We were able to bring down the emission levels greatly during lockdowns
Sustainable development has been a topic of discussion for quite a long time. With the pandemic having hit us last year and the world still facing it we have learned quite a few things from it. With the pandemic raging on and countries across the world going on a complete lockdown there has been a significant cut in the carbon emission rates as the use of factories, vehicles and other sources had dipped by a great deal. It was calculated to be cut down by almost 25% which showed that during such times it was possible to cut the emission rate on a large scale.
Sustainable development is a very important turning point for humanity, as the world is set on a path of no return with the rise in temperatures, rapid climate changes and increase in sea levels which are a result of them. Global emission rates increase causing a layer of greenhouse gases that don’t let the harmful rays of the sun escape our atmosphere. This, in turn, depletes the ozone layer which makes a protective layer that prevents the entry of harmful rays of the sun. The rays are trapped by the gases which are emitted making the earth act like an oven.
It is through the crisis such as the pandemic and the 2008 recession that the scientists were able to analyze the drop in carbon emission levels across the globe. This shows us that it is still possible for us to change and mend our errors.
If during the times like pandemics we were able to bring down the emission levels greatly it’s possible at other times as well. To this extent the UN had formulated some SDG’s a few years ago which each nation needs to meet by the end of 2030 to put a lid on the imminent destruction, the world could face if continued on the same path.
Environmental change has its effects on the human health outcome as well, as we have seen in the diseases that have appeared in the past couple of decades such as Ebola, Influenza, SARS, MERS and Coronavirus. They are the cause of large-scale mortality and morbidity rate across the world. When diseases lead to regional outbreaks or global pandemics, the economic impact on the countries can be devastating. Examples of these include the SARS outbreak in 2003, the H1N1 pandemic in 2009, and the West African Ebola outbreak in 2013–2016 etc. each have caused over US$10 billion in economic damages. Even the current outbreak of the novel coronavirus, which is closely related to SARS, is once again keeping the world on its toes.
If we are not able to put a lid on these causes the world as we may know it won’t last another few decades. All the nations across the world need to join hands and help bring about a positive change across the world.
Image credit: eco-business.com
Source: https://probonoaustralia.com
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