Clean Cities & Healing Nature; What Changed Between 1st Lockdown VS Latest Lockdown
Protecting nature and conserving its elements was always a point of huge concern for a long period. Countless protests, initiatives, and activities were and are conducted worldwide to address this growing issue. Though they did make a few positive impacts, the bigger effects were not as noticeable.
This is why the drastic change noticed all over the world during the initial lockdown phase due to the spread of COVID-19 was an evident one. At the beginning of 2020, the outbreak of a novel coronavirus was reported in different parts of the world, which had its roots in China. As it became fatal and uncontrollable, and no cure or information to deal with, many nations introduced complete lockdowns. All activities, including commercial, transport, industrial, academic, entertainment were completely brought to a halt.
As people were confined to their home and less to no traffic on the road, water, rail, and air, the concerning problems of air pollution and sound pollution caused by automobiles steeped to amazing lows. With industries and production units shut down, another large problem of air and water pollution was also drastically reduced.
Many researchers and authorities all across the world had conducted studies during the different phases of the first lockdowns. Unanimously, all cities experienced an improvement in air quality and the water quality of major water sources like rivers were also at their best in decades.
Studies pointed out that Earth overall was rapidly recovering from years’ worth of damages created by humans. An increase in the ozone concentration in the ozone layer of the Earth’s atmosphere was noted by the studies. Global warming and its adverse effects were also on the path to reversing during the lockdown. The one big good thing that happened around the dark times of COVID-19 was this change in nature. It showed us that the harm we did can be cured with the right measures.
But comparing the effect on nature during the first lockdown and the latest lockdown, it seems people haven’t learned to care about nature, and have grown more ignorant towards the precautions to be taken, both for COVID-19 as well as the conservation of nature.
The improved quality of atmosphere and nature didn’t last much longer. As soon as the lockdowns were lifted the world just went back to its sinister and selfish ways.
Even with the pandemic increasing and evolving, lockdowns aren’t taken with seriousness and more people have started using private vehicles that the rates are alarming! The factories and other industrial activities are now running at full capacities even during lockdowns, which further deteriorates the atmosphere’s quality.
With a bigger problem at hand, administrations and people seem to be less careful of the impacts we make on the environment. Be more conscious of how you live, so there is a better world to enjoy when all of this chaos and tensions are finally over.
Let us learn from our mistakes and fight for our nature while fighting against COVID-19.