April 22 , 2020 notice the fiftieth Anniversary ofEarth Day . Since its beginnings in America in 1970 , millions of people have taken to the street on this day to campaign for the protection of our planet . Whilst this yearmobilization may be online , their message is clear : climate change still represents the biggest challenge to the future of humanity , and citizens must continue to necessitate greater world ambition to tackle the crisis , now more than ever .
Of course , the world today is far from “ normal ” . With arounda third of humanityunder some form of lockdown to try out and halt the bedcover of the Covid-19 pandemic , report have been flooding in of the shock this is having on the environment .
AcrossChinaandItaly , dramatic drops in the air pollutant nitrogen dioxide have been observed in satellite images , whilst some mood scientists prognosticate that we may see the biggest drop incarbon dioxide emissions since WW2due to the coronavirus . Himalayan peaks are visiblefor the first time in decadesin parts of India , canals in Venicehave become clearer , andendangered sea turtleshave been able-bodied to cuddle in peace on empty beaches across the world .
However , these changes have come about under extraordinary circumstances , which environmentalists havedescribedas “ the bad potential means to receive environmental improvement ” . Even then , “ the pandemic ’s climatesilver lining is vanishingly thin , ” with project declines fall inadequate of quarry needed to reach the Paris Agreement ’s challenging goal of 1.5 ° C of warming by 2030 .
“ The simplification in industrial activity and travel will undoubtedly have reduce global emissions in greenhouse gases , ” Dr Anna Jones , a climate scientist at British Antarctic Surveysaid . “ This will have give the clime a brief respite , but only brief . To really bring around the climate , and to maintain a hefty climate into the future , we call for rapid , major , and sustained reduction in greenhouse throttle discharge . ”
This thought has been echoed by UN Secretary - General António Guterres in his input for Earth Day 2020 . “ The impact of the coronavirus is both immediate and fearsome . But , there is another deep emergency – the planet ’s unfolding environmental crisis , ” Guterres indite in astatement .
“ We must play decisively to protect our planet from both the coronavirus and the existential threat of mood commotion . The current crisis is an unprecedented wake - up call . ”
Amidst Covid-19 coverage , there have been some stark reminder over the last few workweek of the impact that climate alteration can have not only on humanity but the other creatures that inhabit our planet . From theworst megadrought in 1,200 yearshitting the westerly US to themost far-flung bleaching eventin the Great Barrier Reef yet .
As Professor Dave Reay , chair in Carbon Management , executive director of Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation , University of Edinburgh , summedup : “ mood modification has not run low off – it remains the smashing threat multiplier on Earth – but if our leaders can show one ounce of the bravery currently being shown by our health worker then Earth Day can still become one of jubilation rather than mourn . ”
