We’ve all been suffering at the hands of the COVID-19 pandemic for the last few months. Many of us have been forced to shut down our businesses, have been furloughed and have cancelled big social events, while others have continued to work under immense pressure to support our communities.
However, while the global population shuts down in an attempt to bring the coronavirus pandemic under control, Planet Earth has taken a welcome break from human activity and has even started to recover from years of damage.
So to try and make us feel a little bit better about the situation we have found ourselves in, here are a few environmental positives that have come from it.
Industrial activity and traffic volumes and many more polluting activities have all reduced due to lockdown restrictions. As a result, satellite images from the European Space Agency have found that air pollution levels in China and Italy are noticeably lower than they were this time last year.
Air pollution levels have also dropped in the UK, falling by up to 60% in some cities.
International air travel is one of the fastest-growing sources of climate emissions worldwide. In fact, it is estimated that air travel alone adds up to about 5% of global warming. As travel restrictions have been put in place globally, there has been a massive decrease in the number of commercial flights, with many airlines grounding most of their fleet.
Thanks to pollution levels and tourist numbers in the Italian city rapidly dropping, Venice’s famous canals are the clearest they have been in 60 years. With fewer boats on the canal, the once-murky, grey waters are now crystal clear and are once again flourishing with swans, fish and seabirds.
Since the world has become less busy, more wildlife has had the chance to explore freely. One city in Wales even had a herd of goats making the most of the town centre and enjoying some freedom.
One good thing to have come from social distancing is people are becoming more acquainted with outside space. This is good for our wellbeing, but also as people become more aware of our natural surroundings they, hopefully, will begin to take better care of it.
Global Office Supplies is on a mission to help companies go green. We can help you reduce your impact on the environment by supplying green office supplies, print management and recycling services.
Get in touch today to find out more about how we can help your office go green: