The world has stopped. Deserted streets in countries on different continents, little or no circulation of cars. Factories that temporarily closed. The economy will suffer serious damage, society too. But the environment is renewed. Pollution, in a few days of inactivity, decreases considerably. The waters and the skies are cleared and cleansed. There is also a story about how the coronavirus benefits the planet.
Better air in China
The data does not lie. The month of February could be taken as the first of the long confinement carried by the Chinese province of Hubei. The average number of days without air pollution varied. It increased by 21.5% compared to the same dates of the previous year. The report is from the Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment. So did satellite images released by NASA and the European Space Agency. They showed a drastic reduction in nitrogen dioxide emissions in the main cities of the country.
Air quality in Italy
Something similar has ended up happening in Europe. It is another example of how the coronavirus benefits the planet. The wave of confinements produced in recent days has also translated into a drastic improvement in air quality. This is revealed by data from the Sentinel 5P satellite. A significant reduction in air pollution is observed coinciding with the drastic measures of confinement taken in the last days.
Pure air in Madrid and Barcelona
The data of the consistory of the capital of Spain say so. The city has reduced air pollution by up to 35%. It is mainly due to the combination of two factors. Confinement measures for coronavirus and meteorological instability. The data provided daily by the Madrid City Council's Air Quality Surveillance System leaves no room for doubt. During the days of confinement, the five districts of the city have measures classified within the “very good” category of the air quality index. On the other hand, in Barcelona the data of the Generalitat indicate that the concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) halved after only three days of confinement.
Limpid waters in Venice
On social networks there were plenty of striking photos of Venice last weekend. The city's canals were distinguished as seldom shown: completely clean. In some areas you could even see corners with crystal clear waters that sheltered even some small schools of fish. They had ventured into the canals from the lagoon or from the sea. “The lagoon appropriates Venice. Without spills and traffic, you can see the bottom of the channels. We should reflect on the exploitation of tourist tourism in Venice ”, wrote Palli Caponera on Twitter in a photograph in which a boat on crystal clear waters is observed. There is less traffic on the channels. That is why the sediments carried by the boats return to the bottom. In this way they considerably reduce cloudy water, giving Venice a picture worthy of the most beautiful Renaissance painting.
The environment is, perhaps, the only one benefited here. It can serve as a reflection for when we overcome the tragedy.
