us a chance to change our behavior and be more sustainable once the pandemic is over. When we all work together to protect our planet, it truly makes a difference. This Earth Day, share with us what you plan to do from home to celebrate and be more sustainable with the hashtag #EarthDayAtHome.
